Ellie Mao- An Anthology of Chinese Folk Songs

In this charming collection of Chinese folk songs, Ellie Mao surveys the vast landscape of China's music with her strong voice, from the Himilayas to the Pacific coast. These songs are often passed by word of mouth from generation to generation, sung in the fields, farmhouses, and festivals. Based on her understanding of Chinese culture, Ellie Mao works carefully to preserve the authenticity of the songs. Many of the songs featured in this anthology have appeared in various collections, but often have had no public performances, as professional folk singers had just begun to emerge in China at the time of this production. These songs were translated into the traditional Chinese dialect so that they could be more easily understood, but Ellie Mao provides listeners with the authentic Sichuanese dialect in several songs [Disc 2, tracks 1, 2, and 3]. The tracks of these albums provide small snapshots of the joy of life that pervades the spirit of the Chinese people, which can transcend the barriers of language.