Sa Dingding was born in Inner Mongolia (China) to a Mongolian mother and a Chinese father. She is a multi-instrumentalist, playing the zhen (a Chinese zither with 25 strings), Chinese drum, Chinese gong and horse-head fiddle (a bow-stringed instrumental with a scroll carved like a horse’s head). Her musical mentors include the famous Chinese music producers Zhang Hong Guang and He Xun Tian.
At age 18, she released her debut album and quickly earned repute as the Best Dance Music Singer in China. By 1998, her curiosity in Buddhism, Dyana Yoga and Sanskrit unleashed her creative spirit and pushed her musical boundaries. Buddhism taught her to express with her heart and connect with nature, the meditations of yoga built up her inner peace and spiritual being, and learning Sanskrit encouraged her to create her own language, where new words formed from emotions evoked by music.
She is also well versed in Tibetan chanting and chorus singing in the near-extinct Lagu language. Her secret to honing so many disciplines is solemnity. “Loneliness is the best way for me to become more creative,” she said.
Sa Dingding created a powerful and sophisticated sound by fusing the music of Chinese folk traditions and minority religions – including Tibetan Buddhism – with Western dance music and electronica. This is overlaid with her strong, haunting voice to create a uniquely appealing sound.
In 2008 she won the BBC Radio 3 World Music Award in the Asia/Pacific category for her Alive (Universal, 2007) album released by Wrasse Records in the UK.
Sa Dingding’s albums newer albums have become more pop oriented.
Discography:
Dong Ba La – 咚巴啦 (2001)
Alive – 万物生 (Universal Music, Wrasse Records, 2007)
Harmony – 天地合 (2010)
The Coming Ones – 恍如来者 (2012)
Wonderland, remix album (2014)
The Butterfly Dream – 庄周梦蝶集 (2015)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
