International acts to light up Lantern Festival

Media release –
21 January 2013

International acts to light up Lantern Festival

Two of the most acclaimed musical groups in China have been confirmed to perform at the Auckland Lantern Festival at Albert Park, 22 to 24 February.

Award-winning folk/rock band Omnipotent Youth Society (OYS) from Hebei, and Beauty and Melody – a classical music ensemble from Sichuan – will headline at this year’s festival and give attendees a unique chance to experience world-class Chinese artists.

Touted as the next big thing in Chinese rock music, OYS will make its New Zealand debut at the event. Critics have described the ensemble’s music, which includes violins, trumpets and harmonicas, as hauntingly beautiful. OYS has played to packed venues in Beijing and earned numerous accolades including Band of the Year at the Chinese Music Media Awards.

“The group’s lyrics are rooted in their home town of Shijiazhuang, the industrial capital of Hebei Province, and set it apart from other Chinese bands,” says Eric Ngan, Event Producer – Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED).

“The songs are mostly written by bassist Ji Geng, and deal bluntly with the social realities of China’s second-rung cities. The lyrics are often described as poetic and powerful, and seem to resonate wherever the band plays in China.”

Beauty and Melody, an all-female group comprising some of the best young graduates from China’s major music conservatories, play instruments including bamboo flutes, wind pipes and traditional Chinese folk instruments such as the suona (oboe) ruan and pipa (lutes).

They also use traditional percussion instruments incorporating the graceful movements of traditional Chinese dance.

“The ensemble is affiliated to the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra and has toured extensively, playing at many prestigious venues including the Kennedy Center in Washington,” says Mr Ngan.

The festival’s exciting live entertainment programme will also involve many local Chinese performance groups.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown will open the three-day cultural festival on Friday, 22 February at 8pm.

“The Auckland Lantern Festival is highly anticipated each year and is one of the key events that celebrates Auckland as an Asia-Pacific city and contributes to our ambition to be the world’s most liveable city. It is great to see Aucklanders and visitors of all backgrounds celebrating our ethnic diversity and the contribution our long-term and more recent Chinese Aucklanders make to our social fabric,” says Mayor Brown.

“Albert Park will come alive with the sights, sounds and aromas of China for the weekend, and I encourage all Aucklanders to come and enjoy this wonderful spectacle.”

Auckland Lantern Festival is organised by ATEED in partnership with Asia New Zealand Foundation.

For more information, go to aucklandnz.com/lanternfestival

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