In addition to recordings of the standard classical repertoire, Ma has recorded a wide variety of folk music, such as American bluegrass music, traditional Chinese melodies, the tangos of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla, and Brazilian music. He has also collaborated with artists from a diverse range of genres, including Bobby McFerrin, Carlos Santana, Chris Botti, Diana Krall, James Taylor, Miley Cyrus, and Sting.
Ma has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2006. He has received numerous awards, including the Avery Fisher Prize in 1978, The Glenn Gould Prize in 1999, the National Medal of Arts in 2001, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, Kennedy Center Honors in 2011, the Polar Music Prize in 2012, and the Birgit Nilsson Prize in 2022. He was named as one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2020. Aside from English, Ma is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and French.
Ma's primary performance instrument is the Davidov cello, made in 1712 by Antonio Stradivari
Ma's mother, Marina Lu, was a singer, and his father, Hiao-Tsiun Ma, was a violinist, composer and professor of music at Nanjing National Central University (now relocated in Taoyuan, Taiwan; predecessor of the present-day Nanjing University and Southeast University). They both migrated from the Republic of China to France during the Chinese Civil War. Ma's sister, Yeou-Cheng Ma, played the violin and piano professionally before obtaining a medical degree from Harvard and becoming a pediatrician. The family moved to New York City when Ma was seven.
From the age of three, Ma played the drums, violin, piano, and later viola, but settled on the cello in 1960 at age four. When three-year-old Yo-Yo said he wanted a big instrument, his father went to see Etienne Vatelot, a foremost violin maker in Paris who, after a chat, lent him a 1/16th cello. He jokes that his first choice was the double bass due to its large size, but he compromised and took up the cello instead. When his father realized that Yo-Yo was ready for a better teacher, a well-known cello instructor, Mme Michelle Lepinte, was selected. He began performing before audiences at age five and played for presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy when he was seven. At age eight, he appeared on American television with his sister in an event introduced by Leonard Bernstein. In 1964, Isaac Stern introduced them on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and they performed the Sonata of Sammartini. He attended Trinity School in New York but transferred to the Professional Children's School, where he graduated at age 15. He appeared as a soloist with the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra in a performance of Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations.
Ma studied at the Juilliard School at age 19 with Leonard Rose and attended Columbia University, but dropped out. He later enrolled at Harvard College. Prior to entering Harvard, Ma played in the Marlboro Festival Orchestra under the direction of cellist, conductor and Ma’s childhood hero Pablo Casals. He spent four summers at the Marlboro Music Festival after meeting and falling in love with Mount Holyoke College sophomore and festival administrator Jill Hornor during his first summer there in 1972.
Even before that time, Ma gained fame and performed with many of the world's major orchestras. He has also played chamber music, often with pianist Emanuel Ax, with whom he has a close friendship from their days at Juilliard. Ma received his bachelor's degree in anthropology from Harvard in 1976, and in 1991 received an honorary doctorate from Harvard.
Yo-Yo Ma has been referred to by critics as "omnivorous" and possesses an eclectic repertoire. In addition to numerous recordings of the standard classical repertoire, he has recorded Baroque pieces using period instruments; American bluegrass music; traditional Chinese melodies, including the soundtrack to the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; the tangos of Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla; Brazilian music, recording traditional and contemporary songs composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Pixinguinha; a collaboration with Bobby McFerrin (where Ma admitted to being terrified by McFerrin's improvisation); and the music of modern minimalist Philip Glass, in such works as the 2002 Naqoyqatsi.
Ma is known for his smooth, rich tone, soulful lyricism, and virtuosity. He released a cello recording of Niccolò Paganini's Caprice No. 24 for solo violin and Zoltán Kodály's Solo Sonata.
On May 1, 2019, he performed at Paranal Observatory in the Atacama desert. He said that his interest in astronomy motivated him to visit and perform there.
Ma's albums include recordings of cello concertos, sonatas for cello and piano, works for solo cello, and a variety of chamber music. He has also recorded in non-classical styles, notably in collaboration with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Carlos Santana, Chris Botti, Chris Thile, Diana Krall, James Taylor, Miley Cyrus and Sting.
