Sa Dingding

{{short description|Chinese folk singer and songwriter (born 1983)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}

{{family name hatnote|Zhou|lang=Chinese}}

{{infobox person

| name = Sa Dingding

| image = Sa Dingding.jpg

| alt = An action shot of Sa Dingding playing during a concert.

| caption = Sa Dingding in concert in 2009

| birth_name = Zhou Peng ({{lang|zh-hans|周鹏}})

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1983|12|27}}{{cite news |title=Sa Dingding: China's New Age chanteuse |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/09/09/ta.dingding/index.html |work=CNN |date=23 September 2008}}

| birth_place = Pingdingshan, Henan{{Cite web |url=http://ent.hunantv.com/z/20110424/899067.html |title=2011快乐女声评委:萨顶顶 |access-date=6 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029151544/http://ent.hunantv.com/z/20110424/899067.html |archive-date=29 October 2014 |url-status=live }}

| occupation = {{hlist|Singer|composer|songwriter|record producer|choreographer|actress}}

| years_active = 2000–present

| website =

| module = {{infobox musical artist|embed=yes

| background = temporary

| genre = {{hlist|World music|world fusion|electronic|folk|pop}}

| instrument = {{hlist|Guzheng|morin khuur}}

| label = {{hlist|Wrasse|Universal}}

}}

| module2 = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes

| t = 薩頂頂

| s = 萨顶顶

| p = Sà Dǐngdǐng

}}

}}

Sa Dingding ({{zh|s={{linktext|萨|顶|顶}}|t={{linktext|薩|頂|頂}}|p=Sà Dǐngdǐng}}, born Zhou Peng ({{lang|zh-hans|周鹏}}) on 27 December 1983) is a Chinese folk singer and songwriter. She is of mixed Han Chinese and Mongol ancestry, and sings in languages including Mandarin Chinese, English, Standard Tibetan, as well as an imaginary self-created language to evoke emotions in her songs.[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/worldmusic/a4wm2008/2008_sa_ding_ding.shtml BBC – Awards for World Music 2008 – Asia/Pacific] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080424011748/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/worldmusic/a4wm2008/2008_sa_ding_ding.shtml |date=24 April 2008 }}, broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Four television. She also plays traditional instruments such as the guzheng and morin khuur.{{Cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2009-11/26/content_9052879.htm|title=Floating like a butterfly|website=China Daily|access-date=11 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011053716/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2009-11/26/content_9052879.htm|archive-date=11 October 2018|url-status=live}}

Early life and education

Sa was born in Pingdingshan, Henan, on 27 December 1983.{{cite news|title=惊!这些名人都是咱河南的|url=http://henan.qq.com/a/20151112/043449.htm|accessdate=6 December 2016|agency=Zhengzhou Wanbao|date=12 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221110228/http://henan.qq.com/a/20151112/043449.htm|archive-date=21 December 2016|url-status=live}} She became interested in Buddhism and taught herself Tibetan and Sanskrit. Later, at 17, she moved to Beijing, to study music at the People's Liberation Army Academy of Art.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/3556865/Why-Sa-Dingding-has-China-in-her-hand.html|title=Why Sa Dingding has China in her hand|last=Steward|first=Sue|journal=Daily Telegraph|date=19 July 2008|access-date=11 October 2018|issn=0307-1235|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011053506/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/3556865/Why-Sa-Dingding-has-China-in-her-hand.html|archive-date=11 October 2018|url-status=live}}

Career

At age 18, she released her first album entitled Dong Ba La under her birth name Zhou Peng, gaining her the title of China's Best Dance Music Singer.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/china-watch/culture/12055631/singer-sa-dingbing.html|title=Acclaimed singer who is a stranger in her own land|last=Nan|first=Chen|journal=Daily Telegraph|date=21 December 2015|access-date=11 October 2018|issn=0307-1235|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011133416/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/china-watch/culture/12055631/singer-sa-dingbing.html|archive-date=11 October 2018|url-status=live}}

In 2006, "Holy Incense" was used as the theme song for the movie Prince of the Himalayas, directed by Sherwood Hu. In mid-2007, she released Alive, available physically and as a download in many countries. The Hong Kong release of the album featured a DVD containing music videos, a remix of "Alive", making of footage and a Chinese version of "Mama Tian Na", not featured on the album.

