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Red Poppy

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For other uses, see Red poppy.

Red Poppy is an all female percussion group from China.[1] They are the first all-female percussion band from China.[2] The percussion ensemble includes twenty full-time performers.[3] Red Poppy uses over forty different types of Chinese and Western percussion instruments.[4] They have performed in over 50 countries and were involved in the Beijing Olympic opening and closing ceremonies.[2]

History

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Red Poppy was founded in 1999.[3] Manager Zhou Li says that the name "Red Poppy" was chosen because it was considered both "beautiful and powerful."[5] Red Poppy started with one member and has expanded after the success of the first performance in Europe.[6] One of their first original songs dating back to 1999, is called "Chinese Dragon" and includes both Western and Chinese influences.[2] They came to national attention in China when they performed in 2001 on China Central Television (CCTV) for the Spring Festival Party.[7]

In 2005, Red Poppy performed during the five-day Chinese New Year festival held in Dublin's Chinatown.[8]

In 2008, Red Poppy performed for the Beijing Olympics in the opening and closing ceremonies. They also recorded ahead of time in Sydney for Channel 7.[9] In June 2008, the group performed in Amman.[10]

In January 2013, Red Poppy performed on Broadway, showcasing their original take on the story of Hua Mulan in "Mulan the Musical."[2] The version of the Mulan story presented by Red Poppy involves pantomime, dance and percussion.[11] Due to popular demand, Red Poppy returned to Broadway again in 2014.[12] Red Poppy toured Scotland[6] and performed in London in 2015.[13]

Critical reception

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Tim Page, writing in The Washington Post, called a 2005 performance "diluted" by "insipid synth-pop."[14] Page, however, did praise the skill of the musicians themselves, saying that they "rattled, roared, pounced and parried in high style."[14]

A 2013 performance at New York's Peter Jay Sharp Theater was well-reviewed, with The New York Times reviewer only complaining about some of the visuals incorporated into the performance.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "Red Poppy Gains Wide Acclaim in the US". People's Daily Online. 8 October 2005. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d "Female Musicians Wow Audiences from Broadway to Beijing". Beijing International. The Beijing Government. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Red Poppy Ladies' Percussion". Wu Promotion. Archived from the original on 19 December 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  4. ^ "Introduction to Red Poppy Ladies' Percussion". China Culture. Archived from the original on 13 March 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  5. ^ Bourne, Christopher (26 December 2012). "'Mulan the Musical' Press Conference". Asian in NY. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  6. ^ a b Apter, Kelly (24 February 2015). "Mulan the Musical: China's only female percussion group presents new show". The List. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  7. ^ "The Cream of China's Girl Bands". China Culture. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  8. ^ Kelly, Olivia (10 February 2005). "Five-Day Chinese Festival Begins in Dublin". Irish Times. Retrieved 31 December 2015 – via EBSCO.
  9. ^ Lalak, Alex (3 March 2008). "Red Poppy Hits an Olympics Crescendo". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 31 December 2015 – via EBSCOhost.
  10. ^ "China's 'Red Poppy' Blossoms in Jordon". Xinhua Net. 12 June 2008. Archived from the original on August 30, 2009. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  11. ^ a b Jaworowski, Ken (28 December 2012). "A Female Warrior's Exploits, Blow by Blow". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  12. ^ "The Red Poppy Ladies to Return to NYC with Mulan the Musical". Broadway World. 28 May 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  13. ^ "Mayor of London Welcomes London's Chinese New Year Celebrations". States News Service. 19 February 2015. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  14. ^ a b Page, Tim (8 October 2005). "Red Poppy's Pound-Foolish Percussion". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
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