Child of change

IF ALL publicity is good publicity, then Chinese singer Sa Ding Ding's visit to London has been a veritable PR coup.

Arriving in Britain hot on the heels of the Olympic torch amid the storm of publicity surrounding Tibet, she's found herself propelled into the role of de facto cultural ambassador for the world's fastest developing country.

As we talk briefly amid her whirlwind tour of TV studios and radio stations encompassing nearly 40 interviews in a week, it's clear that she's more than up to the job.

Two days earlier, she had talked assuredly on BBC Newsnight about the Tibet furore, advising viewers to "visit Tibet and see the situation for themselves."

The fact that Sa, who has sold two million records over a 10-year musical career, is only now penetrating the Western media consciousness says as much about the attitude of the media and music industry to non-English speaking stars as it does about the unfamiliarity of oriental scales to our ears.

While African, Indian and Latin American musicians have successfully broken into the Western market over the years, Sa is being hailed as the first Chinese artist to do so. Some might say that it's long overdue.

But, if anybody can break down cultural barriers, Sa must be in there with a chance. Her new album Alive delivers a fusion of traditional instruments, melodies and mantras and unmistakably modern electronica that is at once easy on the Western ear and authentically Chinese.

"I'm a modern girl in a modern world using Western techniques to express Chinese culture. Through my music, you can go on a journey through Chinese history," she says.

Sa sings not only in Mandarin but in Sanskrit, Tibetan and even her own imaginary language, which actually makes for some of the most satisfying tracks on her new release.

"Everyone when they are first born cannot talk, but they can express themselves. They learn how to sing before they know how to speak," she says of her decision to sing in a made-up language.

"People in the world have an emotional connection - people share the same emotions, that helps us to communicate. We should not be bound by language."

Sa is open about her Buddhist beliefs, highlighting the complex nature of 21st century Chinese society, which is often portrayed in extremely simplistic terms in the Western media.

She goes so far as to say that many of her compatriots have something to learn from the moral codes of the past.

"China is changing every day and it's exciting. Society is developing and things are getting better for people, but people have become very superficial," she says.

"They need to look back more into history. I think that for people to look back can help them to look to the future."

But Alive is, nevertheless, clearly a product of today's China, whose rapid growth has propelled it quickly onto the world stage.

At the same time, musicians such as Sa have come into contact with Western music as never before, opening up the possibility of exciting new musical experimentation.

"Right now in this world, a cultural mixing up is happening very fast," she says. "China is a very open musical scene. There are a lot of young musicians working hard to make their own music."

Cynics might say that the main reason why Sa has whipped up such a media storm is the interest surrounding the Beijing Olympics.

But the fact that Sa grabbed a BBC World Music Award earlier this week suggests that there is more to it than that. With China looking set to remain a global player for the foreseeable future, it could be that she represents something of a cultural forward party.

In any case, British audiences have a chance to decide for themselves when Sa and her spectacular stage show return this summer for dates at the Royal Albert Hall and Womad.

Sa Ding Ding's new album Alive is out now on Wrasse Records.