The performance “Colours of China”, presented by the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra, was recently staged at Teatro B32 in São Paulo as part of the Brazil-China Cultural Year 2026. The concert introduced Brazilian audiences to a contemporary interpretation of traditional Chinese music.

Part of Image China, an international initiative of the China Arts and Entertainment Group, the performance featured nine original works inspired by the colours of Chinese culture and the relationship between music, poetry, nature and Eastern philosophy. Traditional instruments, including the sheng, dizi, guzheng, ruan, erhu, pipa, suona and Chinese drums, were combined with keyboards, electric guitar, double bass and a drum kit, creating a dialogue between tradition and contemporary expression.

During the encore, the orchestra performed the well-known Brazilian piece “Tico-Tico no Fubá” and the traditional Chinese piece “Hua Hao Yue Yuan”. The combination of repertoire from the two countries brought the concert to a close in a festive atmosphere and symbolised the friendship and cultural exchanges between China and Brazil.

Founded in 1952, the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra is undertaking its first tour of Brazil this year. Following performances in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, the orchestra will continue its tour in Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba and Porto Alegre. The tour aims to bring Brazilian audiences closer to traditional Chinese music and promote mutual understanding between the two countries.

(Source: Agência Brasil China, 1 August)