Voices of the Sani

This debut presents a fusion of pop and traditional folk music of the Sani people from south-western China's Yunnan province. The Sani language is mixed with Chinese, and local instruments are played together with the electric bass and drum kit. This mixing seems to have become a trend for bands from Yunnan. If you are familiar with the music of the group Shanren, you can expect a somewhat similar sThle, not least because Sam Debell, the album's English producer, is also a member of Shanren. The song ‘March Celebration’ has been recorded by Shanren before.

Yunnan is one of the most popular tourist destinations in China, and it is natural for indigenous musicians there to be influenced by international musical sThles. This is most obviously reflected on Voices of the Sani in the track ‘Brothers and Sisters’, the band's rendition of a US old-time tune ‘Five Miles of Ellum Wood’. Surprisingly, Manhu have localised this tune so much that it sounds completely different, like a traditional song or a Manhu composition. The adiza (small three-string lute) plays a role comparable to that of the banjo. America's old-time music has become the Sani's new-time music.