Riccardo Cadamura, a native of Mestre living in Shanghai: “Music brings people together”

His latest song—“Waterfall”—surpassed 50,000 views in China within a few weeks. And many musicians, both Chinese and from other countries, are recording covers of it. His name is Riccardo Cadamuro, known by his stage name 高沐然 Kadomura. He left Venice seven years ago for Shanghai, where he was opening a branch of the Lizard Music Academy, a major educational institution in Italy with various locations around the world. “I was supposed to stay for six months, but then COVID came along and changed my plans,” he tells GV.

Cadamuro, a musician, guitarist, composer, and researcher, was born in Mestre 37 years ago. He now lives permanently in Shanghai, where, in addition to directing the Chinese division of the Lizard Academy, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in traditional Asian and Chinese music at the Conservatory. On the production front, he is pursuing a musical project that bridges the two worlds—the Western and the Eastern. And this is precisely what comes across when listening to *Waterfall*, where Cadamuro’s electric guitar (he also works as a demonstrator for the Fender and Roland brands), bass, drums, and synthesizers blend with traditional Chinese and Japanese instruments such as the guzheng (古筝), erhu (二胡), Chinese drum (鼓), and koto (箏). It’s a particularly successful fusion that is captivating audiences across the globe.

But let’s go back to 2020, which marked a turning point in my career and my life. What happened?

I left for China in 2019 at the invitation of Lizard, with whom I was already collaborating after graduating from Ca’ Foscari with a degree in musicology. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I stayed there without returning to Italy for three years. I think about it sometimes; I’d say it was fate for me. The period of restrictions here in China was brief, while I could see that in Italy the situation was dragging on and that—especially for certain professions, like mine—it was very difficult. So I decided to stay, partly because returning to China from Italy would have been very complicated. And so, one thing leading to another, three years have gone by without me returning home.

What were you doing during that time?

I taught myself: I learned Chinese and then began a doctoral program at the Conservatory on traditional Asian and Chinese music. In fact, I wanted to incorporate these traditions into my own musical work.

“Waterfall” truly embodies the best of both worlds and is gaining popularity among a wider audience…

This song was born precisely from the fusion of Western music—in my case, the electric guitar—and traditional Asian instruments. It didn’t come about solely through study, but through direct contact and collaboration with Chinese and Japanese musicians I’ve worked with. Working with these people has allowed me to develop a musical language capable of bridging different cultures. There are Western musicians—Italians, French, and Americans—who are playing this piece, as well as musicians from Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong…

So is it a kind of bridge between cultures?

Absolutely. It’s true that I’m Italian and have an Italian background, but the fact that I speak Chinese, that I studied there, and that I’ve fully immersed myself in these harmonies, inflections, and instruments means that, on the one hand, they sense that I have a deep understanding of their culture, and on the other, they also perceive a Western element. For me, it’s been a major achievement. I see that it’s not something that works only in Asia or only here: it’s a musical language that has taken a leap forward.

But you’d already been very successful on TikTok before that…

Yes, I have tracks that have racked up millions of views on Chinese TikTok. This has allowed me to build my own music brand and land contracts. But we’re on different levels because, for example, TikTok isn’t used the same way in Italy. It’s also worth noting that it’s a niche product because I produce only instrumental tracks. We’re not talking about pop music. However, there’s a very loyal segment of the audience, with their own channels, forming a sort of community.

So, is your professional life now in China?

My work is there. This year I’ve also done some things in Italy, but I mainly go back for about two months a year, mostly to see my family. My professional life is now in China. However, I’ve also launched social media accounts for an Italian audience—on Instagram and Facebook—and with this song, I’ve seen that it’s resonating here as well. Having the opportunity to bring this style to Europe is a great source of satisfaction for me.

Serena Spinazzi Lucchesi

Waterfall on YouTube