As luck would have it, the 10th anniversary of the British Columbia Chinese Music Association coincides with the New Year of the Snake.
To celebrate, the BCCMA plays at Aberdeen Centre next Sunday (Feb. 10) to ring in the New Year. It will also host a tea party this Sunday (Feb. 3) and a concert Saturday, Feb. 16 in Vancouver.
"The ensemble is a way to expose audiences to the beauty of traditional Chinese music, while also playing a mixture of Canadian styles as well," said Richmond resident Ge (Nicole) Li, who has been part of the association since she moved here from China three years ago.
Li plays the erhu, which is similar to a western violin or fiddle. She said what attracted her to the instrument was its beautiful, melodic sound.
She picked it up at the age of six and by 11, she was playing professionally. Upon graduation from Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 2008, Li toured Europe, Japan and Korea.
"I've been playing for about 20 years now, which sounds like a lot, but it's small com-pared to some of the others in the ensemble.
Li has been an active promoter of Chinese traditional music and is one of four Richmond residents part of the BCCMA. Geling Jian, Gui Lian Liu and Song Yun make up the other three.
"I have an intense interest in Chinese instruments," said coordinator and producer Mark Armanini. "They're very imaginative and creative. It's a very special thing."
Armanini has been with the BCCMA for five years and has worked with the ensemble to develop their own unique style.
Sunday's tea party includes tea and refreshments, and a DVD on Chinese musical history. Tickets are $5 and the event runs from 2 to 6 p.m. Feb. 16's concert will be held at 3 and 7 p.m. Tickets cost $30. Both events are at CBC Studios in Vancouver.
Next Sunday's Aberdeen Centre celebration is a free event from 1 to 2 p.m. that focuses on Chinese folk music and includes traditional food. Li plans to spend the rest of the New Year with her family.
"My sign is the ox and I've heard this year is supposed to bring good luck for the ox," she said, laughing. "So hopefully that's true."
