At 12:30pm, at the Ellen Kayrod Gallery located inside the Hannan House at 4750 Woodward in Detroit. They will be playing an acoustic set for the 1st time. This is a free event and is part of the 6th Annual Spring Open Art exhibit opening.
Madame XD, AKA Xiao Dong Wei, a classically trained Chinese musician, playing everything from Erhu (two-string Chinese violin), Guzheng, Pipa to piano, cello and percussion—not to mention vocals—has taken a front seat on the performance roster in her now hometown of Detroit. Having grown up in Beijing, China, and being accepted by the prestigious Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing at the tender age of 11, she has not stopped in her quest for musical excellence. Ten years later she earned her degree and is now considered a “master” of the Erhu, not to mention the numerous awards she has received based upon her performances and overall talent.
After moving to the US in 2005, Madame XD began playing various gigs with many different musicians and musical styles. Detroit has since become her home base where she has been warmly welcomed within the flourishing Detroit music scene by an eclectic mix of musicians and supporting fans, alike! She immediately started an Alternative-Chamber Music trio made up of a Bluegrass guitarist, a mandolin player and Xiao Dong on Erhu. This instrumental group played a blend of traditional American Bluegrass, some traditional Chinese folk tunes and some original contributions from the Progressive-Rock mandolinist, Paul Ossy.
From that time forth, Xiao Dong has formed other bands with the focus being on original material. She does live studio work and has been featured on NPR (National Public Radio) in many Michigan cities. Her performances as a classical soloist have continued as she has been invited to play with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Southern Great Lakes Symphony Orchestra in 2007.
In her latest project in 2008, Xiao Dong formed a new, hard-hitting, five-piece band called “Madame XD.” XD plays Erhu, Guzheng, Pipa, cello, piano, percussion and sings in both languages. All of the songs are co-written with her husband, Ken Hottmann, who plays bass, guitar and Guzheng. They recently released a limited-edition “45” with their first two songs, “Black Silk” and “Liar Liar,” which has received radio and Internet airplay in and around Detroit, NYC, Boston, and in places as far away as Australia, France and England. Madame XD has just released the 5-song Black Silk EP, and has been recently a featured article in many magazine and *newspapers, both nationally and internationally. In the future she’s interested in creating electronic music. You can get a taste of this with her song, “Sorrow of Separation,” which is available on her myspace page. So, if you’re looking for something old with something new, then Madame XD is the one to watch out for! You’ve never heard anything like it!
For more info on Madame XD, please go to http://www.myspace.com/xdwei