Po of 'Kung Fu Panda' returns to his Chinese roots

Taiwan music icon Jay Chou with his protege, 16-year-old singer-songwriter Patrick Brasca, at a promotional event in Beijing.[Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

Film's music set to be released

DreamWorks Animation is set to release the music of its upcoming film Kung Fu Panda 3 ahead of the movie.

The music album, Kung Fu Panda 3 - Music From The Motion Picture, will be released by Sony Classical on Jan 22, in a digital format and on CD.

The album features the film's original score by Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer, who previously co-composed the scores for Kung Fu Panda 1 and 2.

"Working on these films has always been such a treat, and this latest installment is no exception. I'm thrilled to be back for Kung Fu Panda 3, and can't wait to share that excitement with audiences and families everywhere," says Zimmer, one of Hollywood's most prolific composers, who also composed for Rain Man, Gladiator and The Lion King.

One of the highlights of the soundtrack is Try, the theme song for the film, which has been produced by Taiwan musical icon Jay Chou and written by his protege, 16-year-old singer-songwriter Patrick Brasca.

The song, performed by both Chou and Brasca, pays homage to both Western and Chinese influences.

Chinese pianist Lang Lang's performances are also featured in the soundtrack, including Oogway's Legacy, Portrait of Mom and Po Belongs.

"Hans really put a lot of Hollywood into China. He has a lot of beautiful eastern oriental melody and then puts that into the style of Hollywood. It's really exciting for me to play," says Lang Lang. "The story of Kung Fu Panda is a lot of fun but it's really, really touching."

The pianist also says: "I feel martial arts and music are somehow connected - a lot of practice and you feel inner peace."

Chinese cellist Wang Jian, erhu (two-stringed bowed instrument) player Guo Gan and British band The Vamps also contribute to the all-star compilation.