Finding the spotlight

Ethereal, whispering, and resonant, the sound of the kouxian, the traditional copper mouth harp of the Yi ethnic group, was the soundtrack of Shengte Wuji's childhood.

As a woman of the Yi ethnic group growing up in southwestern China's Yunnan province, the raw, authentic music of her heritage became the sonic bedrock of her life. It was also a recurring refrain that strengthened her cultural identity throughout her maturation and fueled her determination to share the soul-stirring beauty of Yi music with a broader audience.

Now, that determination has propelled her into the spotlight on the recently aired talent show Sound Trek.

For the show, she rearranged a popular rock song, then blended the Yi ethnic group's folk chanting with contemporary pop styling — a bold fusion that led veteran singer-songwriter Shang Wenjie, one of the judges, to exclaim, "It suddenly made me feel that folk music can truly be rock."

Born into a family committed to preserving its ethnic cultural heritage, Shengte Wuji grew up in a home designed in the traditional Yi architectural style and adorned with Yi figure sculptures and murals.

Her mother also sent her to learn the kouxian, ensuring she remained connected to her roots.

She recalls her family telling her, "You are of the Yi ethnic group. You must learn the Yi ethnic language. That is something we cannot lose."

A music lover since childhood, Shengte Wuji majored in music education at Minzu University of China in Beijing.

It was there that she sought to become a voice for Yi songs that could speak to her generation.

She started rearranging classic Yi folk tunes or writing original songs that merged upbeat ethnic melodies with rap rhythms. These tracks soon spread widely as background music on short-video platforms.