Singer Yunggie Ma offers hymns of nature

[Photo provided to China Daily]

"It is more than 4,000 kilometers from my home to Tian'anmen Square," she says.

"When I first arrived in Beijing, the city's fast pace distracted me. Seeing people run around and work hard for money made me uncomfortable and even sad."

In 2009, she joined Dawanggang, a Beijing band founded by Song Yuzhe, an avant-garde, self-taught musician, who blends traditional Chinese and contemporary music.

After three years in the band, Yunggie felt she needed to discover more about herself, Monba music and her ancestors' history.

From 2010 to 2015, she participated in reality TV shows, such as CCTV's Youth Singer Competition and Chinese Idol, a program like its British and American counterparts. She also continued collecting Monba folk songs and composed her own music.

After becoming a mother last year, she returned to media attention when she participated in China Star, another reality show on Dragon TV.

Now based in Shanghai, Yunggie goes back to her hometown every year and spends time with her family while enjoying the local cuisine and nature.

"Life is short and dynamic. I am grateful for having my voice as a gift. I wish to feel the faith and energy through sound, and I also hope my listeners feel the same way," she says.

If you go

9 pm, April 15. Yugong Yishan, 3-2 Zhang Zizhong Road, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-8402-8477.

9 pm, April 17. Mao Livehouse, 308 Chongqing South Street, Huangpu district, Shanghai. 021-6445-0086.