When Danish DJ Hedegaard performed with the Saer Group, a folk band from Gansu province, traditional Yugur folk songs blended with contemporary electronic music in a cross-cultural collaboration that breathed new life into centuries-old melodies.
The Yugur ethnic group, one of China's smallest minorities, has lived for generations in Sunan Yugur autonomous county of Zhangye, Gansu province. For Hedegaard, the region's folk traditions are a source of creative inspiration.
"Instead of just forgetting about their past and letting it be a piece that belongs in a museum, they try to bring it to life and inject new energy into it," Hedegaard said. "That's how heritage survives through time."
Founded in 2005, the Saer Group is the first vocal ensemble formed by members of the Yugur people. Made up of five siblings, the group has spent more than two decades preserving traditional Yugur folk songs rooted in the grasslands and at the foot of the Qilian Mountains.
Beyond performing, the group runs a community choir to teach traditional Yugur songs to younger generations. For years, lead singer Saer has traveled across local grasslands collecting folk songs from elderly singers, documenting more than 50 traditional melodies.
"The Saer Group carries not only our dream of making music, but also our dream of preserving Yugur culture," Saer said. "We hope to do something meaningful for our culture and help more people understand who we are."
Many of the songs they perform were once passed down orally among Yugur herders, and some had never been formally documented before Saer began collecting them.
The collaboration between Saer Group and Hedegaard is part of Western China's Melody, a 10-episode documentary co-produced by the Western China International Communication Organization and the Danish music producer. Released globally on July 27 alongside Hedegaard's electronic album, the project reimagines folk music from western China through contemporary electronic music, introducing the region's rich musical traditions to audiences around the world.
