A Suona Blast for the Kingdom

The Lee Family Suona Troupe ran on a rule Keelin Lee's father left behind, that the suona is played for loyalty and feeling. Keelin was the young troupe master. He kept his own playing down and let the six senior apprentices take the work in front of audiences. Eugene Zhao was head apprentice and the one Keelin trusted. He broke troupe instruments on more than one occasion, spread stories about the family, and pushed against Keelin inside the troupe until there was nowhere left for him to stand. Keelin left and started again outside with Susie Lin and Hammer Wang. At a birthday banquet he played Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, a piece that had gone out of the repertoire, and took back the black gold suona.