Sa Dingding sings in London

Singer Sa Dingding performs in London's Lancaster House on Oct 21. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Chinese singer-songwriter Sa Dingding performed at London's Lancaster House on Oct 21 in the presence of President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at a creative collaboration summit between China and the United Kingdom that Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, also attended.

Sa, 31, who won a BBC World Music Award in 2008, mixed two of her hits — Joy Festival and As the Shadow Follows — with Beethoven's Ode to Joy for the concert, and combined traditional Chinese instruments and rhythms with Western choral music. Her show along with Emmy-winning composer Laura Karpman, featured ethnic dancers from Southwest China's Yunnan province.

Singer Sa Dingding (left) shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping (third from left). [Photo provided to China Daily]

Born in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Sa released her first album, Dong Ba La at age 18. After a long gap, she released her next album, Alive, in 2007, in which she sings in Mandarin, Sanskrit, Tibetan and a self-created language. Her fifth album, The Butterfly Dream, will be launched by Universal Music Group on Nov 20.

Produced by Indian-American musician Karsh Kale, whose songwriting credits include pieces for Sting and Norah Jones, the album was produced in Beijing and Mumbai, blending Sa's signature electronics with Indian flavors. Indian flutist Naveen Kumar and rapper Benny Dayal also feature in the album.

The Butterfly Dream shows the beauty of Chinese music and culture, while drawing on Western concepts and compositions.

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