Why the news of the first HandPan to appear from China’s shores should really be of any greater importance than the first to appear from any other country, is hard to say. But it is. If you believe everything that’s been piped out of Televisions here in the West for the last ten years or so, China wants to swallow us up, in every niche, and in every market, China will do it, if not necessarily better, than certainly cheaper. China, if you believe the hype, is COMING FOR US ALL, and even the HandPan is not safe from this now woken Dragon.
For years now (at time of posting) people have prophesied the coming of the ‘YamaHang’. A mass-produced Chinese export, that would with its arrival: DESTROY THE WORLD OF HANDPAN AS WE CURRENTLY KNOW IT!!!
The Xuansound HandPan
The first HandPan to come from China’s shores, comes in the form of the Xuansound HandPan. And the good news is, in our opinion, this is far from the cheap-plastic-Christmas-cracker-toy, that many have feared. But is instead, the beginnings of what should blossom into a great sounding Handpan, indeed, even the early offerings that we’re listening to at time of posting, are sounding pretty sweet already.
And in fact, there is evidence of a growing HandPan community in China. Something that tends to foster both demand for, and produce those with interest enough to learn the skills to make, quality instruments.
So that for now, the coming of the YamaHang, remains still to pass (though the Oval guys might be taking a stab at it). To hear more of the Xuansound HandPan, and follow their progress, you can visit them over at YouTube: HERE.