A few famous songs by Yao Su Rong (姚蘇蓉)

Yao Su Rong may be considered one of Taiwan’s first superstars.  She became famous during the late 60’s and was nicknamed 淚盈歌后 (tearful singing queen)  because her voice often trembled as if she were crying while singing.  Indeed, very many of her songs had to deal with sadness and heartbreak.  Another distinctive quality is her very clear, highly enunciated Mandarin which creates her unique style.   Although regarded as perhaps Taiwan’s greatest superstar of the 1960’s, I have gained the impression that she faded rather quickly and was no longer very much relevant by the late 70’s.  Curious as to the reason for this, I realized I still did not know much about her life and did some research on her.

To begin, a brief explanation of a certain phenomenon under the martial rule of Chiang Kai Shek, which lasted from 1949-1975, is necessary.  At this time the Kuomintang government exerted a great deal of control over the people of Taiwan and their daily lives.  One such example is the policy of 禁歌，or songs banned by the government.  Songs dealing with love between man and woman were generally looked down upon by the government as vulgar, as were sad songs which the Kuomintang feared would depress the public morale.  It is no wonder, then, that almost 90 of “tearful” Yao Su Rong’s songs ended up being banned, including her 1967 smash-hit 負心的人 (Heartless Person).

The event that doubtless changed her career forever occurred in 1969, at the peak of Yao Su Rong’s fame.  She had accepted the offer of a prominent nightclub in Kaohsiung to perform for a month, with 60,000 yuan as compensation.  For reference, at this time the tuition of a private university in Taiwan was around 3,000 yuan.  Naturally Yao Su Rong received many requests to sing her famous banned songs, which she had no choice but to politely decline.   Then on the night of August 16th, 1969, Yao Su Rong succumbed to the audience’s pressure and sang “Heartless Person” for an adoring crowd.  Unfortunately, once it was found out that Yao Su Rong had sung a banned song in a public performance, her singing license was revoked and she could no longer continue her singing career in Taiwan.  She moved to Hong Kong shortly after.

Heartless Person

Cherry red lips, kisses like fire, all cannot hold a heartless person
Could it be that you are like a plant, impossible to touch the heart of.
I love you deeply, hate you deeply, all day drying my tears alone,
I regret, I regret, I regret being infatuated with you,
Ah, heartless person! Heartless person…

A tear of love, a broken heart, all cannot bring back a far-gone person
All the vows of yesterday are gone just like a spring dream.
I love you deeply, hate you deeply, in sadness my spirit is wounded, alone.
I regret, I regret, I regret wasting my youth.
Ah, heartless person! Heartless person…

Endless love turned into endless hate, in the end I’m left here alone,
hoping for you to come back soon, silently counting the days and nights.
I love you deeply, hate you deeply, if you trade your heart for mine you will finally know what it’s like to remember each other.
I regret, I regret, I regret waiting for you to this day.
Ah, heartless person! Heartless person…

 Hate You to the Bone

The root of feeling is already destroyed, the seed of love already dried up
I hate you all the way to the bone.
I was foolish to put my life at stake, you turned out to be a swindler.
Exhausting my youth, sacrificing happiness, all I received in return is pain.
Hate you to the bone, hate you to the bone,
The tragedy already played out, the great error committed,
I hate you to the bone.

A fair maiden wandering with dried tears and dried blood,
I hate you all the way to the bone.
Injured by love, harmed by feelings, my life is like an extinguished candle.
A vast sea of people, a long and winding road, to where can I return?
Hate you to the bone, Hate you to the bone,
One wrong move and the whole game is lost,
I hate you to the bone.

Heart-breaking memories play before my eyes,
I hate you all the way to the bone.
I regret loving you so much, it tortures me to this day.
Silkworms make thread and are ensnared in their own trap, to whom can I tell my sadness?
Hate you to the bone, hate you to the bone,
To the end of the earth and sea, until the end of time,
I hate you to the bone.

 

 

 

 

Three Songs by Bao Na Na (包娜娜)

Bao Na Na (包娜娜) is another Taiwanese singer who was popular during the 1970’s.  Although her fame never reached the heights of Deng Li Jun, Feng Fei Fei etc., her vocal technique is one of the most perfect I have heard among singers of this era and her Mandarin pronunciation is also very distinct and clear, similar to Yao Su Rong’s style.  I am going to share three songs by her with accompanying translations of the lyrics.

