XD WEI, left to right, Paul Henry Ossy, R. Leo Gillis, Xiao Dong Wei, and Djeto Juncaj will next perform their unique blend of eastern and western music March 1 at the Arab-American Museum in Dearborn.

Local band XD WEI strikes distinctive chord in music scene

By Julie Stevens
C & G Staff Writer

There is a fairly new band whose unique sound is sweeping metro Detroit’s music scene.

But it’s that sound — a blend of traditional Eastern music and Western flavor — that makes it nearly impossible to classify XD WEI into one genre. Even the four members of the band can’t.

Lead vocalist and erhu master Xiao Dong Wei said it doesn’t matter where the band plays, whether it be locally or clear across the country, XD WEI experiences a large following of fans with a wide array of musical interests.

“Sometimes it’s hard to classify us in one category,” said Wei, a native of China who immigrated to the United States in 2004 and currently lives in St. Clair Shores. “There is Western and Eastern music, and nothing sounds like that. People, those who like hard rock, tell me they enjoy my music, and people who like country music tell me they enjoy my music.”

This is a result of Wei’s mastery of the erhu, a traditional Chinese two-stringed instrument comparable to the classical violin.

Wei began playing the erhu at the age of 5 with her father. She studied it for 10 years at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and graduated a master of the instrument. Today, she is world-renowned for her virtuoso erhu playing.

She also played for four years in the Chinese Motion Picture Orchestra and composed two songs appointed by the Chinese Olympics Committee in 2000.

It is said that the origin of the erhu dates back to the Tang dynasty, 618-907, and is today one of the most popular instruments in China. It sounds similar to a human voice and can imitate many natural sounds, such as birds or a horse. It is an expressive instrument, most well known for playing melancholic tunes, but also capable of making merry melodies.

XD WEI bassist Leo Gillis, of Detroit, calls the band’s sound a blend of traditional Asian music with folk, bluegrass, jazz and rock elements.

“The erhu gives us a sound you don’t hear too often,” said Gillis. “As does the different stylistic tendencies of the members.”

XD WEI was formed in May 2006.

Formerly a trio called Wei, members Wei, Gillis, and another Detroiter, Paul Henry Ossy, became a foursome with the addition of multi-talented Warren musician Djeto Juncaj.

According to band manger and Wei’s husband Ken Hottmann, Juncaj became an essential ingredient because of his numerous abilities on many different instruments, such as guitar, banjo, and an obscure stringed instrument called the qyteli. Juncaj, a former member of the Immigrant Sons who still plays for the Detroit-based band Alqiumia Humana, specializes in the flamenco guitar.

“Djeto also seems to have a penchant for laying low and hovering in the background while using his endless supply of pedals, effects and other unorthodox options for subliminal results,” Hottmann said.

Ossy, Gillis’ cousin and longtime writing partner, is the man behind the mandolin, woodwinds and percussion in XD WEI.

Ossy contributes to the band his talent and extensive experience in jazz, rock and bluegrass, and has recorded with many local bands, including Catalyst with Gillis and on the White Stripes album, “DeStijl.”

“He’s a great addition because his background is very diverse,” said Gillis, who also performs backing vocals for XD WEI.

Gillis adds that the different styles of the band members help them create a different sound on each track. “Not that every song sounds different, but there is a mix,” he said. “We tend to keep it fresh by mixing all the genres up a bit, and I think that is what attracts the audiences.”

XD WEI plays mostly original music and traditional Chinese folk songs. Covers range from Bill Monroe to Led Zeppelin. They have attracted a large following for playing in such venues as Xhedos, Rave, Modern Exchange and Crazy Wisdom, and at the Detroit Festival of Arts in 2006.

XD WEI’s CD “String Theory,” on which Wei sings in Chinese and English, is slated for release before Feb. 26.

“Many people know us and enjoy our music at different places. We have some people in the States who follow up,” said Wei, who is also schooled on the piano and the guzheng, another traditional Chinese stringed instrument. Shortly before leaving China, Wei released her only solo album, “Erhu Solo by Xiao Dong Wei.”

“It’s a very intense set; very powerful,” Wei said.

Xiao Dong Wei’s solo show is Saturday, Feb. 17, at Max Fisher Music Center on Woodward in Detroit. XD WEI will be performing at 7:30 p.m. March 1 at the Arab-American Museum on Michigan Ave. in Dearborn, at 8 p.m. March 3 at Crazy Wisdom in Ann Arbor, and at 8 p.m.  March 17 at The Raven in Port Huron.