The next big thing: Hanggai, Mongolian folk rockers and Chinese reality TV stars

Hanggai, the Beijing-based Mongolian folk rock band now well into their second decade, spent the summer on tour in Canada, their third visit since 2009. The tour mostly comprised large-scale folk-festival slots alongside an international collection of artists, performing before tens of thousands of music lovers.

Many of these people had never heard of the band, but for a significant number of Canadian residents, Hanggai are a household name. These are not fans won over by previous visits - that cohort may be loyal, but they are not numerous, despite this and previous years' appearances at some of Canada's biggest festivals. For a significant number of Canadian residents, Hanggai are much more than a band they love; for them, Hanggai are stars.

This is because Hanggai appeared on - and dominated - Chinese reality television show Sing My Song earlier this year. Thanks to the show's reach, says founder Ilchi, the number of Chinese people attending their shows overseas increased suddenly. "Which," he adds, "made us really happy." It also confused the many non-Chinese drawn to their shows by something other than the gravitational pull of televised sing-offs.

In Toronto, for example, audience members lined up for 30 minutes for a chance to snap a selfie with the three band members on duty that night at Roy Thomson Hall. While venue staff were dumbstruck, it was old hat for the band, who have long become used to this post-show ritual.

And so it was also no surprise to the band members when a quick roadside stop to reorganise their touring van caused a minor scene in a small city parking lot. In context, you could hardly blame the staff at the London, Ontario Mandarin - a Vegas-hotel-style strip-mall staple offering all-you-can-eat "Chinese" - because if the latest winner of The Voice pulled into your hometown mall, you'd likely do at least a double-take.