Sandy and her art troupe entertain
AN AMERICAN painter once said: “Art is much less important than life, but what a poor life without it.” This describes Sandy Wang perfectly.
Sandy was born in Guang Dong province, China. She had toured around China and South East Asia as a Chinese folk music singer before she settled in SA. Now she owns a wedding dress boutique and a jewellery business in Johannesburg, but she can’t cut art out of her life. More people know Sandy as the head of the SA-China Culture and Art Exchange Association and the director of the South African Hua Xing art troupe.
“I love all art forms but it pains me to see young Chinese in Johannesburg only interested in piano, hip-pop music and English songs — these western art styles.” Sandy says that some Chinese South African children can barely speak Mandarin, “singing Chinese songs is the only chance these kids get to use Mandarin”.
The Culture and Art Association and the Hua Xing art troupe have performed for local audiences on numerous occasions, and the mixture of South African drums and Chinese music always opens a show.
In an interview with People’s Daily Online, Sandy recalls the highlight of the Culture and Art Exchange Association’s work and Hua Xing art troupe’s performances. Holding red lanterns in their little hands, pupils from Hua Xing performed a chorus for the Chinese community at the “Cultures of China, Festival of Spring” Gala in February.
“Cultures of China, Festival of Spring” is a series of international cultural events initiated by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council and China Overseas Exchange Association since 2009 to strengthen the bond among overseas Chi- nese and to promote the traditional cultural heritage. It’s held every year around the lunar new year. The gala usually constitutes traditional Chinese operas, dances, musical instruments solos and a medley of Chinese and foreign songs.
Although pupils from Hua Xing are young, they are experienced performers. In December 2015 they performed at the closing ceremony of the Year of China. Their angelic voice flawlessly matched the two songs of “Pray for Africa” and “World Filled with Love”, giving the gala a warm-hearted finale.
“I spend a lot of time with my pupils. They are the hope,” says Sandy. She’s also trained several teenagers to compete in the Water Cube Cup Chinese Songs Contest for foreign adolescents of Chinese origin last year.
With the motto of “Gathering in the Water Cube, Singing with Love for China”, the contest is aimed at encouraging more overseas Chinese to learn Mandarin, promoting traditional Chinese culture and enhancing their ties with Beijing. The competitors are trained by professional singers once they make the cut to the knockout matches in Beijing. Afterwards, 10 finalists contend for the gold, silver and bronze medals. “South African Chinese youth were all very excited to see Beijing,” says Sandy.
Sandy’s also helped organise the Miss Chinese Cosmos Pageant in SA. The pageant, which promotes a new set of standards of beauty for modern Chinese women including compassion, vigour, fortitude and intelligence, enjoys great prestige in China and in the regions where the Chinese diaspora has fanned out, including South-east Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and Australia.
“In this contest, English isn’t essential, the Mandarin matters more,” explains Sandy.
Not just to the Chinese community in SA, Sandy is playing her part to promote Chinese culture to the locals. In September 2015, Sandy and her South African friends took part in the Gauteng Carnival which was themed “Social Cohesion: South Africa belongs to all who live in it”. At the parade, Chinese ladies in exotic costumes and with props were frequently asked to take pictures together. “We have started preparing for the 2016 parade. We will have a bigger float this year decorated with Chinese elements,” says Sandy.