Tears Burning My Face
(熱淚燙傷我的臉)

Every time I think of those years, every time I close my eyes,
That smiling face of yours is still on the distant horizon.
The hot tears burn my face, my smile is destroyed.
The autumn wind blows against my heart, all the promises have withered away.
I pick up the pieces of broken dreams, let dark night surround me.
I can’t see anything, only the hot tears burning my face.

Moonlight is Like the Net of Love
(月光像情網)

I don’t love the flurrying snow, I don’t love the great sun.
I only love the shining stars, I only love the brilliant moon.
The distant blue mountains, dark and hazy,
The thickets of reed flowers blowing in waves.
In the deep of night the enchanting moonlight
Is like the net of love.

You Can’t Stay
(人兒不能留)

A star falls on the horizon, the floating clouds are sorrowful.
How can I let the flowing water take away your kindness?
Tears are so sorrowful, you have to leave.
Please accept my glass of wine.
Ah! After parting tonight, how can I get rid of sadness?

Some are unwilling to leave, some unwilling to stay.
Why do nine things out of ten never go as desired?
You are unwilling to stay, you must go.
Please remember my tenderness.
Ah! After parting tonight, how can I get rid of sorrow?

Boat (船) – Mona Fong (方逸華)

Published in 1967
Composer: Wang Fu Ling
Lyricist: Chiong Yao
Singer: Mona Fong (Fang Yi Hua)

Boat

Spring leaves, autumn comes, time slowly slips away
Longing already distant, the dream already broken
Boat, ah, little boat, no longer shining splendidly as in former days
Passing through storms, crossing dangerous rapids
Overflowing with time, filled with hardship
When, oh, when may she set down this heavy burden?
Where is the bay to take shelter from the winds? Where is the shore to cease her drifting?
For many months and years, floating and wandering
Days bitterly short and nights bitterly cold
She is already fatigued, already listless
Longing already distant, the dream already broken
Where, oh, where is the shore to cease her drifting?

Shaw Brothers’ Huangmei Opera Films

“Shaw Brothers” （邵氏兄弟）was a very prominent film studio in Hong Kong from the silent period all the way up until the 1980’s, when it was broken into several smaller companies.  During the late 50’s and 60’s  Shaw Brothers produced a large number of Mandarin musicals based on Huangmei opera.  Huangmei is a form of Chinese opera originating from Sichuan province and is typically “lighter” than other styles such as Beijing opera.

The films combined traditional Chinese operatic style with Western influences and musical conventions.  One aspect of the films that western viewers will find confusing is that both the male and female leads are often played by women, as is the tradition in Huangmei opera.

The film shared below is perhaps the most popular of this kind produced by Shaw Brothers.  It is from 1964 and called The Love Eterne (梁山伯與祝英台), starring Betty Loh Ti (樂蒂) in the female lead and Ivy Ling Po (凌波) in the male lead.  Notably, the playback singer for Betty Loh Ti’s character is none other than Tsin Ting, introduced in a previous post.

The film is based on the famous legend of the “Butterfly Lovers,” which is set in the Eastern Jin dynasty (265-420 A.D.).  Zhu Ying Tai, a lone daughter from a wealthy and influential family, wishes to travel to receive an education at university (obviously out of the question for a woman of this time period).  She fakes illness and tricks her parents by disguising herself as a doctor.  After making her father swear to let her attend college (which the “doctor” claims will heal her illness), Ying Tai reveals herself to her parents and vows to remain disguised as a man so as not to attract attention at school.  On the journey to the college she meets the bookish Shan Liang Bo, with whom she immediately becomes friends, and they soon take a vow of eternal “brotherhood.”  Over the next three years of studying together Ying Tai gradually falls in love with Shan Bo, but he is too absorbed in his studies to notice that she is a woman.  One day Ying Tai receives news that her mother is ill and she must return home at once.  As a gesture of friendship, Shan Bo descends the mountain with her to send her off.  During this trek together Ying Tai attempts many times to hint at Shan Bo that she is a woman, even to the point of flirtation, but Shan Bo is hopelessly oblivious.  At the end of their journey together, Ying Tai lies that she has sister to whom Shan Bo could be betrothed whenever he visits her home, to which Shan Bo agrees.  However, upon returning to school the headmistress reveals Ying Tai’s true identity, and gives Shan Bo Ying Tai’s jade bracelet which she had entrusted to the headmistress as a token of her desire wed Shan Bo.  Alas, when Shan Bo returns to Ying Tai’s home she has already been betrothed to a son from the house of Ma, and her father refuses to break the engagement.  Heartbroken, Shan Bo soon returns home, falls ill and dies.  As Ying Tai’s bridal palanquin nears Shan Bo’s grave, a great storm arises which keeps the procession from passing.  Ying Tai descends her sedan chair and throws herself onto Shan Bo’s grave, which opens up and allows her entrance.  When the storm subsides there is no sign of Ying Tai, only two butterflies who fly away together, nevermore to be separated.