As The Water
Yo-Yo Ma Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I charge six hundred for a quarter
Got a bad bitch and she foreign
Like the package she came cross the border
Playmoney got the trap in order
Traphouses round’ the map they boarded
A lot of these niggas be hating Want my lifestyle and they can’t afford it
Where you been Yo-T I thought I lost you
In the streets yo I jumped in that water
Brodie taught me how to get the pounds
And if they bullshit you spray them with water
I won’t say it twice I told you before bitch
I own my trap I don’t Pay no mortgage
She looking bad, real cute, and gorgeous
I need to get some backwoods from the store
Waiting in line I just seen her father
In his mind she a good college girl
He know a trap nigga be fucking his daughter
And we smoke exotic in another world
Im smoking Zaza on a different planet
Right now I’m on Venus ima go to Jupiter
I blow exotic gas you cannot handle it
Gone off a perky in her getting booted up
Diamonds on my neck and they Water
I charge six hundred for a quarter
Got a bad bitch and she foreign
Like the package she came cross the border
Playmoney got the trap in order
Traphouses round’ the map they boarded
A lot of these niggas be hating
Want my lifestyle and they cant afford it
The lyrics of Yo-Yo Ma's song "As The Water..." seem to depict a sexually charged encounter between the singer and a woman who possesses an alluring sensuality. The repeated references to water serve as a metaphor for the woman's arousal and desire. The lines "Oh you got that water wet, Thang drippin' like a faucet" suggest that the woman's body is like a faucet, continuously dripping with desire. The singer wants to quench his thirst, both physically and metaphorically, by experiencing the woman's body. The lyrics also highlight the singer's admiration for the woman's sexual prowess, comparing her to a supersoaker gun and describing her as being on fire. The line "I got a big dipper and shawty a big dripper" further emphasizes the sexual desire and connection between the two individuals.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh you got that water wet (drip)
You possess the ability to make your intimate area incredibly wet.
Thang drippin' like a faucet
The moisture from your intimate area flows continuously and plentifully, much like water from a faucet.
She say, "Are you thirsty?" (drip)
She inquires if you desire to satisfy your thirst with her intimate body.
And I want that body, want that body
I have a strong desire for your attractive physique.
Your hoe love when I'm on the mic
Women who are promiscuous are greatly fond of my performance on the microphone, symbolizing my sexual prowess.
She just hopped right on my dick, like her first day on a bike
She engaged in sexual activity with me with the same ease and enthusiasm as someone riding a bike for the first time.
Freak for life, for the longest I've been tryna bust her pipes
She has always been a promiscuous person, and I have continuously attempted to have sexual encounters with her.
Call it thirsty if you want, quench my thirst, no Sprite
Some people may refer to my desire for sexual satisfaction as desperation, but it simply stems from a need to quench my craving, without the aid of carbonated beverages like Sprite.
She remind me of, a supersoaker gun
She bears a resemblance to a water gun toy known as a Supersoaker, symbolizing the intensity and volume of fluid she produces during sexual activities.
Pump after pump, yup, hear that trigger finger come
With each rhythmic thrust during intercourse, resembling the pumping motion, one can audibly perceive the satisfaction gained, just as one would hear the sound of a trigger being pulled on a firearm.
That pussy slide down my tongue, she turn that fire hydrant on
She glides her genitalia along my tongue, leading to a rush of arousal similar to the forceful release of water from a fire hydrant.
This girl on fire, she smokin', I pull my holes out and go in
She is highly passionate and desirable, metaphorically igniting with intense heat. I then engage in sexual intercourse by exposing my erogenous areas and proceeding with penetration.
Damn what's her Zodiac, she must be a water sign
Expressing my curiosity about her astrological sign, as her characteristics align with those associated with water signs, particularly owing to her intense moisture during sexual encounters.
Shit I'm lookin' forward to that night when the stars align
I eagerly anticipate the evening when celestial bodies align, symbolizing the perfect timing for a passionate and satisfying sexual experience.
'Cause I got a big dipper and shawty a big dripper
Since I possess a large penis, metaphorically referred to as the Big Dipper, and she exhibits substantial fluid release, comparable to a heavy flow, she is referred to as a Big Dripper.
