A mix of East and West, 12 Girls Band fuses traditional instrumentation with eclectic repertoire. Hailing from China, their latest US release Shanghai will wow American audiences with a multi-cultural array of songs and pieces that range from Chinese traditional and folk tunes to pop smash hits as well as iconic jazz masterpieces. This group was a headliner for Al Gore's July 7th "Live Earth" concert in Shanghai. The 2008 Summer Olympics is only a year away and 12 Girls Band is bringing traditional Chinese instruments onto the global stage.

In 2001, more than 4,000 young musicians applied to be a member of the 12 Girls Band. After their first concert in Beijing 2001, its accomplished players, all of whom studied music at the most prestigious conservatories and schools across China, and have played in China's top orchestras made 12 Girls Band into stars virtually overnight.

The number twelve has important resonances in Chinese culture, astrology and numerology. Twelve Jinchai ("golden hairpins") represent womanhood in ancient Chinese mythology. There are actually thirteen musicians in the band so that there is always a substitute player available at a moment's notice.

This Fall, the 12 Girls Band launches their first major US tour. Asiance spoke with 12 Girls Band as they prepare for their journey of musical fusion bringing China and America together.

ASIANCE: What do you want to accomplish while you are in America?

Twelve Girls Band: We want American people to become familiar with our music and hopefully like it very much! We are also looking forward to learning alot from the people we will meet and the many cities we will visit during our tour. America is a great country with great energy and great creativity. We hope to be inspired by it, to add to our musical repertoire.

Watch 12 Girls Band in concert

ASIANCE: Whose music career do you want to emulate?

Twelve Girls Band: We have so many artists we admire and enjoy from America ... This is a hard question to answer. But Yanni is someone who has been able to make music that people enjoy all over the world, not just America. Also, he has his own musical sound but he borrows from any country or culture that he is inspired by, just like we do. We would like to be able to take our music to all parts of the world - ”Asia, Europe, Africa and especially the United States

We're giving away 12 of their latest CD's. To enter to win, email your name and address to staff@asiancemagazine.com

ASIANCE: What do you like most about China?

Twelve Girls Band: China is our home and everybody loves to come home -- especially when you travel as much as we do. When we are away we love the new things that we are exposed to, but we miss our families and our friends and, of course, Chinese food! China is a little bit like America in that it is a big country with many possibilities for growth and prosperity. It is changing so fast and so much that you can see the differences from the time you leave for one trip and come back one month later. China is a country with people who are most of all very optimistic about the future.

12 Girls Band

ASIANCE: What would you like to see improved in China? What would you like to see improved in the music industry in China?

Twelve Girls Band: Even though China is a very large and powerful country it is still learning much about the West. In China, music has always been something that people love and share with each other -- at gatherings, in parks or anywhere. Music as a business is relatively new to China and now that is its changing so much in the United States and Europe, it is possible that China will adapt very quickly to the new ways of distributing music, like iPods and ring tones and other innovations.

ASIANCE: After the tour is over what are your plans? Do any of you have other jobs or other interests?

Twelve Girls Band: We are professional musicians, all of us. And it seems like there is always another tour just around the corner or another CD to record. It is hard work, but we love it very much and all of us get along very well, like a family. When we are in China we try to catch up with our family and our friends and spend a lot of time visiting with each other.
Many of us like to cook for our friends and our families and we like having parties and cooking good meals for each other.

ASIANCE: Will you be playing at the Beijing Olympics?

Twelve Girls Band: Yes, we will participate in the event officially preparing China for the Olympics in August of this year and we will probably be involved in other events during the actual games when the world comes to Beijing. We are very much looking forward to it.

ASIANCE: What is one thing you would like to say to America about your group?

Twelve Girls Band: We all love American music, and we hope the American people will love our music too.

You can purchase tickets here www.12girlsbandusa.com or at venues indicated below.

Tour dates below

Wed 10/3/07, Oakland, CA - Paramount Theatre - You can purchase tickets here
Thur 10/4/07, San Jose, CA - San Jose Center for Performing Arts - You can purchase tickets here
Fri 10/5/07, Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre - You can purchase tickets here

Sat 10/6/07, Pala, CA - Pala Casino Event Center - You can purchase tickets here
Sun 10/7/07, Palm Desert, CA - McCallum Theatre - You can purchase tickets here
Mon 10/8/07, Sacramento, CA - Sacramento Memorial Auditorium - You can purchase tickets here
Tues 10/9/07, Anaheim, CA - The Grove of Anaheim - You can purchase tickets here
Thu 10/11/07, Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theater - You can purchase tickets here
Sat 10/13/07, Grand Prairie, TX - Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie - You can purchase tickets here
Mon 10/15/07, Jacksonville, FL - Moran Theater - Times Union Center - You can purchase tickets here
Tue 10/16/07, Fort Lauderdale, FL - Broward Center for the Performing Arts - You can purchase tickets here
Wed 10/17/07, Tampa, FL - Carol Morsani Hall - You can purchase tickets here
Thu 10/18/07, Atlanta, GA - Symphony Hall - You can purchase tickets here
Sat 10/20/07, Washington, DC - Lisner Auditorium -
Sun 10/21/07, Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre - You can purchase tickets here
Tue 10/23/07, New York, NY - Town Hall Theatre - You can purchase tickets here
Wed 10/24/07, Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre - You can purchase tickets here
Thu 10/25/07, New Brunswick, NJ - State Theatre - You can purchase tickets here
Fri 10/26/07, Toronto, ON - Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts - You can purchase tickets here
Sat 10/27/07, Cleveland, OH - Allen Theatre - TBA / not on sale
Sun 10/28/07, Detroit, MI - Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts - You can purchase tickets here
Mon 11/05/07, Boulder, CO - Macky Auditorium - TBA / not on sale
Wed 11/07/07, Seattle, WA - Benaroya Concert Hall - TBA / not on sale
Fri 11/9/2007, Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall - TBA / not on sale
Sat 11/10/07, Coquitlam, BC - Red Robinson Theatre - You can purchase tickets here
Sun 11/11/07, Richmond, BC - River Rock Casino Resort - You can purchase tickets here
Mon 11/12/07, Richmond, BC - River Rock Casino Resort - You can purchase tickets here

Click here to view their official website:
http://www.12girls.org