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March 30 Chinese Music Part 8: 1999-Y2KJolin Cai
Chinese Name: 蔡依林
Mandarin Name: Cai Yi Lin
(b. 1980 in Taibei, Taiwan)
Jolin Cai can probably be considered the most popular female pop star in China at the moment. Though she started out doing R&B, she has shifted to dance music and is currently one of the few big Chinese pop stars doing this genre of music. As such, she is being called the Kylie Minogue of Asia. Getting to the top was not so straightforward, however, and involved changing record companies a couple of times. In recent years she has won a host of "Best / Most Popular Female Singer" awards. Her most successful album to date was 2006's Dancing Diva with sales of over 2 million copies in Asia.
Jolin is said to have been shy as a child and a mathematical scholar. She excelled in studying English and majored in English Literature at the famous Taiwanese Fu Zhen Catholic University. She loved to sing and dreamed of releasing an album of English songs but was told that such a venture would be unprofitable. When Jolin was 18, she participated in an MTV singing competition and won top honours. She signed on with Universal Music and released her first album, Jolin 1019, and the single, "Living with the World" in 1999. She was an instant success and her album sold 400,000 copies in Asia. Her second album did even better. But sales of her third and fourth albums did poorly which prompted her to change record companies. She signed on with Sony and shifted to a more dance-oriented style. It worked: her next three albums, Magic, Castle, and J-Game sold over a million copies apiece in Asia. Magic remained on top of the Taiwan album charts for three months. Castle included a Chinese cover ("Love, Love, Love") of the Nu Virgos song "Stop, Stop, Stop". In 2005, Jolin released her seventh album J-Game. Not only did it become the longest running album on the Taiwanese album charts that year, but it sold over a million copies in just a little over a month.
In 2006, it was announced that Jolin would be leaving Sony. She joined EMI Capitol. During the changeover, she worked on perfecting her dancing skills. Her first release with EMI Capitol was Dancing Diva. It became her biggest album, selling over 2 million copies in Asia. In 2007, she cleaned up at most of the awards ceremonies in Asia. Later that year, she released Agent J.
Listen to Jolin Cai's "Say 'Love You'" (说爱你)
"The Sun Won't Set" (日不落)
Elva Xiao
Chinese Name: 萧亚轩
Mandarin Name: Xiao Ya Xuan
(b. 1979 in Taibei, Taiwan)
This R&B diva attended high school for a couple of years in Vancouver. While there she entered a singing competition. She was a member of the female trio Phenomenon, but when the other two members dropped out, she began a solo career. She signed onto Virgin Records and released her debut solo album in 1999. It sold over a million copies in Asia. She released six more albums. In 2005, she got a new contract with Warner Music. Warner music was undergoing difficulties at this time, however, resulting in the resignation of many executives. It affected other artists, like Stefanie Sun and Sherry Zhang who saw little promotion that year. Elva’s first album with Warner was delayed for well over a year. Angry fans spammed the company’s online forums causing their website to crash for a week.
Listen to Elva Xiao’s "Love's Main Hit Song" (爱的主打歌)
"Most Well-Informed Stranger" (最熟悉的陌生人)
"Suddenly Think of You" (突然想起你)
Joey Yung
Chinese Name: 容祖儿
Cantonese Name: Yung Jo Yee
Mandarin Name: Rong Zu Er
(b. 1980 in Hong Kong)
Joey is currently one of the hottest Cantonese singers in the world. She won the Jade Solid Gold Award for Most Popular Female Singer every year from 2003 to 2006. The same age as Taiwan's Jolin Cai, who's won a host of "Most Popular Mandarin Female Singer" awards, Joey can be regarded as Jolin's counterpart in Hong Kong.
Joey began entering singing contests from the age of 15. She had a rough ride with her first two record companies (local labels). The godfather of Cantopop, Roman Tam took her under his wing, providing her with singing lessons. She joined the Emperor Entertainment Group in 1998 and released her debut album in 1999. At 23 weeks, the album broke the record for consecutive weeks on the album charts in Hong Kong. It sold 130,000 copies in the city. In January 2000, Joey's apartment was set on fire. Her 2001 compilation album Love Joey was the best-selling album of the year in Hong Kong. After a couple more album releases that year, she released her first Mandarin album, Honestly.
In 2003, Joey came out with the song "My Pride" (Mandarin Version entitled "Angel Girl") which catapulted her to superstardom all across Asia. She was named "Canto-Pop Queen" of Hong Kong and was the second youngest to receive the title (after Anita Mui). She embarked on a world tour with dates in Canada, Australia, the U.S., Mainland China, Macau, and Malaysia. Sales of all of Joey's CDs surpassed the 5 million mark in 2004. This is significant for a Cantonese singer. In 2004, she earned an estimated 60 million Hong Kong dollars.
Listen to Joey Yung's 2003 mega-hit, "Angel Girl" (挥着翅膀的女孩)
"Weak Heart" (心淡)
Stefanie Sun
Chinese Name: 孙燕姿
Mandarin Name: Sun Yan Zi
(b. 1978 in Singapore)
After mental illness ended the career of their celebrated pop star, Mavis Xu, Singaporeans wondered if they would ever produce another. In Y2K, they did, and Stefanie Sun took the Chinese world by storm. She has, since then, sold over 10 million copies of her albums in Asia, a feat which only Faye Wang achieved before her. Prior to the recent Jolin phenomenon, Stefanie Sun was arguably the most popular Mandarin Female singer in Asia and is easily the most successful singer ever from Singapore.
After completing a degree in marketing, Sun was discovered by her own music teacher and released her first (self-titled) album. Its single, "Cloudy Day", an adaptation of a traditional Taiwanese folk song, turned her into an overnight sensation. Sun's first several albums sold over a million copies in Asia each. Her album To Be Continued included the song "Magic" wherein she used Indian-style music.
Listen to "Cloudy Day" (天黑黑)
"Magic" (神奇)
"Green Light" (绿光)
Jay Zhou
Chinese Name: 周杰伦
Mandarin Name: Zhou Jie Lun
(b.1979 in Taibei, Taiwan)
Since his debut in Y2K, Jay Zhou has been the biggest pop star in China. His talent was discovered in 1998 and he spent two years composing songs for other singers. Though he was trained in classical music, he Americanized Chinese pop music with his hip-hop and R&B style which has made him popular especially among the younger Chinese. What also set him apart from other Chinese singers was his writing songs about social issues like domestic violence and war. He released his first self-titled album in 2000 and, since then, one per year. Each album has sold a few million copies. Of his more recent releases, his biggest-selling album, which includes his mega-hit "Excuse", has been Common Jasmine Orange with sales of 3.5 million. One reason for the big album sales is that he gained popularity in non-Chinese Asian countries, like Japan, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
Like Valen Xu, Jay took piano lessons from 4 years of age. He also learned to play the cello. He liked to impersonate actors and perform magic tricks. His parents divorced when he was 14 which made him reclusive. At this time he began to write music. He graduated from high school with grades inadequate to enter university so he prepared for military service (compulsory for all Taiwanese 18 year old men). He was saved from this by the diagnosis of a hereditary spinal inflammatory disease. He became a waiter. His friend entered the two of them in a talent show. Zhou accompanied his friend's singing by playing the piano. The judges described the singing as "lousy" but the host was impressed with the music score which Zhou had composed. Jay was then hired as a composer. He was judged to be too shy and unattractive to become a singer. When the music studio was sold to another music company, the new manager asked Jay to release his own album. He did and became a success story.