In 2008, at the age of 25, she won the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music for the Asia-Pacific region, earning herself the chance to perform at the Royal Albert Hall to a Western audience. In the same year, she also released a two track single called "Qin Shang".[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/worldmusic/a4wm2008/winners.shtml BBC – Awards for World Music 2008 – Winners] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080718211439/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/worldmusic/a4wm2008/winners.shtml |date=18 July 2008 }}, broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Four television.

Dingding composed a song with Éric Mouquet of Deep Forest called "Won't Be Long" to raise funds for disaster relief after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. The song was made available on Mouquet's Deep-Projects website. Mouquet and Dingding have collaborated on an album Deep China.

Dingding has appeared at the World of Music, Arts and Dance and the Harrogate International Festivals in the UK. On 6 October 2008, her official English website was updated with information about a European tour, going from 7 to 17 November, making stops in Germany, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Las Palmas, Australia and New Zealand.{{Cite web |url=http://sadingding.co.uk/ |title=Sa Dingding Official English Site |access-date=11 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928035733/http://www.sadingding.co.uk/ |archive-date=28 September 2008 |url-status=live }} For Chinese composer He Xuntian's 2008 album, Tathāgata, Dingding contributed the vocals for the second track, entitled "Dátǎjiādá" ({{lang|zh-hans|达塔伽达}}).

Her January 2010 album was Harmony ({{lang|zh-hans|天地合}}), with nine songs in Chinese. The album also contains three remixes of the title track, one by Paul Oakenfold. In 2018, Dingding starred in the hit fantasy romance drama Ashes of Love, portraying the Immortal Yuanji.

Discography

;Albums

  • Dong Ba La ({{lang|zh-hans|咚巴啦}}) (2001)
  • Alive ({{lang|zh-hans|万物生}}) – Universal Music, Wrasse Records (2007)
  • Harmony ({{lang|zh-hans|天地合}}) (2010)
  • The Coming Ones ({{lang|zh-hans|恍如来者}}) (2012)
  • Wonderland ({{lang|zh-hans|幻境}}) (Remix Album) (2014)
  • The Butterfly Dream ({{lang|zh-hans|庄周梦蝶集}}) (2015)

;Singles

;Soundtracks

Filmography

=Television series=

class="wikitable sortable"

! Year !! English title !! Chinese title !! Role !! Notes

2018Ashes of Love香蜜沉沉烬如霜Immortal Yuanji
2021

|The Long Ballad

|长歌行

|Lady Jingdan

|

|2023

|The Starry Love

|星落凝成糖

|Immortal Quan He

|

References

{{Reflist}}

=Interviews=

  • [http://www.laptoprockers.eu/music/p1/china-girl-sa-ding-ding/ "Freedom is the first thing I learnt from Music"] Laptoprockers, December 2008
  • [http://www.globalrhythm.net/WorldMusicFeatures/SaDingding.cfm Sa Dingding interview] from Global Rhythm magazine, August 2008

=News articles=

  • [http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/09/09/ta.dingding/index.html "Sa Dingding: China's New Age chanteuse"] CNN
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20080403144704/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/made-in-china-the-singer-poised-to-sweep-the-globe-803547.html "Made in China: the singer poised to sweep the globe"] The Independent
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20080517040443/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article3805225.ece Sa Ding Ding, the Asian Bjork.] The Times
  • [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,2268360,00.html The Guardian, Friday March 28, 2008]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20080920092019/http://www.universalmusicworld.jp/sa_ding_ding/bio.html Biography from Universal Music]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20080601062510/http://music.news.livedoor.com/person/biography?person_code=461925 Biography at Livedoor.com] (Japanese)
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20080720132835/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/07/20/st_sadingding.xml "Why Sa Dingding has China in her hand"] The Daily Telegraph, 18 July 2008

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sa, Dingding}}

Category:Living people

Category:Chinese folk singers

Category:Chinese women singer-songwriters

Category:Mandarin-language singers

Category:Sanskrit-language singers

Category:Tibetan-language singers

Category:People's Liberation Army Arts College alumni

Category:Performers of Buddhist music

Category:Singers from Henan

Category:Wrasse Records artists

Category:Chinese people of Mongolian descent

Category:21st-century Chinese women singers

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Chinese Buddhists