A leader in his field

Their band is called Wayina in Mandarin, or Varihnaz in the language of the Zhuang ethnic group, which means "the farmland with rice aroma".

The first song they performed on the reality show was Tian Ge, or Song of the Land, which was written by Ba Nong in 2008. All three can sing, and they play different musical instruments, even some that are not common. For example, Lu Min turned a hoe into a percussion instrument, striking it with a piece of iron, while Ba Nong wowed the audience when he made music by blowing on leaves.

"The stars shine at night and cast a bright light on the rice land.… Thanks to you, my land, bless me with aroma of rice grains. …My land, you cannot rest because of me," the song goes.

"Their performance conjures up lots of imagery, such as the beautiful farmland and nature. I could imagine the three members of the band sowing seeds, harvesting, drinking and singing, which is so beautiful," said pop diva Na Ying, one of the six celebrity judges on the reality show.

"We planned to sing one song on the show and leave. We didn't expect that we could win the opportunity to stay for the second round and sing a second song," says Ba Nong.

The second song they performed on the show was a popular Chinese song, Long Time No See, first performed by Hong Kong star Eason Chan. Veteran music producer and songwriter Zhang Yadong was impressed by the band's adaptation, describing it as "surprising, sincere and powerful".

"It's our first time performing on a reality show. For us, it's not a competition, but a place for us to create and grow with freedom," Ba Nong adds.