Sa Dingding

b. c. 1984, Mongolia. Sa’s mother was Mongolian, her father Chinese. As a small child she sang and learned to play various musical instruments, including the zheng, an instrument similar to the zither, and a traditional violin known as the horse-head fiddle, as well as Chinese percussion instruments. She has drawn upon the cultural heritage of her antecedents to offer a varied and always fascinating repertoire. In this, she mingles traditional Mongolian, Tibetan and Chinese music with concepts that draw upon music from the Indian sub-continent as well as aspects of contemporary world music from other regions, including the West. She sings her songs in Tibetan, Mandarin, Sanskrit, Lagu and in a language she has herself created to follow the melodic contours of the music. Sa made her debut recording at the age of 18, attracting considerable attention in China and neighbouring countries. Her audience was widened through appearances on a 2005 visit to the USA and at the 2006 MTV Style Gala. After signing with Universal Music, her work became much more widely available and correspondingly appreciated.