Belle, a musician from Hong Kong, is bringing the traditional sound of the guzheng to the UK. After a 9-month break, when she lost her passion for the instrument altogether, Belle is excited to be getting on the Primal Live stage at Manchester’s Band On The Wall to debut a few original songs and arrangements!
Erin Lam, otherwise known by her stage name Belle, started playing music at a very young age. After flying through her piano lessons and completing her grade 8 piano exam, Belle decided to take up the guzheng as a way to stay connected with her heritage.
Don’t worry if you are unsure what a guzheng is – Belle often has to show people pictures of the instrument and explain how to play it! This unawareness of the guzheng in English culture is exactly why the artist wants to showcase her talents to a UK audience.
The guzheng is a traditional Chinese string instrument with 21 or more strings, which has thousands of years of history. The origin of the instrument dates back to the Spring and Autumn (770-476 BCE) and Warring States periods (475-221 BCE). However, the string instrument did not become prominent until the Qin Dynasty (210-206 BCE).
The skilled musician has such a bond with her guhzengs that she even names them! Her newest instrument is named ‘Here Comes the Sun’, inspired by Van Gogh’s famous sunflower painting. Belle draws inspiration from the paintings that are on the instruments, or the songs that she first plays on them.
Moreover, she names her instruments after family members, including one named after her mother, ‘The Shadow of the Jade’ or ‘Jadie’, for short, as this was the last guzheng her mother bought for her before she passed away.
Belle’s passion for music helped her to decide that a career in the music industry was what she wanted to pursue. This talent drove her to the other side of the world – all the way to the University of Manchester to undertake a master’s degree in music performance.
However, after Belle graduated with her master’s last year, things started to change. Feeling overwhelmed and stressed with the change after her graduation, Belle lost all the enjoyment that she once had when she played music. She pulled away from playing the guzheng completely and even began to disconnect from her friends. Although she travelled back to visit her family, Belle also did not tell them about the emotions that she was experiencing.
Talking about her 9-month break from music, Belle says: “My loss in confidence led me to a point where I contemplated quitting the music industry altogether. As I have always been so passionate and determined about music throughout my life, this was a scary thought. I didn’t think that I would ever experience something like that! I felt far too vulnerable in front of the guzheng and couldn’t even bring myself to play one simple song.”
Belle began to come to terms with the fact that she was going to have to rekindle her connection with the instrument to gain her confidence back and return to the stage. It wasn’t until May of this year that a close friend began to help Belle reclaim her faith in herself by helping her meet new people and take her to new places. Gradually, she picked up the guzheng again and remembered why she fell in love with the instrument in the first place.
Now, Belle is ready to share her talent with the audience at Primal Live Song Contest, taking place at Manchester’s Band on the Wall on Sunday 21st September. After taking Liverpool by storm, Primal Live has become something truly special — a song contest featuring top talent that raises money for charity at the same time.
As featured by The Liverpool Echo, BBC North West Tonight and NME, this event promises an incredible variety of live performances while raising money and awareness for Manchester’s leading homeless charity, the Booth Centre.
After discovering Primal Live through social media, Belle decided to take the leap and audition. Amazingly, she made it through! Talking about the incredible impact Primal Live has had on her, Belle says: “When I plucked up the courage to audition for Primal Live, I couldn’t be happier or prouder of myself. I stepped out of my comfort zone to rebuild myself, and I am truly enjoying the experience of being back on the stage. Most importantly, I feel reborn and refreshed. My passion and energy have returned, and I can’t wait to show everyone at Primal Live what I have been working on!”
The talented musician is excited to debut a few new original songs and arrangements at Primal Live. On top of this, she hopes to showcase to people in the UK what an incredible instrument the guzheng is and bring a part of her culture to her new home in Manchester.
You can see Belle perform at Primal Live Song Contest on Sunday 21st September at Band on the Wall in Manchester. The event starts at 3pm and runs until 8pm.
Primal Live Manchester / Sun 21st Sept, 3pm-8pm / Band On The Wall, Northern Quarter, Manchester
For more information visit the Primal Live WEBSITE
Follow Primal Live on FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM
Follow Belle on INSTAGRAM