Thirsty, thirsty, yep, I need a sip of her
Expressing my intense desire for her sexual fluids, as if craving a refreshing beverage to quench my thirst.
Drip, faucet, water park
Describing the sensation of fluids dripping, flowing like water from a faucet, and the overall feeling similar to that of being in a water park.
Hips, ass, extra large
Referring to the size and desirability of her hips and buttocks, which are considerably larger than average.
Shawty slip and slide, word to Trick and Trina
Emphasizing her ability to smoothly move and glide during sexual activities, invoking the names of Trick Daddy and Trina, popular musicians known for their sexually suggestive lyrics.
Hurricane shawty, pussy on Katrina
Drawing a comparison between her powerful and overwhelming sexual prowess and the destructive force of Hurricane Katrina.
I'm drownin' in sin
Acknowledging my indulgence in sinful and lustful acts, symbolized by being immersed in water as a metaphor for pleasure and temptation.
Shawty, so deep in her wet, O'll need a float to go in
She is highly aroused and moist, necessitating the use of a flotation device to navigate her depths and engage in sexual intercourse.
All of my bitches a hunnit
All the women I engage with sexually are of the highest quality and desirability.
Just like the 'moji, so you know I'm gon' win
Similar to the emojis symbolizing perfection, I am confident in my ability to achieve sexual satisfaction and victory.
Strap up before I go in
Ensuring the use of protective measures, such as a condom, before proceeding with sexual intercourse.
Strap up before I go out, I'm strapped up with towels
Preparing for intimate encounters by equipping myself with towels to manage and absorb any potential fluids during sexual activities.
When she pull it down, 'cause she like a water gun
When she removes her clothing, revealing her body, it mimics the action of pulling the trigger on a water gun.
She shoot it out
She emits her sexual fluids forcefully and vigorously, akin to the shooting action of a water gun.
In that pussy like a doctor visit
When inside her vagina, it feels reminiscent of a medical examination, invoking a sense of exploration and intimate inspection.
All this ass, I gots to hit it
Given the abundance of her buttocks, it is imperative for me to engage in sexual contact with them.
This my bitch, nigga, how I'm trickin'?
I claim ownership over this woman, she being my partner in a sexual and romantic relationship. How could one perceive this as manipulation?
All that cash, I got to spend it
Since I possess a significant amount of money, it is my obligation to spend it on pleasurable experiences and indulgences.
When you're thirsty, it's huntin' time
When experiencing a strong sexual desire, it becomes a time to actively pursue sexual encounters, akin to the behavior of a hunter searching for prey.
And that ain't no punchline
Emphasizing that my previous statement is not a joke or humorous play on words.
Let me hit it at lunchtime
Expressing my desire to engage in sexual activities with her during the lunch hour, highlighting the craving for midday pleasure.
Round 3 and it's crunchtime
Referring to the third session of sexual intercourse, signifying a critical moment or decisive period where exceptional effort and performance are required.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: TREVON DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@munigel3928
For people don't know the instrument Mr. Wu Tong plays, it is actually the oldest Chinese instrument called "sheng" (笙) . It has almost the same age of China. Hope more people can know and like it.
@MerchantOfSouls1
Huh, thank you I was wondering. That’s really cool.
@melaD333
Thank you. It’s a hauntingly beautiful sound.
@LupinLovebites
I thought, that's the weirdest bagpipe I've ever seen....
@elizabethpeters6890
It reminds me of a set of bagpipes with a continuous human wind source.
@internal.inferno2088
Thank you so much for answering my curious pondering as per name to a beautiful instrument!
@littlecreek6724
我想起很小的时候在农村老家，每当有丧事的时候，会请吹手队来家里，吹吹打打三天三夜。其中就有吹笙的民间乐人，还有唢呐和小镲。每当这个时候全村的人都会去听吹手演奏，那些场景一直留在我的记忆深处。
@idaneromi4205
I'm living on the same planet,
at the same time - as Yo-Yo Ma. #WordsOfComfort 🍀
@harisblackwood9331
And, also, Joni Mitchell. ❤️
@mairaleikarte43
❣️💗💒