Jay Zhou is one of the few artists who maintains creative control over his productions. He writes and produces most of his own albums. He also directs most of his own music videos. He is now enjoying a burgeoning acting career as well.
Listen to Jay Zhou's mega-hit, the gorgeous ballad "Excuse" (借口)
"Hair Like Snow" (发如雪)
"Seven Inner Fragrances" (七里香)
"East Wind Burst" (东风破)
March 27 Chinese Music Part 7: The Late 90sIf the late 1980s can be considered the golden age of Cantonese Pop, then it was the late 1990s that was the golden age of Mandarin Pop. Artists that emerged in the mid-90s hit their stride a few years later, scores of new artists arose, and the release of Mandarin language albums became standard procedure for Hong Kong singers. Huge karaoke venues, fancier than five-star hotels, were constructed all over China at a feverish pace. At the touch of a button, patrons, seated on leather sofas, could call up a song from the mammoth database and sing to their heart's content, over a state-of-the art sound system, while the music video played on a large flat-screen TV. And singers whose songs could be called up included…
Sherry ("A-Mei") Zhang
Chinese Name: 张惠妹
Mandarin Name: Zhang Hui Mei
(b. 1972 in Taiwan)
Sherry Zhang, an aboriginal Taiwanese, was one of nine children born to a lower class family in the mountains of eastern Taiwan. Her father, while seriously ill, encouraged her to enter a singing contest. She came out on top and joined her cousin's band which traveled north and began playing in Taibei pubs. She was invited to sing the theme song of a TV show which led to a recording contract. She released her first album—Sisters—at the end of 1996. Only two weeks after release it hit the radio airwaves topping the charts where it remained for nine weeks. It became one of the few albums ever to exceed sales of a million copies on the island of Taiwan. This feat made Sherry Zhang (a.k.a. A-Mei) one of the most significant overnight sensations in the history of Chinese pop music. Her second album did even better. With sales of 1.38 million copies in Taiwan, it became that island's second biggest-selling album ever (after Valen Xu's Do the Clouds Know?). In 1998, Billboard Magazine named her the most popular singer in Asia. The American News Network CNN produced a documentary on her which was broadcast worldwide. Riding on the waves of mega-success, Sherry Zhang embarked on Asian concert tours, and drew a crowd of 80,000 in Shanghai.
By Y2K, Sherry Zhang had sold over 8 million copies of her recordings. She became the first and only Taiwanese singer to make the cover of Newsweek magazine. She was also named as one of the 20 Asian Heroes in a special issue of Time Magazine. She held a concert in the United States in 2002 and continued releasing albums at the rate of one a year.
Sherry Zhang's hit songs include "May I Hold You?", "Cutting Love", "Can't Cry", and "Listening to the Sea".
Listen to "Listen to the Sea" (听海)
"May I Hold You?" (我可以抱你吗)
"I Don't Care" (我无所谓)
Gigi Leung
Chinese Name: 梁咏琪
Cantonese Name: Leung Wing Kei
Mandarin Name: Liang Yong Qi
(b. 1976 in Hong Kong)
This tall beauty started out during her school days as a part-time model. She then joined the film industry. She surprised everyone by releasing an album (Cantonese) in late 1996 which was well-received. But, when she released her second album (Mandarin), Short Hair, its title-track did two things: 1. It made her a household name overnight. 2. Young women all across China cut their hair short. If fact, though a Hong Konger, in the early years of her musical career, it was her Mandarin songs that outshone her Cantonese. The success of Mandarin hits like the aforementioned as well as "Washing My Face", "Sometimes", and "Scaredy-Cat" made critics call her the fastest rising Hong Kong pop star. Her Mandarin song "Vow", a duet with Leo Ku, won a Song of the Year award. It remains one of the most popular songs played at Chinese weddings.
What made Ms. Leung more credible musically was the fact that she was one of the few singers who could also play music—and not just the piano but the guitar and drums as well. This integrity was subsequently sealed with a card she had held up her sleeve for four years: she composed her own song. While most Chinese singers could not compose their own music, Gigi wrote her own song, a song that nabbed MTV China's "Song of the Year by a Hong Kong Artist" award in 2001. And that song was "Firework". She began composing songs for other singers as well, including Sammi Cheng and Hacken Lee. In the last ten years, Leung has come out with over 20 original studio albums.
Gigi is a well-established actress as well. She is one of the few Hong Kongers privileged to star opposite Jet Li in a film. In 2003, she starred in Warner Bros. first-ever Chinese movie, Turn Left, Turn Right. She is also known as Hong Kong ambassador for both UNICEF and the World Wildlife Fund for Nature. This work has brought her to visit places seldom graced by Chinese celebrities, like Africa. Gigi has one of the most photographed faces in all of Asia, appearing in countless ads, billboards, and a myriad magazine covers.
More on Gigi:
Listen to Gigi Leung's "Firework" (花火), a song she composed herself The song that made her famous: "Short Hair" (短发)
"He's Caught My Fancy" (中意他)
Eason Chan
Chinese Name: 陈奕迅
Cantonese Name: Chan Yik Shun
Mandarin Name: Chen Yi Xun
(b. 1974 in Hong Kong)
Like Gigi, Eason Chan is also a musician. He can play guitar, piano, and the violin. He is also a composer. He was raised in London, U.K. from the age of 12 where he later studied architecture at Kingston University. He returned to Hong Kong in 1995 to take part in the New Talent Singing Contest and won first place. He was immediately signed to a major record label, thus ending his future career as an architect. Two years later, he released his first album, Happy Days. Eason's 2005 album U87 was recommended by Time Magazine as one of the five best Asian albums worth buying. It was the best-selling album that year in Hong Kong.
Listen to "Your Knapsack" (你的背包)
"Decade" (十年)
David Tao
Chinese Name: 陶喆
Mandarin Name: Tao Zhe
(b. 1969 in Hong Kong)
While so-called R&B was a popular genre of music in the United States, few Chinese singers ventured into its territory. David Tao is credited with popularizing this musical genre in the Mandarin Pop industry.
The life of Mr. Tao is an interesting one. His parents (who apparently eloped to get married) were both famous entertainers in Taiwan—his mother for Chinese opera singing and his father (originally from Shanghai) for acting, singing, and composing. David spent his early years in Hong Kong but lived in Taiwan from kindergarten to junior high school. His family relocated to the U.S. where his father worked as an animator for Walt Disney. Later, David's parents returned to Taiwan where his father began a singing career. David was left behind in the States to fend for himself. His various jobs included, believe it or not, a stint as a policeman with the Los Angeles Police Department. He completed a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. He then became a salesman. A Taiwanese producer offered him a job when he found out who his parents were, which brought David Tao back to Taiwan. He composed and produced songs for various singers before releasing his own self-titled album in 1997.