Chasing the Rainbow (奔向彩虹）- Feng Fei Fei (鳳飛飛）

“Chasing the Rainbow” is one of Feng Fei Fei’s signature songs, such that the rainbow became forever a symbol for her . It was incorporated into the title of all the variety shows she hosted starting in 1979 with A Rainbow (一道彩虹), then moving on to I Love the Rainbow (我愛彩虹) in the 80’s and Flying to the Rainbow (飛上彩虹) in the 90’s.

The song lyrics are written by a very famous Taiwanese novelist and lyricist named Chiong Yao.  While admittedly melodramatic, her romance novels were wildly popular in the 60’s-90’s and almost all were adapted into movies with big stars of the day such as Lin Ching Hsia.  I hope to write a more in-depth post on her soon.

There are actually two versions of this song that Feng Fei Fei performed, the one presented here being the more famous.  The first video is from her second TV show circa 1977, You Love the Weekend.  The second one is from her subsequent show, A Rainbow.

A rainbow, suspended in the sky,
like a poem, like a dream, it sparkles east to west
Calling out to me, run towards the rainbow,
Ah! Run towards the rainbow, dash into the clouds!

Feng Fei Fei’s speech during the musical interlude: “Friends, some say that appreciating a musical show is like enjoying a great feast; the dishes keep coming one after another.  So, today I have prepared 17 dishes for you.  I hope you all enjoy them.”

Japanese Enka and the Singer Miyako Harumi (都 はるみ)

While the world of Japanese language and culture is relatively unfamiliar to me in comparison with Chinese, I do have a burgeoning interest in Japan and particularly the genre of Japanese music known as Enka.

What is Enka?  Neither entirely traditional nor modern, it is a style of music hard to describe or label.  Enka developed gradually throughout the early 20th century and reached its height of popularity in the 1960s.  The musical arrangement shows modern/Western influences but retains a distinct Japanese style.  Certain chord progressions are very common in Enka and give it a unique and unmistakable sound, although my lack of knowledge beyond the rudiments of music theory precludes an in-depth discussion of this topic.

The influence of Enka extends far beyond Japan.  Taiwan and Korea were both occupied and heavily “Japanized” during the era of Japanese imperialism. This resulted in both countries developing styles of music very similar to Enka both in musical structure and in vocal technique, although each unique in its own way.  This style of music is called “trot” in Korea and is simply known as “classic Taiwanese songs” or even “Taiwanese Enka” in Taiwan.

This leads me to a discussion of Enka’s characteristic vocal style.  Although my knowledge of traditional Japanese music is lacking, a main element of it which is nearly ubiquitous in Enka is the slow, exaggerated, and usually “delayed” form of vibrato known as kobushi in Japanese.  This vocal styling is extremely common not only in Enka but also in Korean trot (exemplified by the singer Ju Hyun Mi) and in Taiwanese traditional-style music (such as the singer Zhan Ya Wen).  Another distinctive feature of Enka is the stylistic tendency to sing important phrases with a harsh or groaning voice (known as unari in Japanese).  No singer I have seen previously uses this technique so artfully or with such skill as Miyako Harumi.

Born shortly after the end of World War II in Kyoto, Japan, Miyako Harumi was trained in traditional Japanese singing from a young age and became famous at the tender age of sixteen with her song Anko Tsubakiwa Koi no Hana, which was featured in a movie of the same name.  Miyako’s voice was small and girlish, yet showed extreme power and fluidity in the use of the groaning technique mentioned above.  The video below shows her performing her famous debut song sometime during the latter half of the 1960’s, in which she uses the technique liberally.

Those interested in a more in-depth explanation of Miyako Harumi’s life and music are encouraged to read the very thoughtfully compiled essay by Mr. Naoto Murai here.

