Women hitting the note on ancient instruments

The Conversation

Musicians from China and Syria tell Datshiane Navanayagam about taking up traditional instruments and introducing them to western audiences.

Wu Man is one of the world's foremost players of the pipa: a four-stringed Chinese lute which dates back 2000 years. She's also a composer and passionate advocate for Chinese traditional music.

Maya Youssef from Syria is hailed as ‘queen of the qanun,’ the 78-stringed Middle Eastern plucked zither. Her award-winning intense and thoughtful music performances are rooted in the Arabic classical tradition but forge pathways into jazz, Western classical and Latin styles.

Produced by Jane Thurlow

(Image: (L) Maya Youssef credit Igor Studio. (R) Wu Man credit Call the Shots Photography.)