Chinese Culture

A Glorious Peak for A Mei

2004-7-31 18:32:45 CRIENGLISH.com

This year on the stage of Chinese pop music, Chang Huimei, or A Mei, finally reached the pinnacle of her profession, winning the award for Most Popular Female Singer, as presented by CCTV, China Central Television and Channel V, the most influential MV station in Asia.

stardom has been long and punctuated with passion, diversity and dedication to family. On Saturday, she staged a solo concert in Beijing, another successful stop on her musical journey. Let's mark the occasion by starting with the aptly named song "Journey".

Born in 1972, ChangHuimei's steady pop progress stretches back more than a decade. In 1994 she took a few steps in the right direction after winning first prize in a local singing contest. She followed up on this by becoming the lead singer of her cousin's band "Relax". They set to work on the club circuit in Taiwan, gaining live experience and hoping for that elusive break into the big time. The break came for ChangHuimei in 1996 when she was spotted by two famous music producers, Chen Zhiyuan and Chen Fuming. Thanks to their connections and her talent, she got an all important contract deal with Forward Records, a Taipei based record company.

In November 1996, her first recorded song, a duet with Chang Yu-sheng, was included in Chang's record Red Passion. In the same month, she sang Dreamer On Air, which also became the theme tune for UFO Radio Station, a famous local music station in Taiwan. In the song, she sings, "Everybody has a dream so that they would not be alone; everybody has a home so that they would not fear in their dreams." For A Mei the dream was only over because the success had already begun. Let's have a listen to her dreaming on air.

In December 1996, A Mei's debut album Sister was released. The title track was a dedication to her numerous female siblings and earned her Best Newcomer Award at 1997's Taiwan Channel V Music Awards. She was becoming recognized both for her husky, sexy voice and for her impressive vocal range.

That was Sister, the title track from Chang Huimei's debut album of the same name.

Another hit for her that year was Bad Boy, a song typical of her early passionate style. The music and lyrics were both written by Chang Yu-sheng, a close friend of hers.

Chang was a great help to A Mei's career, exploiting her talents to the full and writing songs that gained her great popularity. A Mei herself admitted as much, saying that she owed much of her success to Chang Yu-sheng.

It was therefore a tragedy for her when Chang Yu-Sheng was killed in a car accident in October 1997. In concert A Mei dedicated a live version of My Future Is Not An Illusion to her dear friend Chang Yu-Sheng, a song which he originally wrote. Let's hear it now.

"I don't care what other people say
I never forget my promise
I know that my future is not an illusion
My heart beats with my hope"
That is also the maxim of A Mei.

After two years of hard work, A Mei had secured her position in the pop hierarchy to the extent that she could try experimenting with her musical output. In 1998 the beats slowed down and she tried her hand at some slower, more lyrical songs. This change of approach surprisingly won just as much attention as her earlier high adrenaline material. Next is one of these slower songs, Listen to the Sea, which helps to highlight Chang Huimei's more emotional, more soulful side.

With a great deal of experience behind her, Chang Huimei was becoming an increasingly mature singer. Her diversity has helped to win her popularity among a broad range of fans. In 1999, her song Lover, May I Hold You portrays a desperate woman whose relationship is effectively over, but who still hopelessly clings to her old love. The album was released to huge success. A-Mei's tales of heartbreak and love had obviously struck a common chord with the common people. Let's hear the song "Lover, May I Hold You?

In 2001, A Mei got the opportunity to sing the Chinese version of There You Will Be, the theme tune for the film Pearl Harbor. It was fitting recognition of her high status in the Chinese pop world. The song was entitled Topple the Mountains and Overturn the Seas. Here's the song for you right now.

As an experienced singer, A Mei has become a patient popster, happy to change styles and aim for long term sucess. In 2002 she released her new album Fever. One of the songs on the album was named "Katsu" and is concerned with family and the struggle for success. Katsu is the nickname of Chang Huimei, and the song tells of her mother's hope and love as well as A Mei's own ideas on the realization of maturity. The tune begins with a monologue by A Mei's mother in her own dialect, which goes as follows:

"In the moonlight down the river
At the other end, there is a city
When you grow up, go there and pursue your dream

I'll always be by your side
There you'll meet the one who loves you
There you'll live your life and learn to be diligent and brave
There you'll grow up"
Have a listen.

Another A Mei's album Be Brave was released during the SARS period of 2003, with the intention of restoring some hope and courage into people's hearts, as well as perhaps that of making some money. She also made her debut appearance in a mini movie as part of this project, starring in the music video of Be Brave, in which she plays a sentimental yet willful woman.

From obscure pub singer to all conquering stage queen, Chang Huimei has gained nationwide recognition for her singing talent and dynamic live performances. Her show this Saturday gave the Beijing audience another opportunity to feel the blazing heat of this glowing star, but let's all hope she comes back to warm us when we really need her – in the winter!

Well, that's all for this week's China Beat, hope you enjoyed it. I'll leave you with Be Brave by Chang Huimei. Comments and suggestions are always welcome, you can write to us at English Service, China Radio International, Beijing, China, the postal code is 100040, you can also email us at chinabeat@crifm.com, or visit our website, that's www.crienglish.com. I'm Xiaohua, bye for now.

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