TEDTalks: Music Revolution Season 1 Episode 19 Abigail Washburn: Building US-China Relations... By Banjo

Abigail Washburn, an American singer-songwriter, and banjo player uses her passion for music to build cultural bridges between the United States and China. In this TEDTalk, she shares her journey of music, language, and identity as she strives to bring individuals from different cultures together through their shared love for art.

Washburn introduces the banjo, an instrument with African origins that was brought over to America by enslaved Africans. She explains how the banjo has become synonymous with American folk music, but its history goes deeper than that. Washburn shares an anecdote about how a Chinese music teacher once told her that the banjo reminded him of a Chinese instrument called the guzheng. This comment piqued Washburn's interest, and she embarked on a journey of exploring similarities and differences between these two cultures.

Expressing her excitement for incorporating Chinese culture into her music, Washburn enlists the help of a Shanghai-based musician named Kai Welch, to combine American and Chinese music through traditional instruments like the guzheng. They perform a musical piece together, with Washburn singing a Mandarin song, and Welch playing his guitar and guzheng.

Washburn explains how music can become a tool for bridging cultural gaps and promoting cross-cultural understanding. She shares her experience performing with the Chinese group The Village People, where their language and cultural differences didn't hinder their ability to perform a powerful rendition of "Cotton Eye Joe." To Washburn, the explosion of joint musical performances is the first step towards a harmonious US-China relationship.

Washburn concludes her TEDTalk by stressing how important cultural exchange is in bringing us closer together as humans. She urges people to embrace and celebrate diversity and use art as a tool for promoting peace and understanding.