(On a personal note, while Carolyn and I were at Pudong airport one time, a short man wearing a baseball cap and a gray backpack walked quickly past us. Carolyn nonchalantly commented, "Oh, there goes David Tao". It really was him; everyone in the airport was talking about seeing him.)
Listen to "Beach" (沙滩)
March 24 Chinese Music Part 6: The Mid-90sWhile Cantonese pop was struggling to keep afloat despite growing waves of commercialism, Mandarin pop began to take off. The success of Jacky Cheung's Mandarin album Goodbye Kiss convinced many Hong Kong stars that, by releasing Mandarin language albums, they could open themselves up to a much larger market. They began brushing up on their Mandarin. They were to discover later on, however, that, even if the music and their singing were both first-rate, Taiwanese and, more especially, Mainland Chinese were not sympathetic to poor pronunciation of Mandarin. A second point was in relation to the passing of Teresa Deng (1995). She was such a huge star that this may have actually hindered other Mandarin pop stars from arising. They knew before they even tried that they could not compete with her. When she passed away, though tragic to the Taiwanese, it provided an opportunity for other Taiwan singers to arise. And this they began to do. Another exciting turn was that American Chinese pop stars began to emerge and Asian-based stars began to perform songs in English and break out into the western market.
CoCo Lee
Chinese Name: 李玟
Cantonese Name: Lee Wen
Mandarin Name: Li Wen
(b. 1975 in Hong Kong)
Although CoCo was born in Hong Kong, she grew up in San Francisco from age 10. She, her mom, and two elder sisters were all gifted singers. CoCo's mother, a doctor, expressed her wish that her three daughters pursue practical careers, but CoCo had decided from a young age that she would take on singing professionally.
She began entering local singing competitions and usually won. Lee's friend worked at a restaurant and began playing a tape of Lee's karaoke singing there. Patrons asked to purchase copies of the tape. In 1991, she won the Miss Chinese-America beauty pageant. After CoCo graduated from high school, she took a vacation to Hong Kong and, just for fun, entered the New Talent Singing Contest at which most Hong Kong stars got their early breaks into the industry. She nabbed second place. The next day a local record company asked her to sign a deal.
After releasing a few albums in 1994, she CoCo signed a contract with major label Sony Music Taiwan a year later. She began winning many awards. In 1998, she won MTV Asia's awards for Best Album Di Da Di and Best Music Video. She performed a concert to the second largest audience in Taiwan's history—30,000 people (only Michael Jackson drew a larger crowd).
She released her first U.S. album Just No Other Way in 2000. She sang the English theme song for the hit movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ("A Love Before Time") which she performed live to rave reviews at the 2001 Academy Awards. Her song "Before I Fall In Love" was included in the soundtrack of the movie Runaway Bride.
Despite all her efforts, CoCo has yet to really crack the U.S. market with a big hit single. Her English albums have sold only modestly and radio stations have not given much airplay to her songs. This is most likely due to notorious Western racism that has hitherto allowed only people of European and African descent to become big stars and has ignored Asians.
Listen to CoCo's English song: "Before I Fall in Love"
Listen to CoCo's Chinese song: "Love Is So Real" (爱是那么真)
Alexander Wang
Chinese Name: 王力宏
Mandarin Name: Wang Li Hong
(b. 1976 in Rochester, New York, USA)
Perhaps CoCo Lee's male counterpart would be Alex Wang. Born a year after CoCo, releasing his first album a year after her, and growing up on the east coast as opposed to the west coast of the United States, this singer-songwriter has achieved big success throughout Southeast Asia including non-Chinese-speaking nations. Growing up entirely in the U.S., Wang did not begin learning Chinese until he was 18 but achieved fluency in both speaking and writing.
Wang studied Music and Asian Studies in college. In 1995, he traveled to Taiwan to visit his grandparents and became actively involved in the music business, in all its aspects, from composition to production, music arrangement, lyric writing, and even directing his own music videos. He plays over ten musical instruments including piano, drums, guitar, bass, violin, vibraphone, and the erhu. He continued his studies in the U.S. while working in the music business and released his first album in 1995. But his breakthrough came after his graduation with the release of his fifth album Revolution in 1998. He and it won a host of awards. He was just 22 years old. When Wang released his eighth album, he scaled to the heights of his career. The title-track of the album, The One and Only, became his signature song. It won him 7 different prestigious awards and remained the number one cell phone ringtone download for over a year.
Wang's ninth album Unbelievable sold over 1.3 million copies in Asia. Its song "You're Not Here" was number one on several music charts where it remained for over 10 weeks. At the end of 2004, Wang released his tenth album, Shangri-La, into which he incorporated Chinese tribal sounds from Tibet and Mongolia alongside the hip hop style of the album. His eleventh album, Heroes of Earth, broke a record, selling more than a million copies only ten days after initial release. Embarking on a concert tour, he impressively sold out the 80,000 seat Shanghai Arena. Last year, Wang released the eco-friendly CD, Change Me. He also starred in Ang Lee's big film, "Lust, Caution".
Listen to Alexander Wang's Signature Song, "The One And Only" (唯一)
"Life of the Heart" (心中的日月)
Rene Liu
Chinese Name: 刘若英
Mandarin Name: Liu Ruo Ying
(b. 1970 in Taibei, Taiwan)
After high school graduation in Taibei, Taiwan, Ms. Liu studied classical music at a university in the United States. After her degree, she returned to Taiwan and was recruited by a local record label. She didn't begin singing herself but provided assistance to other singers. In 1995, Rene released her first Chinese album and began acting as well. Her acting career took off much more swiftly than her singing. She was given the lead role in the Chinese movie "Xiao Yu", later winning the Best Actress award at the Asia Pacific Movie Festival in 1995. After starring in a number of movies and TV series, and winning many awards, Liu's massive singing breakthrough finally arrived in 1998, via her fourth album Love You More and More. Its follow-up, Waiting For You, skyrocketed Rene to superstardom, propelled by the single "Hou Lai" or "Afterwards". This song has become one of the biggest Chinese songs in history, an eternal favourite at karaoke venues.
Listen to one of the biggest Chinese songs of all-time, Rene Liu's "Afterwards" (后来)
"Crazy About Love" (为爱痴狂)
Valen Xu
Chinese Name: 许茹芸
Mandarin Name: Xu Ru Yun
(b. 1974 in Taibei, Taiwan)
Valen is a classically trained pianist. She began playing when she was four. Discovered while playing and singing at a restaurant in Taibei, she was offered a record contract before she turned 19. She released her first album in 1994. Though it met with critical acclaim, sales were low. Her second album, Sea of Tears sold six times that number. But it was her third album, Do the Clouds Know? that reached the clouds with 2.2 million copies sold in Taiwan. Though loved from start to finish, it was really the song "One-Role Drama" that became one of the most cherished Mandarin Pop songs in history. Ms. Xu's fourth album didn't even do half as well in Taiwan, but, more significantly, it sold 3 million copies in the rest of Asia, cementing her into the levels of popularity enjoyed but only a few Asian stars, like Faye Wang.
