This Chinese song accompanies a children’s game similar to duck, duck goose. The players sit in a circle, and one person roams around the outside with a handkerchief (the flag), eventually dropping it behind someone’s back. That person must pick it up and catch the flag dropper before he or she takes a seat in the circle.
 

This simple and catchy melody reminded me of a New Orleans-style march -- in my head, I immediately heard horns and piano and drums. The song is in the style of a raucous marching band, and it is sung in Mandarin by the wonderful Jia. John Foti plays the piano, and Brooklyn-based horn wonders Shane Endsley, Joachim Badenhorst, and Jacob Garchik play the trumpet, clarinet, trombone, and tuba.

 

SONG LYRICS AND TRANSLATION

 

 

MUSICIANS

Jia Xu, vocals

David Cossin, drums, percussion

John Foti, piano, kazoo

Shane Endsley, trumpet

Jacob Garchik, trombone

Joachim Badenhorst, clarinet

Xiao Xiannian, yangqin

Elena, vocals

 

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