This is fiction, or more accurately, dramatised reality. A country’s prosperity is to be celebrated, but sometimes, prosperity drives greed and the desire to show off. Marriage becomes an industry. Romantic, fortuitous encounters are replaced by calculated and arranged meetings.
彩礼 or bride price determine one person’s worth and another person’s sincerity. It does sound logical, but it completely corrupts the minds of people embroiled in this society.
Dewdrop Books – Fiction and non-fiction with a focus on the colourful and exotic Asian realm. Check out our titles.
In fact, I noticed an increase in the number of “cold calls”, the recent highly publicised crackdown in Northern Myanmar by Chinese authorities notwithstanding. Draw your own conclusions.
Dewdrop Books – Fiction and non-fiction with a focus on the colourful and exotic Asian realm. Check out our titles.
Legendary Thai rock singer Sek Loso is coming full circle with a song that follows the same theme as that when he was first starting out. He has been through numerous ups and downs and so has his career. He was addicted to drugs, jailed, divorced etc.
Interestingly, this new song lets us see the old Loso. The lyrics can be summarised:
“I will go forward, leave the past behind. I won’t cry, won’t beg you even if it hurts me till I die.”
Below are two of my favourite Loso songs when Thailand was my second home in the 1980s-1990s. They were also very popular at KTVs. The “old” (young) Loso completely captured the hearts of the lovelorn. His voice has changed a lot since then but that piteous, haggard image won him hordes of fans. He was Thailand’s Wang Jie.
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Mention the name 周传雄 and the song 黄昏 would almost certainly come to mind. This is indeed his most well-known song- a lovely piece that touched many hearts. Not that many people know that he was already a very popular and successful singer/songwriter in the early 1990s. At the height of his career, he suddenly disappeared. The paparazzi showed photos of a shockingly emaciated 周传雄. Many speculated that he had cancer.
He later revealed that he had a bad reaction to helicobacter pylori infection. After recovering from his illness, he tried to return to the music scene, only to be sidelined to street performances. He wondered where his fans had all gone.
Desperate, 周传雄 went to join a talent show 天赐的声音 (Gifted Voice) organised by Zhejiang TV in mainland China. 2 years ago, he was ruthlessly humiliated by former K-pop group singer 孟美岐. Meng was one of the judges on the show and she was only 22 then. It was like some newbie golfer telling Tiger Woods that he’s not good enough. Fortunately, there were still many reasonable people in China.
They mocked Meng Mei Qi until she had to step down as a judge on the show. Even more fortunately, 周传雄 was undeterred. He went on to hold concerts in China and teared up when he realised that his fans had not forgotten about him. It was a resounding success for 周传雄.
In the video, it’s said that the only people who doubted 周传雄 were 孟美岐 and 小刚. Well, 小刚 is actually the stage name for 周传雄 himself when he first started his singing career. He used his real name when he worked behind the scenes. When he tried to make a comeback, he doubted himself. The success from his recent concerts should prove to him that his fans are still around.
I don’t know why many YouTubers say that Hasayaki was 周传雄’s first album. He had many songs before that. Going back to the the 1990s, this was one of my favourite KTV songs by 小刚. It’s called 我也许是个笑话. You can see what the young 周传雄 looked and sounded like.
I don’t like every sing song by him, but below a few that I do enjoy listening to. I bought this CD, but can’t find it now. Nice songs. Enjoy.
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It’s a lot to translate, so I won’t do it. Suffice to say that this outcast of China’s entertainment industry is back after a 10-year hiatus. Condemned by mainstream pop stars as someone who can only make music for farmers and other lower forms of life, Dao Lang makes a reentry with his satirical song Luo Cha Maritime City.
Luo Cha is an imaginary city in a Chinese fable where everything is judged to be the exact opposite as in the real world. The ugly is considered beautiful. Intelligence has no value. Stupidity is cherished. He also alludes to pimps and chickens. There is little doubt which country and what people the song is referring to. Only time will tell if the authorities decide to take action.
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Some people would surrender their principles for the sake of earning more money. Some people would rather give up their riches than surrender their principles. the late Coco Lee belonged to the former. I’ve never been a fan of Coco Lee, but after learning about how she stood firm against fixed competitions, she has my respect. Eason Chan is not that principled. He bows or even kneels in the face of political pressure.
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I remember when I was in primary school in the 1970s, my cousins from Malaysia paid us a visit in Singapore and brought us to the movies. That movie was 爱的天地 starring 翁倩玉. It was a touching story of a young, idealistic woman diagnosed with cancer. She decided to spend the last days of her life as a teacher at an orphanage. There are many lovely songs in the movie It’s a bit like the Chinese version of the Sound of Music. I got acquainted with songs like 海鸥 and the memory stayed with me for life.
It’s amazing that 翁倩玉 learned to play the guitar in just 4 days.
I managed to find the movie on YouTube. It’s nice to reminisce. It’s also amazing that I can still remember so many scenes from the movie even though I’ve only watched it once when I was in primary school.
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The first video shows the 1980s version of 刘文正-寻 . The sound quality and recording technology are audibly superior. However, I think 刘文正’s highly polished voice and the lively arrangement fail to convey sadness to the listener.
The second video is the 1970s version of the same song by 刘家昌。The difference lies in the arrangement and the “rawness” of 刘文正’s voice. The technology then may not be that great and 刘文正 might have been a newbie back then, but the feelings are more real and the mood is a lot more sentimental. Which version do you prefer?
Dewdrop Books – Fiction and non-fiction with a focus on the colourful and exotic Asian realm. Check out our titles.
