Harmony in China

World-renowned harmonica player New Zealander Brendan Power, 56, whose music can be heard in the 2008 film Atonement, has been touring China this month. Based in Britain for the past 20 years, Power, who has released 15 solo albums, also gave a lecture in a Beijing blues club packed with fans. Power says his long fascination with China has included its traditional music. “I love it; it’s a passion for me,” he says. “I just love hearing the expression; the scales are often very simple scales, but the motion and expression of the Chinese traditional musicians gets out of the simple scales. This is my attempt to show Chinese people that the harmonica can actually be just as expressive for Chinese music as traditional instruments.” Power is also an expert player of Irish traditional music. The United States named him international player of 2011-12.