In 1999, Valen Xu performed a duet with none other than Enrique Iglesias, called "You're My No. 1". Considered one of the most accomplished singer / songwriters in Asia, Ms. Xu is known for her wispy, strong, and crystal clear voice. She is also known for the professionalism instilled into her concerts where she gives CD-quality rather than campy performances.
In 1999, Valen traveled to Rwanda, Africa with the World Health Organization to do charity work.
Listen to the incredibly beautiful "One-Role Drama" (独角戏)
"Have Your Paradise" (有你的天堂)
Kelly Chen
Chinese Name: 陈慧琳
Cantonese Name: Chen Wai Lam
Mandarin Name: Chen Hui Lin
(b. 1972 in Hong Kong)
Ms. Chen has lived in many places. She attended primary school in Hong Kong, high school in Japan, and college in New York, when she graduated in graphic design. After returning to Hong Kong, her talent caught the attention of an agent and she was offered a role in the film Whatever Will Be Will Be in 1995. She was also invited as feature singer for the film's soundtrack. Later that year, Kelly released her first album (Cantonese), Dedicated Lover. The following year, she came out with her first Mandarin album, I Don't Think So. Being fluent in Japanese, she also released some Japanese songs. Ms. Chen has also embarked on a number of world tours which included performances in Australia, Canada, Singapore, Mainland China, and the United States.
In more recent years, Kelly's song "Hope" topped the charts on numerous radio stations across China and became one of the most popular ringtone downloads for cell phones. As far as her acting is concerned, she is probably best known for her role of Dr. Lee Sum Yee in the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs. Besides her music and acting, Kelly Chen has done a huge amount of charity work.
Listen to "Hope" (希望)
"Jovial Sweetheart" (快乐情人) March 22 Chinese Music Part 5: The Early 1990sIt's only fair to profile four female Chinese pop stars after introducing the Four Kings of Cantopop. These aren't necessarily the four biggest-selling female artists of the early 90s as it would be futile to attempt to hunt down statistics, and everyone has their own opinions about who is the most famous from that time. But these four are all well-known among Hong Kongers, Mainland Chinese, and Taiwanese.
Faye Wang
Chinese Name: 王菲
Mandarin Name: Wang Fei
(b. 1969 in Beijing)
Faye Wang is easily the biggest pop star ever to emerge from Mainland China. Born in Beijing, she moved to Hong Kong when she was a teenager and started singing lessons, learning and mastering the Cantonese dialect. Early-on she went by the English name of Shirley and released three albums under this name. Frustrated with her lack of commercial success, she took a trip to New York. When she returned she became a superstar overnight when she did a cover of Japanese singer Miyuki Nakajima's "Fragile Woman" in 1992. Her career snowballed from there. Faye Wang has been called the Bjork of Asia, but this probably has more to do with her look than her music, which is arguably more in the style of Tori Amos. Faye has covered songs from the latter artist (her "Cold War"-冷戰 was a cover of Amos' "Silent All These Years") as well as The Cranberries ("Dreams"). Additionally, she collaborated with The Cocteau Twins. In 1996, she switched from performing Cantonese songs to releasing albums almost exclusively in Mandarin. Her multitude of hits include "No Regrets", "I'm Willing", "Snow Lotus", "On the Brink of Love and Pain", and "Ingratiate Oneself". Faye was the first Chinese singer to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine. She's earned a spot in the Guiness Book of World Records as the best-selling Cantopop female. By the year 2000, she had sold a staggering 9.7 million copies of her 20 albums. She starred in the movie Chungking Express.
Listen to the song that made her an overnight success: "Fragile Woman" (容易受伤的女人)
Sammi Cheng
Chinese Name: 郑秀文
Mandarin Name: Zheng Xiu Wen
Cantonese Name: Cheng Sau Man
(b. 1972 in Hong Kong)
With 15 years of music under her belt, this holder of British nationality is hugely popular in Hong Kong and less so in Mainland China probably because her Mandarin songs haven't been as abundant and as well-received as her Cantonese hits. Still, I have met many people in Shanghai who hold Sammi as their favourite singer. She is one artist highly respected as both an actress and a singer. She is one of the most highly paid actresses in Hong Kong and is known as the big sister of the city's recording industry. She has performed a duet with the U.S. R&B band All 4 One. Some of her most popular songs include: "Enraptured", "Crying Game", "Eternal Beauty", and "Can't Endure the Sensation".
Listen to "Eternal Beauty" (终身美丽)
Vivian Lai
Chinese Name: 黎瑞恩
Cantonese Name: Lai Sui Yan
Mandarin Name: Li Rui En
(b. 1973 in Hong Kong)
Though her career was short-lived, Ms. Lai had some of the biggest hits in China in the early 90s. Her extremely catchy song "Everyone Has a Dream", released in 1993, was arguably the first mega-hit in karaoke bars. Coincidentally, it was her singing karaoke that got her noticed before being asked to sign a record deal. She was one of the few beauties who was also a good singer. Then she announced her engagement and, to the dismay of fans, dropped out of the music business. In more recent years she has starred in some Singaporean TV series.
Listen to "Everyone Has a Dream" (一人有一个梦想)
"Rainy Season Is Over" (雨季不再来)
Karen Mok
Chinese Name: 莫文蔚
Cantonese Name: Mok Man Wei
Mandarin Name: Mo Wen Wei
(b. 1970 in Hong Kong)
The exotic Karen Mok has Chinese, Welsh, Persian, and German ancestries. Having a fondness for Italian culture, she studied Italian literature in Europe before returning to Hong Kong to launch her singing career in 1993 with the songs "I Say" and "Love Yourself". She has starred in a number of films. Karen Mok's most famous song is a duet she sings with Zhang Hong Liang called "Hiroshima, My Love". Solo hits include "He Doesn't Love Me", "Radio Ballad", and "Midsummer Fruitage".
Listen to "Midsummer Fruitage" (盛夏的果实)
March 21 Chinese Music Part 4: The 4 KingsIn order to salvage the Cantonese pop scene from certain doom, the market ploy was adopted of appointing "Four Heavenly Kings" of Cantopop. In 1991, the four most renowned male singers in Hong Kong were identified and given the title. Although the actual vocal abilities of a couple of them can be called into question, the marketing scheme worked, and many fans began to choose their personal favourite and remain loyal to his camp. The Four Kings were:
The Singing Pop Star: Jacky Cheung
The Acting Pop Star: Andy Lau
The Dancing Pop Star: Aaron Kwok
The Teen Idol Pop Star: Leon Lai
It was Jacky Cheung, already an established singer by this time, who eventually came to be regarded as the second biggest Chinese singer of all time (after Teresa Deng).
