Guizhou ethnic song makes big screen debut in 'Ne Zha 2'

The members of Wuyue Chan'ge ensemble pose for a group photo with the main characters from Ne Zha 2. [Photo/ddcpc website]

This year, anticipation was heightened for the release of the animated film Ne Zha: The Demon Child Makes Waves (popularly known as Ne Zha 2). The film's opening theme song is adapted from the Dong Grand Song, a traditional form of singing unique to the Dong ethnic group.

Behind this mesmerizing song was a group of 10 Dong women from Liping, Congjiang, and Rongjiang villages in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture in Southwest China's Guizhou province.

They formed the ensemble Wuyue Chan'ge, whose mission was to infuse the film with the soul of the ancient Dong Grand Song.

"Dong Grand Song is a cultural treasure, carrying the memories of our ancestors," said Yang Xiangni, the ensemble's founder. The team endured countless trials to balance the traditional essence of the song with the emotional depth required for the film. Initially, progress was slow.

Yang explained that the film needed a vocal twist that conveyed a sense of deep cunning, but the clarity of the Dong singing style was too pure. Eventually, she combined nasal resonance and head resonance to achieve the final result.

Although the lyrics were changed from Dong language to Mandarin, the ancient vocal techniques were preserved.

Wuyue Chan'ge incorporated the soul and tones of the Dong Grand Song into modern animation, bringing Ne Zha 2 unique vitality and cultural depth.