Zhang Ling sings red-hot blues

Zhang Ling was one of the first Chinese musicians to play the blues. Twenty years ago, he formed China's first blues band, The Rhythm Dogs, and has been playing bass for Cui Jian, China's godfather of rock 'n' roll, for 10 years. He has also recorded with big-name Chinese singers like Faye Wong, Liu Huan and Li Yuchun. His bar, CD Blues, is a driving force in the capital's alternative music scene.

These achievements were little known by the wider public before the 47-year-old singer-songwriter appeared on the stage of Sing My Song, a popular Chinese reality talent show, which premiered on Jan 3.

He performed a song called Drinking Blues, about a heartbroken man drinking in a bar. His fiery yet intricate performance sounds well rehearsed, but he says the rhythm simply came to him one day when he was driving along a crowded Beijing street.