Jacky Cheung
Chinese Name: 张学友
Cantonese Name: Cheung Hok Yau
Mandarin Name: Zhang Xue You
(b. 1961 in Hong Kong)
Jacky Cheung started his career after winning a singing contest in the mid-1980s. His two biggest hits are "Goodbye Kiss" and "Love You a Little More Each Day". The former was later covered in an English version by Danish pop band Michael Learns to Rock. Other hits include "Blessing" and "Feels Like a Knife Piercing the Heart". Cheung has released 62 albums over the years. His Mandarin album Goodbye Kiss sold a record-breaking 5 million units in 1993 alone, a record that remains unbroken to this day. The success of the album prompted many Hong Kong singers to begin releasing Mandarin albums, realizing that, in doing so, they could reach a much larger market.
Listen to "Goodbye Kiss" (吻别)
"Love You a Little More Each Day" (每天爱你多一些)
"Blessing" (祝福)
Andy Lau
Chinese Name: 刘德华
Cantonese Name: Lau Tak Wah
Mandarin Name: Liu De Hua
(b. 1961 in Hong Kong)
Lau began his career as an actor, becoming a singer later on. He has starred in over a hundred movies, including House of Flying Daggers, Running Out of Time, and Infernal Affairs, which Hollywood ripped-off as The Departed. His best-known songs include "May I?", certified 3XPlatinum and "Chinese People". He is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records as recipient of the most Canto-pop awards, which is understandable having put out over 100 albums and movies.
Listen to "Chinese People" (中国人)
Leon Lai
Chinese Name: 黎明
Cantonese Name: Lai Ming
Mandarin Name: Li Ming
(b. 1966 in Beijing, China)
Leon Lai, whose name literally means "dawn", was one of the first pop stars originally from Mainland China. He was born in Beijing and his parents divorced when he was four. With his Malaysian father, he migrated to Hong Kong during the Cultural Revolution. When he was fifteen, he studied in England for two years. When he returned to Hong Kong, he became a salesman for a cell phone company. After doing well in a singing contest, Capitol Records offered him a contract, but they delayed releasing an album from him for four years. As a result, he jumped ship to Polygram (now known as Universal Music). He released his first album Leon, but did not attain superstardom until his second release, Meeting in the Rain. After several years with Universal, he called it quits and signed on with Sony Music in 1998.
Listen to Leon Lai's "Meeting in the Rain" (相逢在雨中)
Aaron Kwok
Chinese Name: 郭富城
Cantonese Name: Kwok Fu Shing
Mandarin Name: Guo Fu Cheng
(b. 1965. in Hong Kong)
After graduating from high school, Kwok worked for a jewellery company in the tradition of his family; however, in 1984, he took up dancing and was immediately recognized. He performed in a number of music videos and variety shows. He was then invited to play parts in various TV dramas. It was inevitable that he be invited to sing and landed his first hit "Loving You Forever". Kwok has been the recipient of over a hundred music awards and has held over 200 concerts around the world. With his massive earnings, he has collected a number of sports cars.
Listen to Aaron Kwok's "Should I Go Away Quietly?" (我是不是该安静的走开) March 18 Chinese Music Part 3: Turn of the Decade (80s-90s)Record companies in Hong Kong, who'd hit gold mines in the late-1980s, became greedy. And this avarice fed the dark spirit of commercialism and exploitation. They no longer cared about the quality of the music; rather, they focused on marketing and pressuring artists to churn out as many albums as they could within limited time-frames. The flame of creativity was smothered. Logically-speaking, if a song was successful, making a similar style song should be equally successful. So the music began to sound the same. An array of one-hit wonders and mediocre songs dominated the airwaves.
These problems may have been partially responsible for the decisions to retire from the music industry, announced at the turn of the decade by such stars as Priscilla Chan and Leslie Cheung. One of the few artists, who appeared at this time, to garner respect from the populace was Sandy Lam. Her success was not superficial: born out of true talent rather than manufactured and glamourized by the music industry.
Sandy Lam
Chinese Name: 林忆莲
Cantonese Name: Lam Yik Lin
Mandarin Name: Lin Yi Lian
(b. 1966 in Hong Kong)
One reason for Sandy's success was her great singing voice; moreover, her command of Mandarin, Cantonese, and even English were impeccable. Unlike other artists who stuck to success formulae, she daringly experimented with different genres of music and demonstrated to other singers that the key to remaining popular is creativity.
This incredibly talented singer has worked with Britain's Robbie Williams, and sings a Chinese version of his song "Better Man". She is highly respected as the classiest and most professional of all Hong Kong singers. Hits include "Ardor", "Cry", "Scar", and "In Love With Someone Who Doesn't Come Home". In more recent years she blew everyone away with her gorgeous love song "At Least I Still Have You". This song was so huge that it remained on the KTV charts for a phenomenal eight months!
Listen to the powerful love song "At Least I Still Have You" (至少还有你)
"In Love with Someone Who Doesn't Come Home" (爱上一个不回家的人)
"Scar" (伤痕)
Beyond
Another pop phenomenon that saved the day was Beyond. Beyond are often referred to as the Chinese Beatles. Finally, an actual band appeared who played their own instruments and wrote their own songs.
The Chinese Fab Four remain extremely popular today and everyone knows their songs. They started out in 1983 playing music simply as a hobby. When they realized they couldn't earn a living, they decided to go professional. Success ensued and before they knew it they were headlining concerts. In 1989, they won the Song of the Year Award in Hong Kong for what is now considered their biggest hit, "Truly Love You". Great tragedy came, however. While appearing at a live game show in Japan in 1993, their lead singer and songwriter, Wong Kai Kui, fell off the stage and died of his injuries.
Listen to Beyond's biggest hit, 1989's "Truly Love You" (真的爱你)
"Like You" (喜欢你)
"Glory Days" (光辉岁月)
Jeff Zhang
Chinese Name: 张信哲
Mandarin Name: Zhang Xin Zhe
(b. 1967 in Taiwan)
Despite Teresa Deng Li Jun's dominance of the airwaves as far as Mandarin Pop was concerned, a male Taiwanese counterpart emerged in 1989. His name: Jeff Zhang. Coincidentally, he was born in the same region of Taiwan as was Teresa. While in college, Jeff won a singing competition and began releasing a string of highly successful albums filled with love ballads.
"Love Like the Tides" (爱如潮水)
"Tolerance" (宽容)
"Overshoot" (过火) March 15 Chinese Music Part 2: The Elegant 80sWhile the 1970s saw the experimentations and beginnings of Chinese pop music, it was the 1980s when things really got going. The music began to develop and mature, along with new singers who became popular not just in Hong Kong but all over the Chinese-speaking world.
Stars who emerged in the early Eighties were Francis Yip with her songs "Shanghai Beach", "The Legend of Mulan", and "Heroine"; heartthrob Danny Chan ("I Just Love You" and "Take Care of Yourself"); and Paula Tsui ("Great Wall" and "Flowing in the Natural Direction").
