Music runs in their veins

Speaking about his early days, Zhou Benming says his father was very strict with him.

And to hone his son's skills, Zhou Zhengyu would make Zhou Benming practice for hours after school outside the house, either in the chilly wind in winter or under the scorching sun in summer.

Zhou Benming says he did not fully appreciate the art until he was enrolled to study the suona at the Anhui Provincial Art School at age 15.

"My father had high expectations. He told me that 'if you play, the Zhou Family Band's fame spreads'. I felt a deep responsibility to keep the family tradition alive," says Zhou Benming.

With urbanization and the development of rural China, bands like Zhou's are facing a decline.

"In the past, our performances could last three days for a wedding or a funeral. But now we just perform for two hours and some families have even abandoned the tradition, turning to pop music or dance," says Zhou Benming.

From the 1990s to the early 2000s, Zhou Benming founded a culture company and collaborated with TV stations across China. But this didn't take him away from the family business.

Then, 10 years ago, he shut down the company and has devoted himself to reviving the band.

"I want to regain our family's glory and to showcase this ancient tradition, especially for the young," Zhou Benming says.

As of now, there are over 100 members of the family who still play musical instruments.

But they live in different parts of China.

Zhou Benming brought together some of the veteran players to perform as a band.

They not only perform at theaters nationwide but also at top Chinese universities, including Peking University and the Chinese Conservatory of Music.

Last July, six of them toured five European countries doing seven live shows, including one at the World of Music, Arts and Dance festival in the United Kingdom.

The introduction of the band on the festival's website calls it an "irrepressible ensemble playing the music that accompanies births and deaths in central-eastern China.

"There's oodles of energy in their performances, making them kindred spirits with many East European gypsy bands."

A recording of the band's performance at the festival is with the British Library.

During its European tour, the band also performed at the Rudolstadt Festival in Germany, the Sommarscen Malmo in Sweden and the Sfinks Mixed in Belgium.

Hailed for its "tremendous energy" by the BBC, the band is regarded as "avant-garde" by The Guardian, and was selected by SOAS Radio as one of its five favorite acts from the 2017 festival.

Despite all the acclaim the band has received abroad, Zhou Benming says what he wants the most is to promote the music to Chinese audiences.

"In the West, the suona, cymbals and sheng are foreign instruments. When they listen to the music, they are open to the fresh sounds. But the Chinese have their own impressions about the musical instruments, which restrains their imagination," Zhou Benming says.

"My goal is to catch their interest and show them how deep and exciting the tradition is."

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn