Kazakh folk song – Akbayan

The ending of my one year exchange in China was approaching very fast when I saw a big poster announcing a concert of minority music held at the Conservatory and I decided I should not miss it. The Kazakh group of musicians just blew me away with their performance of their traditional wedding song Kermau Ayday, which is on the CD. Here is a photo taken after the concert with their colorfull costumes and I just had to ask them if they would be willing to record some songs with me in the studio. This was one of the most wonderful days in my life and the musicians, their openness, was amazing. I decided then that my next visit will be to the northwestern province of Xinjiang which is their original home. The video accompanying the song was shot on my last night in Shanghai. I rented a taxi with a friend and we drove around Shanghai in the middle of the night taking in the atmosphere of the city. Next day it was time to go.