XINWENYUE SHI Bashu Renaissance Chapter Two
Xinwenyue Shi Bashu Renaissance Chapter Two is available on Bandcamp
by Walter Price
Who is Xinwenyue Shi and where is Bashu? Great questions that may be answered in the latest release from Chengdu storyteller Shi. Unfortunately, for most readers of these pages, Chinese dialects aren’t easily understood, so deciphering the lyrics from “Bashu Renaissance Chapter Two” will be a task. But, like me, if you turn off your surroundings and let the chill vibes penetrate, you just may soak up all the warmth this songwriter has for his heritage.
Sentimentality textured and eclectically someplace between Ben Folds and The Moldy Peaches, Shi speaks about the album’s origin story, “Love is the main impetus behind this album. I love this city—Bashu culture baptized me. Time spent in the United States didn’t turn me into an American—Bashu will always be my roots. This album is part of my lifelong vocation in passing along my heritage to the next generation.”
Again, I can not speak to the lyrical content of this picturesque album. But I can vouch for its sustained sincerity and ardency. If you’re a fan of taking a chance on a foreign film with the subtitles off, then give Bashu Renaissance Chapter Two a tour or two. It’ll be a trip to remember.
You can stream the home-is-where-the-heart-is album in full, here at the GTC.
XINWENYUE SHI Bashu Renaissance Chapter Two
Quotes, artwork, and photo courtesy of Public Display PR and xinwenyueshi.com
Written, produced, and performed by Xinwenyue Shi
“Xinwenyue Shi is a bilingual songwriter/producer. He is well-versed and honed his production skills that effortlessly blend a natural combination of Asian culture with hip-hop/R&B, especially employing his distinct “silky-smooth hip-hop style” to translate Bashu culture into a global language.” – bio