Mongolian throat singing takes center stage in Ne Zha 2's soundtrack, thanks to the talents of Inner Mongolian throat singer Halamuji, who brings the traditional khoomei singing style to life in the film's musical narrative.
In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Halamuji shared his approach to creating a timeless soundtrack for the animated blockbuster film, drawing on China's rich cultural heritage and the power of "slow creation".
"For this film, I recorded the throat singing part, alongside other traditional instruments, like the pipa, the suona, and even Dong ethnic music. I hope the soundtrack reflects these diverse cultural elements. This project is deeply rooted in Chinese cultural tradition. There are many overseas enthusiasts who are passionate about Chinese culture, and the film's rich blend of cultural elements will undoubtedly leave them in awe. I hope the international audiences will like it," he said.
Halamuji noted that China's long history has fostered a rich musical diversity, with instruments from the Western Regions and beyond evolving into a wide range of unique forms.
"I hope they can pay attention to the movie's soundtrack, and connect with the culture it embodies. I hope our traditional music can be more widely used," he said.
For Halamuji, the ancient art of Khoomei holds a special significance, one that he believes is deeply connected to the value of patience and dedication in the creative process.
"Throat singing, or Khoomei, is a vocal technique. It produces multiple harmonic melodies simultaneously. That's its magic. Generally speaking, people can't make multi-layered harmonies simultaneously like this. What's most valuable for me today is committing to ‘slow creation.’ Only through slow, deliberate work, can something truly refined emerge. Just like director Jiaozi's philosophy of 'taking 10 years to sharpen a sword,' such persistence holds immense power. Therefore, we should learn from this and push ourselves to the limit at every stage until we no longer can. In this fast-paced era, staying grounded will lead to remarkable works or achievements. My goal is to create my own music, a fusion of ethnic styles, and share it worldwide, so that people can hear and see this unique cultural palette," he said.
"Ne Zha 2" has shattered numerous box office records since it was released on the Chinese mainland during the Chinese New Year and on Tuesday dethroned Disney's 2024 picture "Inside Out 2" to become the highest-grossing animated movie of all time.
Mongolian throat singing steals show in Ne Zha 2's authentic soundtrack
The latest artificial intelligence breakthroughs are dominating the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, with a number of firms showcasing how AI can be deployed to play a critical role in healthcare and even in the once futuristic notion of creating digital clones.
The four-day show, considered the world's premier annual technology event, is set to conclude Friday after attracting over 4,500 exhibitors from more than 155 countries and regions, according to organizers.
While many attendees are sampling the latest tech devices and gadgets on display, the event is also showcasing the big and bold ideas of a number of companies who are seeking to harness AI's potential for even greater causes.
A number of companies and entrepreneurs are using AI-powered software in the hope of improving healthcare and even extending our lives. One of the standout examples is 'Predictive AI', a Korean-founded medical startup focused on disease prevention through advanced genetic analysis.
Predictive AI is building digital twins of the human genome, which sees virtual replicas of some 20,000 genes and three billion DNA sequences. These are designed to predict diseases, flag risky prescriptions and even act as a patient's proxy during consultations.
Co-founded by twin brothers Sijung and Sajung Yun, both academics at Johns Hopkins University, their advanced software, named 'Dr. Twin', uses a supervising AI agent to coordinate multiple specialized systems to assess people's health.
By simply sending them a fingernail clipping, their company can extract a client's DNA and combine it with their health history. The software then makes predictions on more than 20,000 diseases - including everything from cancer to Alzheimer's - and then allows users to ask questions about their results.
"[We had to] be proactive for it. And then we provide the customized nutrition for it. We provide the customized recommendation for your pharmacogenomics, which is which drug you better take. So that's kind of the actionable things that you can do after these testing. For those who are afraid of [receiving] a result, the results can go to the their primary physician," said Sijung Yun.
His twin Sajung explained the predictive philosophy which lies behind the technology.
"The reason we are predictive is that when you want to prevent everything, you are not preventing anything. So you need to predict the high risk, and you need to watch out for those symptoms and then catch it early. With the genetic profiling and the AI doctor's algorithm we developed, we are enabling to do so," he said.
Beyond healthcare, AI is being showcased in many other novel and sometimes surprising ways, including a potentially groundbreaking concept which uses archived video and biographical information of users to then create and render themselves into AI clones.
Dubbed 'MyPersonas' and developed by software company IgniteTech, the platform generates an AI duplicate which draws specifically on the knowledge and experience of its human counterpart.
"The 'MyPersona' is grounded in your knowledge, and we've gone to great lengths with patent-pending technology to make certain that it doesn't attempt to answer something that you don't know," said Eric Vaughan, CEO of IgniteTech.
The AI clones are expected to be deployed in a wide range of scenarios — from customer service operations and education to the even more personal endeavor of preserving family histories, with memories and stories able to 'live on' in a virtual world for generations to come.
"I can't think of where it can't be used. It could be used by a one-man insurance company to answer questions about policies. It could be used by a teacher at a school about homework assignments. Could you show grandma and grandpa to future generations live and then actually have them interact and ask questions and share memories and tell stories in a way that makes them come alive?" said Vaughan.
With innovations like these on display, CES 2026 highlights how AI is not only reshaping technology — but redefining how humans understand health, memory, and legacy in both the physical and virtual worlds.
Futuristic potential of AI applications highlighted at top tech show in Las Vegas
