As a first generation Chinese-American, I’vealways been interested in fusion – of foods and languages and cultures–forthese cross-cultural conversations remind me that our differences can enrichand unify rather than divide us. That’s why over the last year, I’ve beenlistening to a lot of music that combines different styles to create new genresof sound. Here are some of my favorites:
Illmatic: Live from the Kennedy Center, Nas & The National Symphony Orchestra (2018)
Another hybrid album which blew my mind was the recording of the well known rapper Nas performing with the National Symphony Orchestra. He remakes his entire 1994 album with arrangements of strings and a brass section. You wouldn’t think that it could work, since hip hop comes from the streets and classical music from the salons, but the orchestra makes the original samples come alive while Nas’s rapid fire delivery feels even more urgent. When he bumps the chorus on his hit “One Love,” he might also be singing about one music, because this collaboration shows how the love of sound can transcend cultural and class boundaries without sacrificing any part of its essential nature. This album is absolute fire.
Silk Road Journeys: Beyond the Horizon, Silk Road Ensemble and Yo-Yo Ma (2005)
I need to include one of my personal heroes, the cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who reminds me of my Chinese American heritage and the drive for excellence. “To live in one home on our planet, we actually have to be able to work together,” he said about his project with the Silk Road Ensemble, which embodies the power of music to help open people’s hearts. He followed the ancient trade route that connected the East and the West and hired talented musicians who played everything from traditional instruments like the pipa (a Chinese lute) to the shakuhachi (a Japanese bamboo flute) alongside Persian percussion and Galician bagpipes. Magically, the sounds weave together and a piece like Heart and Soul takes us from the vast plains of West Africa to a meditative Chinese temple at the top of a lush birch forest, from a dusty marketplace in a moonlit desert to the street corner saxophone of a musician in the middle of a bustling city. Regardless of the language barrier between the musicians, their melodies and sounds are both seamless and intriguing, and their common passion helps them create these masterpieces.
Sometimes in this climate of fear towards immigrants, we forget that our differences are our strength. The following albums cross genres and cultures, reinventing sound in a way that helps remind me of my own bicultural identity. Adapting to different environments has sometimes been a tough challenge, but when I put on my headphones and listen to these songs, I realize that mash ups are marvelous.