This article**[CCTV News Client];
On January 27, 1964, China and France issued a joint communiqué announcing the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. France became the first Western power to establish diplomatic relations with China. This historical event set off a strong international ** at that time, and was called "a sudden diplomatic nuclear **" by the West
Today, 60 years later, the heads of state of China and France unanimously agreed to take the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France as an opportunity to uphold integrity, innovate and forge ahead into the future, and build the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership into a stronger and more dynamic one. In the face of the changing and chaotic international situation, China and France, as ancient countries with splendid civilizations, will work together to promote mutual respect and tolerance among cultures and civilizations, and sow the seeds of peace in the hearts of people around the world.
On the occasion of celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, the CGTN European branch launched the Rong** series "Encounter-France Chapter", telling the stories of people who have made outstanding contributions to the development of Sino-French bilateral relations. In this issue, we will take you to "meet" Elliot Todo, a French erhu brother.
Eight years ago, Elliot Todo only heard an erhu soundtrack in a movie interlude, and since then the French boy has formed an indissoluble bond with this Chinese folk instrument. Erhu's unique oriental charm made Eliot fall in love with China**, and now he has become the "spokesperson" of Erhu in France.
I had very limited knowledge of the erhu and China at the time. Like many Westerners, when I hear the erhu playing, I start to find out what kind of instrument can play such a tune and timbre. I didn't even know the instrument was Chinese. Elliot recalled.
Elliot has always been a professional keyboardist and producer, from the moment he "met" the erhu, the gears of fate began to turn, even he never imagined that this ancient Chinese instrument would rewrite the trajectory of his career and life.
Grenoble, in the south of France, is Eliot's hometown, and the city has nothing to do with this instrument from China. Without the professional guidance of an erhu teacher, coupled with the language barrier, Eliot said that his path to erhu learning was full of ups and downs, and could even be described as "crazy".
When I first started to get into erhu seven years ago, I couldn't find any resources. Only a few Chinese teachers can teach the erhu, and only Chinese teachers can teach it, and they can communicate simply in English, but they have to use Chinese to explain some concepts in depth. Because the erhu is very closely related to Chinese culture, learning the erhu well requires an understanding of the philosophy behind the instrument. Elliot said.
However, this did not become an obstacle on the path of Elliot's erhu learning. Because of his familiarity with music theory, he has an easier time getting started with a new instrument than the average person. Eliot then adopted an "extraordinary" approach—teaching himself the erhu by observing, imitating, and listening to the erhu artists in the league. In addition, he did not miss every opportunity to communicate in online forums to perfect his erhu playing skills.
Over time, Eliot developed his own unique style. "Because I am deeply influenced by Western films, ** and film and television dramas**, I pay more attention to the grand epic sense in the style and production of erhu performance. Elliot said proudly.
His unique playing style became a hit on YouTube. Since 2020, his ** has received widespread attention from netizens from all over the world, and the number of ** has reached hundreds of millions so far.
Since then, erhu performance has become his main business. "I realized that what I was doing was useful for some people, and that was important to me," he said. In this process, I was able to deeply feel Chinese art, Chinese thought, Chinese way of thinking, etc., which resonated with me. ”
After eight years of unremitting efforts, in 2023 he finally realized his dream of touring China. Within a month, he performed in 12 cities in China. It was the first time he had spoken directly to China – from "looking from afar" to "being in the middle of it".
I told myself that my first trip to China would be to do a tour. Even though it was a crazy idea, it ended up being a dream come true. The tour was exhausting, but the experience was different. "It's a huge challenge to be able to perform on such a platform, and it's a great experience. ”
This trip to China gave Elliot the first opportunity to learn from Chinese erhu artists. "I met a real Chinese erhu master who played in front of me for about five or six minutes, and in those five or six minutes I learned more than I had learned in the last six years, it was unimaginable. Eliot said as he showed the Chinese erhu master playing with his hands, "The strength, the intensity, the skill, it's amazing." ”
Today, Elliot has students all over the world, from France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Brazil. From "curiosity" to "interest" to "persistence", this is what these international erhu enthusiasts have in common with Eliot. Elliot used the erhu in his hand to weave a bridge linking China and the West.
The word bridge is apt. Because seven years ago, when I typed 'erhu' on the Western Internet, I couldn't find many results, and now more and more people like this Chinese instrument and China's **. Among all the international students who want to learn erhu, I feel a new strength. Elliot said confidently, "In the future, I will release an original ** tailored for erhu." I will always recommend what I am passionate about. It's part of my job, which is to promote Chinese culture, and I want to share what I love with everyone. ”
Producer丨Mei Yan.
Editor-in-Chief丨Guo Alcohol.
Reporter丨Li Jianhua.
Vision丨Tom Rouse Brown.
Cinematography丨Steven Iger.
Inscription丨Guo Qihong.