Throughout the event, the orchestra alternated between Brazilian classics and well-known Chinese songs. The selection carried symbolic weight: Tico-Tico no Fuba channels the festive Brazilian spirit, while Flor de Lis serves as a counterpart to the Chinese folk song Mo Li Hua (Jasmine Flower), creating a floral-themed dialogue.
For singer Michelly Gondim, performing a Chinese song presented a challenge she had to master in a short time. "It was an incredible experience. Sharing these cultural elements with Chinese artists is truly special," she says.
During the program, the Brazilian musicians performed alongside children dressed in the traditional attire of Guangxi's ethnic groups. The Brazilian musicians played and sang while the children provided the harmonies.
"I was enchanted watching the children singing, participating, and joining in with us," Gondim says, highlighting the audience's warm reception and the sense of closeness forged through music.
Violinist Bruna Zurmele recalls spending time with the children during rehearsals and how easily they picked up Brazilian rhythms. She also mentions a boy who even played a pandeiro (a Brazilian hand drum) with the orchestra, keeping precise time with samba and baiao rhythms, a moment she says left a lasting impression.
In the festive atmosphere of "Sanyuesan", artists and tourists from various countries shared the stage with performers who sang traditional songs from Guangxi. The line from a local traditional song, "from one side they sing, from the other they answer," aptly embodied the symbolic meaning of this exchange.
Bruna says Guangxi impressed her with its scenery, adding that it reminded her in some ways of Rio de Janeiro, which gave her an immediate sense of closeness. She also highlights the audience's reception, emphasizing how warm and communicative the local residents were, always showing interest whenever they saw the group playing, singing or dancing.
Cellist Thiellen Sena says that the exchange broadened her understanding of China and sparked a desire to delve deeper into the local culture. "I'm discovering everything for the first time, learning as I go. This whole process has been incredibly fascinating," she says.
