Free concert by the dynamic contemporary Eastern European folk band – Muha, to celebrate the Premiere Screening of an extraordinary new music video created by 6 talented animation artists in Chongqing, China
A multicultural artistic collaboration between popular Nottingham-based Eastern European Contemporary Folk band Muha and computer animation artists from China has resulted in a stunning music video that celebrates the infamous Cossack hero, Taras Bulba.
The song “Taras”, taken from Muha’s 2010 album of the same name, recounts how the eponymous hero of Nikolai Gogol’s historical novella bravely unites fellow countrymen against a common enemy, only to ultimately meet a gruesome end but thereby guaranteeing a place in the world’s cultural history.
In 2010, Zeng Tu- a celebrated artist filmmaker based in Chongqing, founder of the film department at the Sichuan Fine Art Academy and frequent collaborator with Muha Bassist Louise Clements, was artist in residence at QUAD, a centre for contemporary art and film in Derby. Having already released their CD album “Taras”, the band approached Tu to create a music video. The artist was immediately drawn to darkness and legend of the song Taras.
For over 18 months Zeng Tu co-ordinated a six person design, 3D-imaging and animation team consisting of the best recent graduates from the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in Chongqing, working as a collective based in an old tobacco factory converted into artists’ studios called – 501. After nearly 18 months the 100% CGI-animated video was complete.
Art and music lovers are invited to attend the free Muha concert, during which the animated video will be exclusively screened in full.
Support comes from Graham Dale – a multi-instrumentalist, inventor and instrument maker who has been described as ‘music genius of rural England’. Graham will perform vocal looping specifically created for this event inspired by various music traditions from around the world.
Taras animation launch poster
