All dressed in their ethnic attire, visiting Brazilian musicians join Chinese peers in Nanning streets in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on April 17.[Photo provided by Zhao Huan/Xinhua]

A Chinese folk song echoed across the stage, its melody carried through the air. Drawn by the rhythm, Brazilian musicians began to dance while Chinese attendees stepped closer to the stage. Within moments, a circle formed, and the crowd swayed together to the same beat.

The scene unfolded in Nanning, the capital of South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, where the Copacabana Fort Orchestra participated in a cultural exchange program during the "Sanyuesan" festival, a traditional ethnic and regional celebration known for its singing and communal gatherings.

Founded in Rio de Janeiro, the Copacabana Fort Orchestra blends classics with vibrant Brazilian rhythms. Marcia Melchior, the orchestra's artistic director, believes this China tour went beyond performance and expectations.

"Music is universal. It unites people. You don't need to speak the same language to feel it in your heart," she says, noting that music is the natural starting point for deeper international understanding.

Coinciding with the China-Brazil Year of Culture 2026, and at the invitation of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the visit was designed to foster cultural exchange between the two countries.

Brazilian musicians pose for a photo with Nanning children after the performance.[Photo provided by Zhao Huan/Xinhua]

Throughout the event, the orchestra alternated between Brazilian classics and well-known Chinese songs. The selection carried symbolic weight: Tico-Tico no Fuba channels the festive Brazilian spirit, while Flor de Lis serves as a counterpart to the Chinese folk song Mo Li Hua (Jasmine Flower), creating a floral-themed dialogue.

For singer Michelly Gondim, performing a Chinese song presented a challenge she had to master in a short time. "It was an incredible experience. Sharing these cultural elements with Chinese artists is truly special," she says.

During the program, the Brazilian musicians performed alongside children dressed in the traditional attire of Guangxi's ethnic groups. The Brazilian musicians played and sang while the children provided the harmonies.

"I was enchanted watching the children singing, participating, and joining in with us," Gondim says, highlighting the audience's warm reception and the sense of closeness forged through music.

Violinist Bruna Zurmele recalls spending time with the children during rehearsals and how easily they picked up Brazilian rhythms. She also mentions a boy who even played a pandeiro (a Brazilian hand drum) with the orchestra, keeping precise time with samba and baiao rhythms, a moment she says left a lasting impression.

In the festive atmosphere of "Sanyuesan", artists and tourists from various countries shared the stage with performers who sang traditional songs from Guangxi. The line from a local traditional song, "from one side they sing, from the other they answer," aptly embodied the symbolic meaning of this exchange.

Bruna says Guangxi impressed her with its scenery, adding that it reminded her in some ways of Rio de Janeiro, which gave her an immediate sense of closeness. She also highlights the audience's reception, emphasizing how warm and communicative the local residents were, always showing interest whenever they saw the group playing, singing or dancing.

Cellist Thiellen Sena says that the exchange broadened her understanding of China and sparked a desire to delve deeper into the local culture. "I'm discovering everything for the first time, learning as I go. This whole process has been incredibly fascinating," she says.