Wu Man interview transcript
Recorded May 29, 2001
Posted September 10, 2001

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Wu Man, pippa

Dan Olson: What was your reaction?

Wu Man: Well, first I heard it probably a year ago, Hi Kyung Kim, he faxed me, and I said, "What is that?" And so I read all he wrote about the concert, about the piece, about the possibility. I immediately said, "Yes, of course."

DO: Why did you say "Yes, of course"?

WM: Well, there's a lot of reasons, because this thing happen that we all know in China. And also my parents live in cities also in Nanjing right now. So I thought, a musician, this is a great idea, and this is the first time this is going to happen in the states.

DO: Had you grown up with stories with history, with accounts of the massacre?

WM: With the history, yes. I never went through that period. But my parents, my grandparents, told me about the tragedy that happened.

DO: Is the knowledge is the history of the massacre suppressed, or is there widespread knowledge in China of the massacre?

WM: I think everybody knows. But I'm not sure ... younger, like two or three years old or today, but I'm sure my generation all knows.

DO: Caucasian-Americans you encountered ... do you find much knowledge of that period of history?

WM: No, I don't think so. All my friends, they all told me, "Oh my God, that's first time heard that ... ," you know. So I don't think ... yeah.

DO: What do you think about bringing it all up again? Does it open up old wounds?

WM: You know, I've been thinking, my grandma told me about the tragedy. You know, in China, there's a river, the Yangtze River, and it's like the Mississippi River, through the whole country. During that time, the river was ... the water was red for months. And also, you know, see the bodies. And I think it's really horrible for the Chinese and also for the whole world.

DO: How does a commemoration help heal the wounds, the psychological wounds, from that period of history?

WM: I hope, you know, we are right now in the 21st century, and you know, review the 20th century: A lot happened. A lot of tragedy. A lot of actually man-made tragedy.

I hope, you know, people remember this and never going to happen again. This is man-made tragedy, so I think it's good to remember and to remind people: That was wrong. We couldn't happen in the future .. not going to happen in the future.

DO: What do you think is the special power of music, of art, to help in this healing process?

WM: Well, for me ... I only can use music! I have no other things can do. I think music very, what do you say, emotional ... emotional ... and can touch people's heart. Like art work, like painting, you know. So I think very directly to the person, to the people.

DO: Just for a moment, say a word about the pieces that you will be playing for the commemoration. What will you be performing?

WM: I will play Chen Yi's piece. It's a trio piece for violin, pipa, and cello. It's called "Ning." Ning means also Nanjing in Chinese, which is a short version. And when I saw this title, I went, "Wow!" Because my parents still live there, and that's kind of my hometown. It has a lot of meaning to me. And the piece for me, for my part, my role ... it's like women. You know, during that time, the Japanese raped a lot of lot of Chinese women. I'm not ... musically, this piece ... I've been thinking kind of, I'm not really the victim, and also the witness and a survivor. So musically, very strong, dramatic, and telling her story.

DO: This is good. Say a word about the mood. This is Chen Yi's piece, and say a word about the ... how long is the piece?

WM: About ... I don't know, maybe about 10-something minutes.

DO: How does it travel, how does it flow? What are the moods?

WM: Well, she used a Chinese folk tune and ... I know the folk tune .... But from beginning, it's just some notes ... the piece starts cello solo, which is very dramatic, low voice. And suddenly, pipa and a violin ... very dramatic, very strongly coming in. Kind of the scenery, the picture of this scene.

DO: By the way, what is the story? It is based on a folk song ... what is the story?

WM: Well, the folk song is called "Jasmine Flower" ... yes ... and also the folk song is from ... Nanjing area. The province, Jiangsu province. ... and it's a love song ... yes ... about the young boy saw this beautiful girl, and he tried to talk to her but he hesitated ... you know he said, "a lot of people surround her ... I couldn't talk to her, but I wanted to."

You know, that's basically the song. It's very famous, it's well known, people all know this song. And you know a lot of different versions of that song. It's called "Jasmine Flower."

DO: Is it a controversial issue still among perhaps parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, maybe among friends you may have who are Japanese, friends you may have who are Korean, is it controversial?

WM: You know, I ... well, for sure, a lot of my Chinese friends of course they all know this ... all of course we know this happened, and ... but a lot of Japanese friends ... as my generation, I'm not sure they really know what happened. And some of them, they probably, they're totally shocked. You know: "What?" You know: "What happened? We didn't know that." So that's why I think it's important.

DO: Just a couple more questions. This is going very well, your answers are just wonderful. What would you like your listeners, your concert goers to take away from the commemoration?

WM: Well as a musician, first of all, I hope the audience will enjoy the concert, enjoy the music. And also, this is kind of a special concert, it's not like a regular concert, a subscription concert, you're going to listen to Beethoven or Tschaikovsky. It's a premier piece, and I think the composers put a lot their emotional, their spiritual, their thoughts in this piece because, you know, before they wrote the music, they have something in their mind ... something very specifically for this event. So I think it will be very strong ... sort of music spirit in their music. So it's different, and I hope the audience will get that ... and also, of course, this special event ... so the audience will get the idea of what really happened.

DO: Does it evoke feelings in you, as a participant? Does being a participant in a world premier for this commemoration of these massacres, of the atrocities. What does it evoke in you?

WM: I think ... there's a lot of meaning to me. I mean, first of all, I'm Chinese. And secondly, I lived in the states for 10 years. And I would like people to remember that, and I would like people, especially Western people, to acknowledge that, to understand that that's really happened before. And also secondly, I think playing with Yo-Yo Ma, like ... you know ... musicians like Hi Kyung Kim and the chamber society ... it's also, for my musical career, it's also very important, too. So ... a lot of meaning to me . and to work with all those composers, great composers from Asia and the States.

DO: Good. Good. Now we're asking everyone to do one last thing, and a bunch of Caucasians trying to say "Bridge of Souls," English translation, for what I'm saying "Hun Qiao."

WM: OK... Hun Qiao.

DO: There's a flow to it when you say it that I don't quite capture. You know, it's almost like ... [they go on with pronouncing it some more]. Lovely to hear. Wu Man, thank you so much coming by to talk with us.

WM: Thank you very much, Dan.