In the mid-1980s, Cui Jian appeared as the first Chinese rock star from Mainland China. He is still admired today.
Songs from the early Eighties tended merely to echo the style of 1970s Chinese pop, which was often easy-listening vocal music. It was the latter half of the Eighties when distinctive styles of a fresh, catchy modern sound cropped up. The late Eighties, at least for Cantonese pop, are regarded as the musical Golden Age.
The biggest superstars of this "Golden Age" are as follows:
(To hear the songs, <CTRL>-left click the links.)
Alan Tam
Chinese Name: 谭咏麟
Cantonese Name: Tam Wing Lun
Mandarin Name: Tan Yong Lin
(b. 1952 in Hong Kong)
Mr. Tam, started out as member of the 1970s band Wynners. His objection to the band's merely singing British and American pop songs precipitated his departure. As a solo artist, in the 1980s, he was more productive in creating Chinese pop songs, especially ballads. Hits included "A Beauty on Fire", "Love (Is Always Mesmerizing)", "Unable to Say Goodbye", "Flower in the Water", "Friend", "Autumn Love", and "The Best Love of My Life". At the beginning of his career, Tam won a number of awards in both acting and singing. He would have won more awards had he not controversially decided to refuse all singing and acting awards from 1988 onwards. Tam is known for his clean lyrics and lifestyle. For lucky streaks at celebrity game shows, he earned the nickname Lucky. He started a trend among Hong Kong stars, to maintain eternal youthfulness, declaring every year that he is turning 25.
"Flower in the Water" (水中花)
"The Best Love of My Life" (一生中最爱)
"Unable to Say Goodbye" (讲不出再见)
Leslie Cheung
Chinese Name: 张国荣
Cantonese Name: Cheung Kwok Wing
Mandarin Name: Zhang Guo Rong
(1956-2003, born in Hong Kong)
Just when the Chinese were about to crown Alan Tam as their king of pop superstardom, another male singer popped up to steal the title from right under his nose. And that singer was Leslie Cheung. Like western fans who divided themselves into camps of support for either The Beatles or Rolling Stones in the 1960s, Chinese fans in the 80s tended to side with either Alan or Leslie. Arguments ensued over who was the better singer. Leslie distinguished himself by dancing on stage, a first for Chinese singers. He was to be dubbed "The Elvis of Hong Kong". He starred in some big movies including John Woo's A Better Tomorrow and Farewell My Concubine. He announced his retirement from the music industry in 1989 but made a big comeback in 1997 embarking on a world tour. He achieved a net worth of 40 million U.S. dollars.
Hits include "Monica", "Lady Ghost", "Deep Love", "Previous Love", "Silence Is Golden", "The Wind Still Blows", and "Stand Up".
I arrived in China at the beginning of March 2003. A month later on April Fools Day there was a big commotion among my Chinese workmates. I tried to find out what was going on. It turned out some were saying that Leslie Cheung had killed himself. The others thought it was a sick April Fools joke. Apparently this is what was happening all over China. Everyone was shocked when they discovered that it was no joke, and tears began to well up.
Leslie Cheung flung himself out of a window in Hong Kong's Mandarin Oriental Hotel on 1 April 2003.
"Lady Ghost" (倩女幽魂)
"Deep Love" (侬本多情)
"Previous Love" (当年情)
Anita Mui
Chinese Name: 梅艳芳
Cantonese Name: Mui Yim Fong
Mandarin Name: Mei Yan Fang
(1963-2003 in Hong Kong)
Pop superstardom was certainly not restricted to men—enter Anita Mui. Her sultry stance and often provocative songs, like "Bad Girl", a cover of Sheena Easton's "Strut", earned her the nickname "Madonna of Hong Kong". Ms. Mui was undoubtedly the biggest Hong Kong female pop star in the 1980s. Other hits include "Debts of the Heart", "Love Also Uncertain", "A Woman's Heart", and "Intimate Lover". This longtime friend of Jackie Chan held a record-breaking 28 consecutive concerts from 1987 to 1988. She released 40 albums and starred in 35 films, including Rogue and Rumble in the Bronx. She lived a life of great suffering. Her sister died of cervical cancer. The press had a heyday over her heartbroken breakups after finding herself with the wrong man, and they circulated insinuations and rumors on various themes. Anita Mui died of cancer in 2003 at 40 years of age.
"Intimate Lover" (亲密爱人)
Sally Yeh
Chinese name: 叶倩文
Mandarin Name: Ye Qian Wen
Cantonese Name: Yip Sin Man
(b. 1961 in Taibei, Taiwan)
Sally was born in Taiwan but grew up in Canada. Being educated there, she had to learn Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese later on in order to launch her singing career. She released her first album, Spring Relief, in 1980 and her 30th original studio album in 2003. In 1996, Yeh married fellow Chinese pop star George Lam. She is the only Hong Kong singer to have received the Hong Kong Best Female Singer award four times. Her best-known acting role was starring in John Woo's acclaimed masterpiece, The Killer, in 1989, where she starred opposite Chow Yun Fat. Her best-known songs are 1991's "Being Nonchalant in Life", 1992's "Passing Through Life with Heartfelt Intentions", and my personal favourite 1987's "Good Luck".
"Being Nonchalant in Life" (潇洒走一回)
"Good Luck" (祝福)
Priscilla Chan
Chinese Name: 陈慧娴
Cantonese Name: Chan Wai Han
Mandarin Name: Chen Hui Xian
(b. 1965 in Hong Kong)
As far as the 80s women are concerned, Anita Mui remains the favourite of Hong Kongers while the sweet Priscilla Chan is the most popular in Mainland China. Ms. Chan released her first album when only 18 years old. She captivated the populace with her 1984 song "A Dying Promise." When her success peaked in 1989, her song "Always Your Friend" outsold heavyweights Leslie Cheung and Alan Tam. But she shocked everyone by announcing her retirement from the music industry to obtain a university degree in psychology in New York. Her last album before leaving for the States, Colours of Autumn, topped the charts selling half a million copies in Hong Kong. After her studies, she returned to Hong Kong and triumphantly released the smash hit "Remembering the Old Days" in 1995. Other hits from Priscilla include "Dancing Street", "Thousands of Songs", "Foolish Woman", "Please Come Home", and "The Lost Promise".
"Foolish Woman" (傻女)
"Thousands of Songs" (千千阕歌)
"Please Come Home" (归来吧)
March 13 Chinese Music Part 1: the 1970sFor an introduction to Chinese pop music, click the "Previous" button above or click here: INTRODUCTION
The 1970s saw the birth of Chinese pop music. Before the Sensational Seventies, most Chinese music consisted of traditional folk melodies, Chinese opera, and Shanghai nightclub jazz. Some sources credit Roman Tam with the birth of Chinese pop; other sources credit Sam Hui. Both of these singers, however, sang in Cantonese. Many of the early Chinese singers began by singing western pop hits. Then they would translate into or re-write the lyrics in Chinese and perform Chinese versions of the western hits. Finally, they started to compose original Chinese songs. Other early singers include George Lam, Paula Tsui, Adam Cheng, Liza Wang, Francis Yip, Teresa Cheung and the boy band Wynners.
