Jazz roots:
Chinese-American singer-songwriter Shunza, who has teamed up with the Red Groove Project, is now touring major cities on the Chinese mainland
Chinese-American singersongwriter Shunza, who has teamed up with the Red Groove Project, is now touring major cities on the Chinese mainland.
When Chinese-American singer-songwriter Shunza launched her debut self-titled Mandarin album in 1997, her wide vocal range and velvet voice soon gained her a large fan base in China.
One of the songs, a love ballad titled Going Home, became her bestknown hit and topped the charts.
She further displayed her talent by releasing other albums, such as her second Mandarin album I’m Not A Star and her English album, Open Up, in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The latter won her best female singer and best composer awards at Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Melody Awards.
Now, the singer-songwriter, 43, is returning to her jazz roots by touring major cities on the Chinese mainland, such as Chongqing, Xiamen, Xi’an, Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan.
Teaming up with multinational funk, jazz band, the Red Groove Project, she has performed her popular hits as well as songs from her upcoming album, which has a crossover touch.
“My fans, who come to the shows, want to listen to my classic songs and songs from my new album, and we won’t let them down. The Red Groove Project have rearranged all my songs. It’s like a reincarnation of my older songs along with my new songs. We bring new versions to the audiences. We are really excited,” says Shunza in an interview with China Daily before she performed at Blue Note Beijing. The first Chinese branch of the Blue Note Jazz Club, the famous New York establishment, launched in August 2016 at the renovated site of the former US embassy near Tian’anmen Square.
Born in Beijing to a clarinet player father and a classical pianist mother, Shunza started studying piano at 4.
After moving to San Francisco with her family at 6, she was exposed to a variety of music genres, such as R&B, hip-hop, soul and jazz.
At 17, she joined the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in Lausanne, Switzerland.
She then sang in clubs for eight years, until she was discovered by Taiwan’s Rock Records and moved to Taiwan in 1996.
Speaking about her music, she says: “I fell in love with jazz at 16. Jazz is a very mature style of music. I know very few young people, who love jazz. It takes time to learn and really appreciate jazz.
“Jazz requires so many roots in pop, blues and soul music. So, it’s easier for you to play jazz if it’s not the first style of music you play,” says Shunza.
The singer-songwriter has been working with the Red Groove Project for around seven years, after she was introduced to it by ChineseAmerican guitarist Lawrence Ku. Shunza met Ku many years ago at the Beijing Midi Jazz Festival.
Ku, who founded the Red Groove Project in 2002, is also Shunza’s musical director.
Referring to the Red Groove Project, she says: “They are an amazing instrumental band. Ku kind of took me back to my jazz roots. But I, in turn, introduced them to the pop world, where they can play for big audiences.
“We do the songs differently to give the audience a live experience. We never copy the CD version. We make it really fun onstage, with solos and improvisation.
“When people hear a ballad, they feel moved and think about their own love stories.
“With our fast songs, we can get any type of audiences to rise and dance. We’ve seen this in many cities.”
While performing with the Red Groove Project, Shunza also introduces other songs, besides her hits, like Going Home.
“I sing French songs, which I really love,” says Shunza, who released her English-French album, Song For
Jazz requires so many roots in pop, blues and soul music. So, it’s easier for you to play jazz if it’s not the first style of music you play.” Shunza, Chinese-American singersongwriter
Lovers, in 2006.
Shunza, who moves between China and Paris now, says that her new album will come out in 2017.
“My music is not so‘ hit’ and I have lots of music, which is deeper,” she says. “It’s great to know my fans think it’s worthwhile to wait for my new album.”
“My New Year resolution, like every year, is to stay healthy so that I can play, play and play,” she adds.