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HK Magazine

The diva talks to Penny Zhou about being a rebel, a musician and a Buddhist.
From age three to six I lived in Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, with my grandma. It isn’t as primitive as people imagine it to be. There are just less buildings and much more nature.
Sa is a common surname in Mongolia. Dingding is the nickname my grandma gave me. It means “the best.”
My father is a civil servant and my mother is a doctor. Neither of them really sing. When they do, it sounds a bit out of tune.
My childhood dream was to be a doctor or teacher, not a singer. But eventually fate put me on stage to be a singer.
I went to the People’s Liberation Army Academy of Arts, where I studied pop vocal music.
I love singers like Sinead O’Connor and Bjork. Nobody liked or understood them when I was in the academy, but years later they became huge in China. I’ve always been very confident about my taste in music.
During my sophomore year in the academy, I joined the CCTV [Chinese Central Television] national singing contest and was the runner-up. That’s when I began my career.
I made an electronic dance music album after the contest. But after a while I realized simply being a singer wasn’t what I wanted. 

To those who criticize my electronic dance music past, I want to say, “Go see more of the world and you won’t be shocked so easily.”
Whether or not I get along with others is not a very important issue. I like to be alone. There’s an ancient Chinese saying— “Tigers live alone; bugs live together.”
I used to be very into philosophy. But when I got older I felt that stuff written by “masters” like Nietzsche was probably just their crazy talk that even they themselves didn’t understand.
Nor am I a fan of novels. They’re like emotional garbage—our lives are already tiring, why would I want to bother myself with those fictional affairs, grudges and struggles?
Cai Jun, a best-selling writer in China, used me as a main character in his fiction. I am truly honored and glad that he received inspiration from my music.
I know Cai because he offered to write lyrics for me. They were wonderfully written, but just not for my music. So I turned down the offer with respect. The same thing happened with another famous Chinese writer, Han Han.
Michael Jackson owns a special place in my heart. I had the chance to see him in person once when I was performing in England, but my pride told me not to go and be another silly fan. So I didn’t. I regret that decision greatly. It taught me that if you want to do something, don’t hesitate. Your pretentiousness will cost you a lot of opportunities.
I didn’t grow up a Buddhist, although my grandma and my mother are. There was a lot of sutra chanting in the house. I didn’t quite understand, but it planted a seed in my soul.
It’s interesting that I only became a real Buddhist when I started singing professionally.
People have said that I’ve spent years, visiting places, studying Sanskrit and Buddhist sutras. I think that’s just people seeking reasons and explanations for my uniqueness.
Religion is just a method for you to acknowledge the world in a deeper and broader way. It doesn’t matter what you believe in. If repeating your name a million times can give you a stronger mentality, go for it. Whatever works for you.
I can sing in Sanskrit and Tibetan, but I don’t speak them very well. My knowledge of these languages is based on the needs of my music.
Just because I’m living in a fancy hotel suite today doesn’t mean I’ll forget the time when I collected folk songs in the mountains and couldn’t take a shower for five days.
My love for the minority nationalities in China never changes. I always wear the clothing of minority nationalities even off stage. How can you compose their music when you’re wearing Prada?


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Sa Dingding

Sa Dingding has become an international sensation with her new album, Harmony

Magazines

Since winning a BBC Award for World Music in 2008, Sa Dingding has become an international sensation. Her new album, “Harmony,” is topping the iTunes chart, and she will be performing two concerts at the Hong Kong Arts Festival.