The aforementioned Roman Tam is credited with being the first Chinese singer to hold concerts in western cities (The Royal Albert Hall in London in 1979, for example). His biggest hits were "Below The Lion Rock" and "Romantic Swordsman". Tam often performed duets with the songstress Jenny Tseng, like the song "Blood of Iron, Heart of Innocence". This pair popularized the duet and were known as the "dynamic duo" of Cantonese Pop music, commonly referred to as "Cantopop". Prior to their collaborative work, Macau-born Jenny Tseung was already a well-known singer among the Chinese around Asia who were familiar with her Mandarin hits like "Plum Blossom".
All these Cantopop artists emerged primarily in the city of Hong Kong where they were superstars among its 4 million inhabitants in the 1970s. Many sources credit Luo Da You as being the first modern Mandarin pop star. But one artist sprung up humbly to shine as the sun among the stars. Her soothing, sweet voice, her girl-next-door image, her impeccable command of Mandarin, Cantonese, English, Japanese, and Taiwanese all helped to propel her to become the most beloved Chinese singer of all-time. And her name is Teresa Deng.
Teresa Deng
Chinese Name: 邓丽君
Mandarin Name: Deng Li Jun
(1953-1995, born in Yunlin, Taiwan)
Prior to this classy lady, most Chinese music is what we might consider traditional Chinese folk music. Modern pop music really began to sweep the Chinese world with the advent of Teresa Deng, though, after listening to her songs, we would probably consider it a far cry from modern rock. In light of the history of musical styles, she bridges the gap between Chinese folk music and modern pop music, providing a mellow adult-oriented vocal approach—think of Barbara Streisand. Deng, whose name is often misspelled as Teng, is regarded as the greatest singing star in all Chinese history.
Teresa Deng was born in a the village of Tienyang, in Yunlin County, Taiwan to a mainlander family originating from Hebei province. She actually started her singing career in the late 1960s. In 1968, she gained fame by performing on a popular music TV show in Taiwan. By the 1970s, she had already released eight albums! In 1973, she attempted to break into the Japanese market by partaking in a singing competition among the best artists of the year. She won the "Best New Singing Star" award. The following year, she conquered Japan with the song "Airport". After conquering the Chinese and Japanese markets, Deng went on to triumph in Malaysia and then Indonesia. Her song "Goodbye My Love" was translated into the Indonesian language and Deng sung it in a 1977 release.
In 1983, Teresa released her most-acclaimed album, Light Exquisite Feeling. It contained a dozen renowned Chinese Tang and Song Dynasty poems set to music for the first time. Despite the fact that Mainland Chinese authorities had branded most modern music as "decadent", Teresa Deng's songs became so popular in Chinese Karaoke bars that, in 1986, they bypassed the censorship, and the saying sprung up, "By day, Deng Xiaoping rules China, but by night, Deng Lijun rules." But Teresa never performed in Mainland China. She held seven consecutive concerts in Hong Kong, breaking the record at that time. She was the first Chinese artist to perform at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, U.S.A.
This Taiwanese songstress died an untimely death from an asthma attack while in Thailand in 1995 and the entire Chinese world mourned like nobody's business. She was given a state funeral attended by the Taiwanese leader. Her song "The Moon Represents My Heart" is considered by many the greatest and most popular Chinese pop song in history. "Sweet" and "I Care Only For You" are just about as famous. There is no Chinese person who doesn't know this triplet of ditties.
Listen to the diamond-trio, the three biggest Chinese pop songs in history, by right-clicking on one of the following and selecting Open in New Window.
"The Moon Represents My Heart" (月亮代表我的心)
"I Care Only For You" (我只在乎你)
"Sweet" (甜蜜蜜) March 12 Introduction to Chinese Pop MusicChinese Pop Music is a force to be reckoned with. There are hundreds of artists and a myriad songs. The music industry is huge this side of the Pacific. I'll be introducing some of the big-name singers, as much info about them doesn't exist in English. First, I'd like to examine some differences between the pop music scene in the east and west.
Most Chinese artists are individuals; there are less groups than in the west. Most Chinese artists do not write their own music. Usually, a composer writes a song, a lyricist writes the lyrics, an arranger arranges the music, a singer sings it, and a producer produces it. The reason for this in my opinion is that the western ear responds more to good music than to good singing; whereas, the Chinese ear is more attracted to a good vocalist. Since few good singers are also good composers, most Chinese singers have their music written by others.
Having said that, there is sexism. A double-standard is employed when it comes to the singing ability of male and female pop stars. Arguably, the Chinese people are much more critical of the singing ability of female singers than of the men. The two most popular male pop stars today have demonstrated that they cannot sing very well but are nevertheless accepted. If, on the other hand, a female singer cannot sing well, she invites much criticism. Most female singers are expected to be able to dance as well. But the Chinese don't seem to expect this of male singers.
In the Chinese world, many singers are also actors and corporate sponsors. The reason for this is simple: in order to make money. Because most CDs that are sold in China are pirated and most songs are downloaded off various unregulated Chinese websites, pop stars cannot make much money off their music. They use their position as a singer to gain an audience. Once they have a strong fan base, they are asked to star in movies to gain more fans and by which they can make more money. Finally they are approached by large companies that ask them to sponsor them in advertising, by which they earn, by far, the most money. This is especially true of Hong Kong pop stars who sing mostly in Cantonese, a minority language in the Chinese world and whose CDs are up for grabs by only some eight million people in Hong Kong and as mostly pirated copies in the Guangdong Province of Mainland China.
There is less variety of genres in Chinese pop music. Most of the music is in the style of mainstream pop. Other genres like hard rock, electronic rock, and dance music are rare. Recently, due to its popularity in the United States, so-called R&B has become popular in Chinese music as well as rap, a.k.a. hip hop.
Most Chinese music is sung in Mandarin or Cantonese. Songs in other Chinese dialects are rare. Hong Kongers usually release albums, alternating between Cantonese and Mandarin. Taiwanese, Mainland Chinese, and Singaporean artists sing almost exclusively in Mandarin. In some rare instances, Mainland Chinese learn Cantonese and sing in that dialect in addition to Mandarin. Most Chinese pop stars have English names.
Most of the biggest Chinese pop stars are from either Hong Kong or Taiwan. Mainland China and small places like Singapore are not well equipped to produce music. The topnotch recording studios, studio musicians, composers, and producers reside in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Usually a singer from other places will move to one of these two locales to launch their careers. A couple of examples are Faye Wang who moved from Beijing to Hong Kong and Stefanie Sun who moved from Singapore to Taiwan.
Chinese singers from countries with significant Chinese populations have also sprung up. Malaysia is a prime example. Because the music industry in western countries like the U.S., U.K., and Canada is a blacks-and-whites-only club, Chinese singers cannot obtain a following by singing in their native English and are forced to sing in Chinese for the people of China. Some of them whose spoken Chinese is poor have had to take Chinese lessons.
