Band made up of foreign students introduces China to world through music

"The things that you previously knew about China were the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Yangtze River, but innovation, high-speed railways, 5G and the Tiangong space station represent today’s China."

These are the lyrics of a song performed by a band of foreign students from Nanchang Hangkong University in east China's Jiangxi Province.

Members of the "Belt and Road" band from Nanchang Hangkong University rehearse on the campus of the university. (Photo/Li Yunhan)

Established in 2013, the “Belt and Road” band currently has four main members, all are foreign students from countries and regions along the Belt and Road. They are Mnyaga Daniel Rukiko on the keyboard from Tanzania, Abel Jacob Chulu on the bass from Zambia, Isaiah Nyasha Chikomo on drums and Audrey Tanaka Murungweni on vocals from Zimbabwe.

"Music brings us together and most of us come from countries along the Belt and Road. Our band is also named after the Belt and Road," said Rukiko, explaining that they like to incorporate musical styles from their respective countries with Chinese culture during their creative process, and express their love for China through their songs.

"Before I came to China, I had heard of Peking Opera. I like it very much and I'm interested in Chinese music," said Rukiko, who joined the band in 2015.

Mnyaga Daniel Rukiko, a member of the band from Nanchang Hangkong University, studies in his dormitory. (Photo/Li Yunhan)

The band has performed in Jingdezhen and Fuzhou in Jiangxi Province. “When we performed in these places, we also learned more about Chinese culture," Rukiko said.

"I hope that more people will hear us and get to know about Chinese culture and the life that we are living here in China," Rukiko said. Videos of their performance have gained widespread attention on social media platforms, including YouTube and Facebook.

"Some members have left the band for various reasons, such as graduating from university, while other people later joined it. We hope that this band will last a long time and become a brand," said Xie Hua, director of foreign affairs at Nanchang Hangkong University.