Chen Min And The Erhu Meet Libertango

Some may have observed that this blog has a predilection toward Piazzolla on unusual instruments. Those observations are correct. And here is another example: Libertango on the erhu. The erhu is a Chinese bowed string instrument. It has two strings tuned a fifth apart and is bowed with the bow hair between the two strings. Like a banjo, it uses a membrane over a resonator body to amplify the sound. Unlike the banjo, it uses python skin as the membrane.

The erhu player in this video is Chen Min. An article from the Shanghai Star tells us that Chen Min was "born in Suzhou and grew up in Shanghai before leaving to attend college in Japan in 1991, returning in 1997." If you enjoy the sound, Ms. Chen has recorded several CD's, two Japanese imports are available in the U.S. If you enjoy the sound but can't wait for the CD's to arrive, you might view her version of Feel the Moon. It's not Piazzolla but it's pretty.

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To learn more about Piazzolla videos, visit the Piazzolla Video site.