From the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in 1997 to the Kremlin Theatre in Moscow in 1999, then the Millennium Palace in London in 2000 and the Herod Atticus Theatre in Athens last year, "Bravo China" has impressed people worldwide. This year the hearty blessing of "Bravo China" was bestowed upon South Africa, the "Rainbow Nation."
The performance was staged on February 17 at Nelson Mandela Theatre in Johannesburg and attracted a large audience. China Central Television (CCTV) and Shanghai Oriental TV will broadcast the show tomorrow night.
Jointly directed by Chen Linchun from CCTV and Gavin Wratten from M-Net of South America, the Nelson Mandela Theatre was the setting for a glittering showcase of performing arts by top South African artists and elite performers from China.
Zhu Xun from CCTV, Cao Kefan from Shanghai Oriental TV and Peter Ndoro from M-Net hosted the performance together.
Liu Huan, a popular Chinese singer, sang the theme song "Bravo China & South Africa" composed by Su Yue, a well-known Chinese pop musician, to kick off the performance.
And famous dancer Liu Min led 24 African dancers to perform "Yellow River, the Mother" to express Chinese people's love towards the Yellow River.
Dancer Huang Doudou performed "The Spirit of Terracotta Soldiers," one of his best works, with the local dancers.
Pop singer Ding Wei first sang "Tibetan Plateau," which was very different from her former jazz and blues style. Then she sang one of her trademark songs, "Winter Is Here," with the South African band Khowla Brother. The band itself also sang a folk song, "Shosholoza."
Jiang Guoji, the Dizi (Chinese bamboo flute) player, first played the well-known Chinese folk song "Such a Beautiful Jasmine Flower" on his 3.2 meter giant flute. The audience was impressed by his adept skill and the melodious music. Then he cooperated with Big Voice Jack to play a traditional South African piece.
The acrobats from Guangzhou Military Command Acrobatics Troupe won thunderous applause for their performance of "The Art of Contortion," in which the beauty and flexibility of human bodies were perfectly interwoven with acrobatics, modern dance and music.
World-known Chinese tenor Liao Changyong sang "Brindisi" from "La Traviata" with South African soprano Sibongile Mngoma.
South African pop bands Watershed and Henry Ate, dance group African Footprint, and pop singers Khadja Nin, Mandoza and Rory Rootenberg also gave wonderful performances. The Johannesburg Festival Orchestra played under the baton of renowned Chinese conductor Hu Yongyan and South African top conductor Richard Cock.
In the last four years, Bravo China's live music and dance variety show has earned a reputation for showcasing the highest quality of modern Chinese performances to foreign countries. This fresh breeze from the Orient has attracted a multitude of admirers to Chinese performing arts.
Teng Junjie, vice-president of Shanghai Oriental TV and co-producer of the "Bravo China" series, said: "The original idea of producing the shows is to promote Chinese modern culture to the world."
"This series tends to display China's modern arts to the world instead of the classical arts and Chinese long history, which the Chinese performing arts troupe used to show," said Liu Huan, who has participated in most of the "Bravo China" galas.
Said Chen, co-director of the show: "In this new century, China doesn't have much time to boast about her splendid cultural heritage, because she is embracing an even more splendid future."
(China Daily February 22, 2002)