In terms of the music industry, East Asian nations have come together like a family of cousins. A Japanese composer may write a song sung by a Japanese pop star. The Chinese love the song, so a lyricist writes Chinese lyrics to the music, which is sent to a Chinese singer, and a Chinese version of the song comes out. Not before long, a Vietnamese version of the song appears. And so it goes.
Interestingly, what makes a song a "hit" in the Chinese world is not just a matter of radio airplay or record sales. A third very important factor is how often a song is requested in karaoke venues. Karaoke is the biggest form of entertainment in China. And huge karaoke venues which make five-star hotels pale in comparison, keep statistics on which songs are called-up from the machines in karaoke rooms.
I've found that one great conversation ice-breaker when meeting especially younger (20-40 year old) Chinese people is to ask them who their favourite Chinese singer is. It shows them that you have an interest in modern Chinese culture. They will also want to know who your favourite Chinese singer is, so be prepared to answer. (Carolyn likes Faye Wang and Rene Liu; I like Gigi Leung and Stefanie Sun.)
There are so many Chinese pop stars, I'm not even going to attempt to list them all, just some of the very biggest. Stay "tuned".
Check out the following link:
It's from the Chinese Music Forum Blog and includes English translations and pinyin romanization of many Chinese songs. March 07 Genie Award Winners 2008While the awards show was shrouded in controversy—as most awards shows are—two films dominated the Genie Awards this year: Sarah Polley's Away From Her and David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises. The controversy, beefed up by the Canadian press, was over the question: what makes a film a Canadian one. The Genies excluded the film Juno from any nominations. The production of Juno appeared to have much more Canadian contribution than Eastern Promises did, which received many nominations. So what is this all about?
Let's compare the two films on the basis of Canadian content. In terms of the top stars of the film, Juno takes the cake. Though most of the stars are American, including Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman, the film's top two stars are Canadian: Ellen Page and Michael Cera. In Eastern Promises the central character of the film, Tatiana, is played by Canadian Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse. But she appears only briefly at the beginning of the film, dying in childbirth. The film's main stars are the American Viggo Mortensen, the Australian Naomi Watts, the French Vincent Cassel, and the German/Russian Armin Mueller-Stahl.
Both films are directed by Canadians: Juno by Jason Reitman and Eastern Promises by David Cronenberg.
In terms of filming locations, Juno was filmed in Vancouver, Canada, while Eastern Promises was filmed in London, U.K. Diablo Cody wrote Juno, and she's American. Eastern Promises was written by Steven Knight, an Englishman.
So, the argument went, why was Juno, a film with Canadian actors, a Canadian director, and filmed in Canada, excluded from Genie Award eligibility, while Eastern Promises, with non-Canadian stars (though directed by a Canadian), and filmed in Britain, was not. The answer comes right down to a matter of money. All the funding for Juno was footed by Americans, while Canada supplied some twenty percent of the bill for making Eastern Promises. In the end, regardless of direction, acting, locations, writing, what makes a film Canadian (or American or British) is nothing but cold, hard cash. Who fronts the cash, owns the film.
On to the Genie Award winners for 2008. The show was hosted by Canadian actress Sandra Oh. Perhaps future hosts and hostesses can include Canadian performers starring in films directed by Canadians and filmed in Canada but snubbed by Canadian financial supporters.
BEST MOTION PICTURE
MEILLEUR FILM
AWAY FROM HER - Daniel Iron, Simone Urdl, Jennifer Weiss
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION
MEILLEURE RÉALISATION
SARAH POLLEY - Away From Her
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE
GORDON PINSENT - Away From Her
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN
ARMIN MUELLER-STAHL - Eastern Promises
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE
JULIE CHRISTIE - Away From Her
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN
KRISTEN THOMSON - Away From Her
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO
STEVE KNIGHT - Eastern Promises
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
MEILLEURE ADAPTATION
SARAH POLLEY - Away From Her
March 03 The World Is In Travail - What Can We Do?Cold-blooded creatures can magically adjust their body temperatures to match their environment. They do not need heaters, air conditioners, fires, or parkas. Without any devices or dress, they can make themselves comfortable. They never shiver and they don't sweat. However, if the temperature is too cold or too hot, they will die. They have no warning system, since they always acclimatize themselves to the temperature. And this is their ultimate weakness. This brings us to what some call the Boiling Frog Syndrome. When a warm-blooded animal is placed into a pot of water and the temperature is gradually increased, the animal will jump out when it gets too hot. The frog will not. It will continually adjust its body temperature to compensate for the increases. And it will allow itself to boil to death.
I propose that the human heart, or the spirit of man, is cold-blooded. When the environment gradually declines into decadence, we continually adjust ourselves. We are always becoming accustomed to and comfortable with moral degradation, until our spirit hangs itself in the noose of apathy.
The world is becoming darker every year. And the darker it gets, the more we adjust our eyes, giving us the illusion that things are remaining the same. A few are able to discern that the world's distress is waxing and they write about it. One such historian says:
"The perversion of human nature, the degradation of human conduct, the corruption and dissolution of human institutions" are revealing themselves "in their worst and most revolting aspects. Human character is debased, confidence is shaken, the nerves of discipline are relaxed, the voice of human conscience is stilled, the sense of decency and shame is obscured…"
There is a very interesting children's narrative called "The Neverending Story". This is about a world that is falling apart, consumed by something called "The Nothing". Nobody seems to care. They are paralyzed either by lethargy, apathy, or feelings of powerlessness. In one scene, the boy asks the Servant of "The Nothing" why the world is dying. He is told "Because people have begun to lose their hopes and forget their dreams. So the Nothing grows stronger." "What is the Nothing?" the boy asks. "It's the emptiness that's left. It's like a despair, destroying this world. And I have been trying to help it…because people who have no hopes are easy to control; and whoever has the control... has the power!"
In 1936, one sociologist identified the following as some of the signs of the downfall. How much more do they ring true today, over 70 years later!
· racial animosity
· patriotic arrogance
· increasing evidences of selfishness, of suspicion, of fear and of fraud
· the spread of terrorism, of lawlessness, of gambling, of drunkenness and of crime
· the unquenchable thirst for, and the feverish pursuit after, earthly vanities, riches and pleasures
· the weakening of family solidarity
· the laxity in parental control
· the lapse into luxurious indulgence
· the irresponsible attitude towards marriage and the consequent rising tide of divorce
· the degeneracy of art and music, the infection of literature, and the corruption of the press
These evidences of moral depravity are not limited to one nation, continent, class, religious affiliation, age group, or gender. They are universal. And, I believe, they will continue to worsen. Many of my friends think so as well. And we've talked about it. Over the next while, I plan on writing about signs my own eyes have witnessed that humanity has fallen into a slough of imminent ruin, how I believe our affairs will worsen, how many of us are reacting to it, and what needs to happen for a regeneration of the human spirit. It's a very broad topic. I'm going to zoom in on practical everyday matters. |
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