Photo: Wang Zi

By Vera Penêda

With his curly dark hair and bronzed skin, Mohammed Wufur, 34, is often mistaken for Spanish, Turkish, Mexican, Hindu or even African. From Tuesday to Saturday, when Wufur strums his flamenco guitar with Moorish tones at a local Spanish restaurant people would swear he's Andalusian. But behind this intense strumming is a Muslim Uyghur guitarist from Xinjiang, a region well-known for its ethnic musical talent that has more in common with the Turkish sound than that of the rest of China. In Beijing, Wufur is blending Uyghur traditional sounds with flamenco, lighting up the circuit with a singular spark of a world beat, proving that tapas-lovers aren't the only ones to tap and dance to his sounds.

When and why did you come to Beijing?

I came with my older brother from Urumqi in 2004 to learn music. He wanted to be a singer and I wanted to study composition. We had a band in Xinjiang but there are more music opportunities in Beijing and that's the main reason why we came, to learn and develop a musical career.

When did you start learning music and how did you take up flamenco guitar?

My six siblings and me were born into a musical family: My mother was a vocalist and my father played the stringed rawap (a shorter lute, plucked with a horn plectrum), the most popular of Uygur musical instruments. At home there was always somebody singing and playing. I picked up several traditional Xinjiang instruments like the hejac (four-string instrument like the fiddle) and dutar (a long-necked plucked flute with two nylon strings) a bit by ear. I enrolled in the arts school for music in Xinjiang but had to drop out in the third year because I got sick. Meantime, when I was about 18 I started learning electric guitar but I didn't find it so fun. I took up the flamenco guitar three years later and was amazed how its rhythm and pace are similar to traditional music in Xinjiang.

How close is flamenco to Xinjiang's popular music?

The rumba especially, which is a type of flamenco, and the flamenco guitar styling of the Gipsy Kings have a lot in common with Xinjiang traditional music. For example, the flamenco guitar requires the same hand techniques as the dutar. I'd say the music culture in Xinjiang has a lot to do with Spain's. Just as the Spanish origins of flamenco blended with Arabic and Byzantine elements during the conquest of Spain by the Moors; the same influences were also brought to Xinjiang when the Byzantine empire stretched to Central Asia and became part of our music roots. Then there's a natural emergence and delight in music in the region. In many Xinjiang cities, someone standing in a doorway strumming a guitar is enough to start a party with many people joining in to sing and dance.

How did you bring flamenco to your own compositions?

By mixing flamenco guitars with the local traditional sounds. A friend who's also a musician introduced me to flamenco music and techniques and I practiced by listening to the Gipsy Kings, Tomatito, Paco de Lucia and Jesse Cook. The result is a lively blend of ethnic Uyghur music and flamenco, with some gypsy, Cuban and Turkish sounds. I keep on practicing to improve my skills and write more songs.

Do Chinese and foreign people alike enjoy the Uyghur-inspired flamenco?

I believe everyone enjoys it and has a good time listening to flamenco. But foreigners tend to react more passionately to it, with dancing and singing. I believe they enjoy it a bit more because they can understand it better and some of them have it in their blood, whereas most Chinese people don't have flamenco in their traditions.

Can you make a living from being a full-time musician in China?

It's possible to do so in Beijing. Music is my full-time job currently. I practice during the day, sometimes teach guitar lessons and play every night at Carmen, Ciro's Pomodoro or Kai Occasionally I perform in bigger venues like the Poly Theatre.

Did you record your music already?

My six siblings and I recorded three albums with our group called the "Brother's band:" Güzalim (My Beauty); Oywayli Doslar (Let's dance! My friends) and Uyghur Keze (Uyghur girl). The first one released in 1997 was really popular in Xinjiang. My father wrote all the lyrics and I composed the music. Unfortunately they can't be found in Beijing, but if people contact me, I'll find a way to order them.

Are the lyrics written in both Chinese and Uyghur? What are the songs about?

The titles of the albums are in both Uyghur and Chinese, but the lyrics inside are all in Uyghur. The lyrics are about the landscape and Xinjiang culture. Except me, all my family members are communists; I don't like to talk about politics in my songs.

What are your future plans?

I'll be a father soon. Music wise, I'm preparing an album that I expect to be out at the end of this year. Besides the weekly performances, my brother and me are also available to play at private parties and events.

What do you think of Beijing's music scene?

It's certainly much better than the one in Urumqi. In Beijing a musician can find more opportunities to play and show his/her work. More importantly, in Beijing artists are exposed to a diverse set of music styles and influences, which help them develop as musicians and enjoy music to a much higher level. Additionally, it's a benefit that there are few Uyghur bands or musicians in town.

What other types of music do you enjoy listening to?

Jazz, salsa and samba by many different artists. I truly like the Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia's works very much and I also enjoy listening to the Uyghur band Mu Ka Mu Art Group and to the Chinese singer Cui Jian.

Where can people find true Xinjiang food in Beijing?

In my opinion, Tumaris is the best Xinjiang restaurant, near the east gate of Chaoyang Hospital.

Contact Mohammed Wufur at Mohammed-guitar@hotmail.com or call 13810503573.

Lin Kan Hsuang contributed to this story.

verapeneda@globaltimes.com.cn