Charming Song Zuying

Her clear sweet voice, charismatic smile and repertoire of classic Chinese folk songs has won audiences all over. She spins her spell once again on New Year's Eve. Chen Nan reports.

Charms of China has already toured more than 10 cities in China, and this showcase for China's most famous soprano Song Zuying will arrive in Beijing on Dec 31, 2011 and Jan 1, 2012.

The singer says she hopes her audiences can celebrate the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012 with her and her music.

Song is beloved for many reasons, but mainly because she can easily cross over music genres with the versatility that is characteristic of any great musical diva.

When she sang traditional folk songs to the hip-hop tunes of Taiwan singer-songwriter Jay Chou and sang love ballad duets with pop idol Wakin Chau at her concert in Taipei in May, she made these different styles all her own.

She also gave folk singing new life as she performed with the Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra.

The mix of tradition and modern won instant recognition and became a signature of her Charms of China concerts.

She has also captured hearts and won fans in both Vienna and Washington; she sang at the Kennedy Center to standing ovations.

Song, 45, is a folk vocalist from the Miao ethnic group of Hunan province. Her early youth was spent in mountains where singing and dancing were all part of daily life.

In 1991, she joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army Naval Song and Dance Troupe as a national first-class singer.

Her songs, such as Spice Girls, Happy Life, Love My China and Flying Songs on the Ground, have made her a household name in China. Her albums have sold millions of copies, a rare feat for a folk singer in China.

In 2006, her CD The Diva Goes to the Movies: A Centennial Celebration of Chinese Film Song was nominated for the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in the category of Best Classical Crossover Album.

Song, who is famously humble and mild-mannered despite her diva status, is a master at creating a modern approach to traditional folk music.

Her career milestones are many. In November 2003, Song became the first Chinese singer to hold a solo concert at the Vienna Golden Hall, attracting an audience of more than 1,000.

Song performed a duet with tenor Placido Domingo at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

It was a partnership that she carried forward with another duet at her concert at Beijing's National Stadium.

It was a musical celebration that also included Jay Chou and celebrity pianist Lang Lang on June 30, 2009.

For her two concerts in Beijing, Song will work with her Charms of China team of nearly 200 musicians from a symphony orchestra, a choir and a dance troupe.

You may contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 12/18/2011 page15)