Bagedai by Bagedai

On May 30th 2024, Yunnan band Bagedai released their debut album internationally. It was recorded live (multitrack) at the historic Yunnan Publishing House Studio in Kunming city, and produced by local record label Sea of Wood. This recording approach, led by technician Dou Ru Yi (recording and mixing), producer Sam Debell and band leader Lao You, hoped to capture the energy of a Bagedai live performance - a band of twelve musicians, including five lead singers, infamous for stealing the show at the many festivals they have played since being established early in 2023. Improvisational interactions between the musicians can be heard throughout the project, these subtle groove elements adding especially to the driving energy of the ensemble, with the striking traditional (untuned) vocals instantly bringing a human feel that conjures the atmosphere of a tribal Wa village hoedown. The musicians in this project include some veterans of the late A Mei’s seminal band Sigangli, which first drew attention to the Yunnan border county of Ximeng as a source of some of Yunnan’s most groundbreaking music in the late 2000s, along with some of the most promising next generation Wa musicians. ‘Bagedai’ retains the basic structure of traditional Wa music with the addition of modern instrumentation that harks back to a ‘Gewuting’ era (local dancehall) mixed with the reggae elements that have come to define the Ximeng sound in the last decade or so. Although very different from the two, ‘Bagedai’ has the potential, like Shanren’s ‘Left Foot Dance of the Yi’ and Manhu’s ‘Voices of the Sani’ to become one of Yunnan’ defining albums – infectious, triumphant and modern while retaining a real link to one of China’s most intriguing and under-exposed ethnic cultures.

Bagedai, a new signing to Sea of Wood Records, hails from Ximeng, the homeland of the Wa people in China’s Yunnan province. Known for their vibrant culture and influence on the Chinese Reggae scene, Bagedai presents modern, danceable arrangements of traditional Wa songs. Fronted by five female singers and backed by experienced Wa musicians, their energetic performances are captivating.