Moved to tears

It was spring 2011 and Sa Dingding wanted to take a break. So, she flew to Chengdu and then traveled by car on a bumpy mountain road to Axu grassland of Axu town, Sichuan province.

More than 4,000 meters above sea level, the grassland was the home of King Gesar, the Tibetan hero.

Sa, who is known for mixing electronica with traditional folk influences, spent more than a month listening to the story of King Gesar told by local villagers.

When it was time to say goodbye to the locals, a 70-year-old Tibetan woman put her head against Sa's head to show her affection.

Sa was so moved she cried and the photograph became the cover of her third album, The Coming Ones, released on July 1. "When she held my hands and put her forehead on mine, I melted," she recalls.

The Newcomers of the North, one of the new songs from the album, was written and composed by Sa for the people she met in Axu town.

The music video was shot in the form of a documentary and just recorded what she saw in the town.

Locals in Axu know her because she has widely used Tibetan music and fashion for her albums and shows. Her performance at the 2012 CCTV Spring Festival Gala is also well-known.

"They thought I was Tibetan. I once came across a man riding a motorcycle, with his CD player loudly playing my songs. I felt so connected there," she says.