People often say that music is the great unifier. For instance, you can go to a concert and be surrounded by hundreds or thousands of strangers but everyone has at least one thing in common—love for the music. Nothing highlights the unifying power of music like this Chinese bluegrass band’s cover of the George Strait classic “Amarillo by Morning.”
Videos by American Songwriter
Those who spend time on social media likely saw a snippet of the cover floating around earlier this year. However, the video is older than that. Chinese banjo player Eric Shi posted it on his YouTube channel in October 2022. Since then, he has shared several more covers of classic country and bluegrass tracks. Take a moment to enjoy the full cover below.
It’s amazing to see a Chinese band playing bluegrass music. However, the video above goes a step further in showing how much music can bring different cultures together. Most of the musicians are playing traditional bluegrass instruments—banjo, upright bass, and acoustic guitar. While drums aren’t usually included in bluegrass, they’re common in country music. However, the erhu—played here by Ding Jing—takes the place of the fiddle. The two-stringed bowed instrument has been part of traditional Chinese music for centuries and it fits beautifully with this arrangement of “Amarillo by Morning.”
Eric Shi Discusses the Popularity of Bluegrass and Banjo Among Chinese People
Eric Shi is at the fore of the Chinese bluegrass band in the video and has an impressive resume. Not only is he behind many bluegrass covers of classic songs but he also wrote and published the first Chinese banjo instructional book. He spoke to the Deering Banjo Company about his journey to bluegrass in 2018.
Shi said that he first heard the banjo in American movies and TV shows. He immediately fell in love with the instrument and is far from the only one.
“It’s difficult to count the exact number of people playing banjo in China,” Shi said. “As far as I’m concerned, there are a majority of people playing banjo in Southeast Chinese provinces like Yunnan and Guizhou as well as the minority groups in Xinjiang,” he explained. “There are lots of players in big cities too. However, I know few three-finger players so far. A few more play clawhammer. Most Chinese players play the banjo as guitars,” he added.
Featured Image via Eric Shi/YouTube
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