While learning Chinese in France and China in the late 90’s, Djang San (Jean-Sébastien Héry) was playing rock music in Bordeaux, France. He then started to mix East and West and found a way to modernize Chinese instruments to get them into his own music.
Wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djang_San
Official website: www.zhangsian.com
Video presentation: https://www.facebook.com/globaltimesnews/videos/1476311969116365/
Complete discography: https://djangsan.bandcamp.com/
A small biography:
“Re-inventor of Chinese classical instruments zhongruan, guzheng and pipa, composer, guitar player, one man orchestra, drummer, bass player, music pioneer and explorer of new sounds, Djang San (Jean-Sébastien Héry) has been doing music in Asia since the year 2000. An artist with many faces, Djang San has also won the battle of the bands in Mainland China and Hong Kong against 100 bands in the year 2011.
Djang San has so far released 50 albums, the music styles of the albums range from Jazz to electro, rock, classical music, experimental music and more. Creator of a theory of intelligence, the personality of Djang San takes many different shapes in his many different projects.
As a one man band, Djang San plays several different instruments on stage including ruan, pipa,guzheng, guitar, flutes, electronic devices and synthesizers he puts through looping pedals to create a unique sound mixing ancient folk and modern electronic music.
As a trio, Djang San plays electric zhongruan, guzheng and electric pipa and he is accompanied by a drummer and a bass player. Djang San + Band is an extension of Djang San, a trio based on electric versions of Chinese instruments he has created himself.”
Apart from winning the Battle of the Bands in Asia a few years ago, Djang San was nominated as « Best Folk Singer of the Year » by China Radio International in 2014.
Festival participation:
Djang San has played countless festivals and toured in Mainland China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan since 2008, he sometimes plays in France as well. He has played hundreds of shows as a one man band, as a trio and in different formations.
Here are some tours and Festival he has played:
The Taichung International Jazz Festival (Djang San + Band) (2019)
The Taipei World Music Festival (Djang San + Band) (2019) and Taiwan « One Man Live Orchestra » tour.
The Shanghai World Music Festival tour (Djang San + Band) (Shanghai Chongqing and Wuhan 2018)
The solo « Tofu électrique album Japan edition CD release » tour (Djang San’s « One Man Live Orchestra ») (Japan and South Korea 2018).
Zandari Festa (Seoul South Korea 2015-2016, Djang San’s « One Man Live Orchestra » and « Djang San + Band » ) and solo tour of South Korea.
The Seoul Music Week (Seoul South Korea 2016) (« Djang San + Band ») and solo tour of South Korea.
The World Music and Dance Festival of Hakodate in Hokkaido Japan (2016) (« Djang San + Band »)
The Beijing 9 Gates Jazz Festival (Beijing 2013) (« Djang San + Band »)
The Strawberry Festival (Djang San + Band) (Beijing 2017)
The Midi Festival (Beijing 2008 (solo show)) and 2012 with « The Amazing Insurance Salesmen », Shenzhen 2013 (Djang San’s « One Man Live Orchestra »).
Dong Festival (Djang San’s « One Man Live Orchestra » and other collaborations) (Beijing 2010-2011-2012-2013)
Dong Dong (Beijing 2014) (« Djang San + Band »)
The GBOB in Beijing Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur (« The Amazing Insurance Salesmen » 2010-2012)
Sound of the Xity (« The Amazing Insurance Salesmen » Beijing 2012)
The Hainan Youth Festival (Hainan 2013) (Djang San’s « One Man Live Orchestra »)
The Zebra Festival (Chengdu 2011) (With « The Amazing Insurance Salesmen » )
Croisements Festival (Beijing 2013) (Djang San + Band)
FDLM (French Music Day) (Beijing, Wuhan, Chengdu, Shanghai) (2009-2019) (Djang San + Band) (« The Amazing Insurance Salesmen » ) (Djang San’s « One Man Live Orchestra »)
The Tiger Ramble Festival (Taiwan 2018) (Djang San’s « One Man Live Orchestra ») and Taiwan tour.
COART (Yunnan 2012) (Djang San’s « One Man Live Orchestra »)
The Beijing Underground Summer Music Days and Showcase (organizer, 2015-2018)
And many many more….
Video links:
– Djang San + Band « Two Fishes » Live at the Taichung International Jazz Festival 2019.
https://www.facebook.com/djangsan/videos/757898154681962/
– Djang San + Band: ” Mad Horses « Live at the FDLM » in 2014.
« What you want » Music Video:
https://www.facebook.com/djangsan/videos/10155436286763934/
« Gobi » Live in Bordeaux, France in 2016.
– Solo Djang San « One Man Live Orchestra »
« Music Dumplings »
Djang San has released more than 50 albums since 2003, some of those albums are distributed online, some are on CD, but they are all on Bandcamp, so don’t hesitate to buy them directly from there.
Discography: http://djangsan.bandcamp.com/
Djang has also created a group on Facebook, « Beijing Underground » , it is the biggest group about the Beijing Underground and has over 22 000 members, the goal of the group is to promote music from China and in China and a festival, « The Beijing Underground Sweet Music Days » is organised once every few months in Beijing and the Beijing Underground team interviews all the bands participating in the event.
Beijing Underground on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/beijingunderground/
Beijing Underground Website: http://beijing-underground.com/
Here is an introduction video made by a Chinese newspaper that received more than 400,000 views that will explain his music. Djang San is regularly invited to play on TV in China and has been the subject of five documentaries and shows on TV and internet in China for various Chinese TV channels and websites, he is regularly interviewed by the press in and outside of China.
Don’t hesitate to contact us.
