AGT Season 19: Who is Nini? Taiwanese musician aims to teach the world about Chinese Traditional Folk instruments
TAIWAN, REPUBLIC OF CHINA: Born and raised in Taiwan, 'America's Got Talent' Season 19 contestant, Nini has spent more than two decades studying and performing with Chinese traditional folk instruments. She has toured extensively throughout Europe, the USA, Canada, China, Japan, and her native Taiwan.
Nini is a multi-instrumentalist, proficient in playing both Western instruments such as the Irish banjo and ukulele, as well as five traditional Chinese instruments: the zhongruan, liuqin, sanxian, yueqin, and pipa. In an email correspondence, Nini shares that she is inspired to play music to "teach people about my instruments and share the beautiful culture of Taiwan with the world."
With her traditional instruments, Nini is now embarking on a quest to create distinctive sounds and share them with the world. Nini's music blends modern rock, metal, and electronic dance music with the unique sounds of her traditional instruments, the San Xian, Ruan, and Liuqin.
“I think that many people around the world have never seen or heard my instruments, so if I can get just one person in my stream to remember or be interested in my instruments and culture, I feel I have accomplished my goal,” she noted.
Born in Yuanlin City, Changhua County, Nini began her musical journey at the tender age of seven, studying traditional Chinese instruments at the conservatorium of Tainan National University of the Arts. After completing her studies, Nini took a non-traditional path by busking for a year before leaving her job as a music instructor on Liuqiu Island, a small island near Kaohsiung.
'AGT' Season 19 contestant Nini found fame after going viral during pandemic
In late January 2020, the pandemic seemed to dash Nini's hopes of becoming a performer. However, instead of accepting defeat, she seized the opportunity and began performing frequently online, which not only expanded her audience but also increased her global visibility.
Nini, a talented young performer of traditional Chinese instruments, has gained significant attention on social media since the pandemic, serving as a symbol of Taiwan's soft power. It's possible that fans first discovered Nini Music during an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit a few years ago.
The zhongruan, a majestic instrument with a spherical body, straight neck, four strings, and 24 frets on the fingerboard, was showcased in a video clip of Nini playing. Its appearance resembled a gigantic banjo, with large pegs protruding from the headstock.
She faced the camera while wearing a form-fitting silver lame top with a heart-shaped opening in it and long bangs framing her face. She then blazed into 'Flight of the Bumblebee' as a maniacal laser show played in the background.
Originally a pleasant orchestral tune composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1900, Nini played it at a frenetic tempo of 185 beats per minute. The combination of classical music, electronic beats, and Nini's visual flair was captivating, leaving the audience so enthralled that they spent the remainder of the evening browsing her back library of archived performances.
Fan favorites include a Goth-themed version of the Rolling Stones' 'Paint it Black' on a pipa and Billie Eilish's cover of 'Bad Guy' on a Cruella de Vil costume live stream.
'AGT' Season 19 contestant Nini is the winner of the 2020 Gamers Got Talent
Nini's impressive performance in the 2021 Gamer's Got Talent competition on Twitch.TV earned her a winning spot. In under three minutes, she showcased her skills by performing a mash-up of three songs on three different instruments, leaving the judges and audience in awe.
The multi-instrumentalist and vocalist from America creates folk music with a 'Celtic/Medieval flavor,' often covering video game soundtracks. As an independent musician, she gains recognition for her songs by actively marketing herself on websites like YouTube and Twitter, where she goes by the handles Erutan and "katethegreat19," respectively.
'AGT' Season 19 contestant Nini collaborated with Twitch
Nini launched her highly-anticipated new album 'Legends' in 2022, collaborated with the popular gaming platform Twitch, and is set to embark on autumn shows in both Japan and the United States.
She also worked with Blackworm Instruments, a US-based company, to create the Daoyu, a first-of-its-kind electronic lute hybrid! Watch for Nini's arrival in a city near you!
'America's Got Talent' Season 19 to air on NBC every Tuesday at 8 pm ET.