“Guangdong guniang” is a hit single from the new third album of the same title released last spring by the Chinese folk-rock group Wu Tiao Ren (五条人), or Five Guys – though they’re actually a trio.
Initially a duo of Ren-ke and A’Mao, they started in 2009 with their debut album, “A Tale Of Haifeng”. It was heavily influenced by both avant-garde and traditional local music. And they sang mostly in the Teochew dialect of the Chaoshan region in the south-west of the country. Both things change completely on the new record.
With “Guangdong guniang” (广东姑娘), or “Canton Girl”, they wanted to make “a soft album” so as to distinguish it from what they’ve done before – even though they added electric guitair to their mostly acoustic equipment.
They have also switched to universal Mandarin. Possibly inspired by their national tours and the desire to communicate better with the growing fanbase. Or maybe by the fact that their new drummer, Xiao Yu, comes from the north of China.
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