 

 

痴痴地等 (Waiting Enraptured) by 靜婷 (Tsin Ting)

Tsin Ting (actually pronounced more like Jing Ting) was a popular singer in Hong Kong during the 1950’s and 60’s.  Born in Sichuan province in China, she moved to Hong Kong at the age of 15 and started singing in nightclubs a few years later to help support her financially hard-pressed family.  From then on she gradually became involved with the Hong Kong film industry and soon rose to fame as  a playback singer in movies.  At this time the Hong Kong film industry was dominated mainly by Mandarin movies, which were perhaps more accessible to the general Chinese diaspora than Cantonese, which is the native dialect of Hong Kong.  The movie which catapulted Tsin Ting to fame was the 1959 江山美人 (Jiangshan Beauty).

Tsin Ting’s voice was soft and melodious, and had excellent purity and range which made her sound similar to a Western classical singer.  The only other singer who I feel compares to her in this regard is her predecessor, the great Li Xiang Lan.

The song I would like to share today was produced in 1963 and is called “Waiting Enraptured.”

I don’t know if it’s morning, don’t know if it’s dusk
Can’t see the clouds in the sky, nor the lamps along the street
In the darkness of shadows black as lacquer
You make me stay here, waiting enraptured

I miss your love,  miss your kiss
I cry without end tears of longing, loathe without end the pain of separation
In a daze, as if dreaming
You make me stay here, waiting enraptured.

Once I heard your footsteps approaching, igniting my anticipation
And whispered your name, waiting for you to rush towards me
But when I saw the shadow pass, I realized it was only a stranger

Will you ever return? Should I keep waiting?
This I keep thinking to myself, and asking myself
With deep love and deep hate
I am still here, waiting enraptured

The Immortal Feng Fei Fei

This being a blog meant primarily as an outlet to express my eclectic interests, I would like to dedicate its first post to a Taiwanese singer whom I particularly admire, and whose songs I find myself unable to tire of.

Lin Chiu Luan （林秋鸞） was born in Taiwan’s Taoyuan county in 1953.  She rose to great stardom as a singer in the early 70’s under her stage name Feng Fei Fei (鳳飛飛) which, although not abnormal as a Chinese name, can be roughly translated in English as “flying phoenix.”  Her first great hit came in 1972 with “Wish You Happiness” (祝你幸福).  She went on to host at least five consecutive variety shows from the late 70’s into the 90’s, all of which were widely popular.  Because of this, many great live recordings of her performances on television are available on Youtube.

From my limited perspective as a foreign listener, I feel Feng Fei Fei represents a deviation from an earlier trend in Taiwanese music for female singers to have very high-pitched voices and crisp, highly articulated enunciation, of which Yao Su Rong (姚蘇蓉) is a primary example.  In contrast to such singers, Feng Fei Fei’s voice sounds relaxed and natural.  Her enunciation while singing is similar to her speaking voice, and her Mandarin has a strong southern (Taiwanese) accent.  She has particular musical phrasing tendencies and a strong, droning vibrato which, although in isolation are not necessarily unique to her, create in combination a special sound which makes her instantly recognizable.

Aside from her unique singing voice, Feng Fei Fei also owes her great popularity to her characteristic sense of style and poise.  In an era where wearing flowing gowns and softly accentuating one’s femininity was considered a given for most female singers, Feng Fei Fei’s style could be described more as handsome than pretty.  She regularly appeared in flared-leg pants paired with brightly colored blazers or tail-suits. Makeup and jewelry were kept to a minimum, although she did show feminine charm in her own way; perhaps through a brightly-colored jacket emblazoned with sequins, or a sparkling necklace tucked beneath her shirt and vest, unbuttoned at the collar.  Most famously of all, Feng Fei Fei had a penchant for wearing distinctive hats on stage, which earned her the nickname 帽子歌后 (Singing Queen of Hats).

Through her various television programs, a whole generation of Taiwanese (and others such as myself) have been touched by Feng Fei Fei’s special charm.  She spoke with a light, vibrant and unaffected cordiality that made guests on her program and viewers at home alike feel fondness for her.  It is this aura of warmth, familiarity and soft affection that has allowed her to capture the hearts of so many and maintain a devoted following of fans, even after passing away in 2012 at the age of 58.

As mentioned previously, many valuable recordings of Feng Fei Fei’s performances are available to view online, and though it is hard to choose only one to share as a conclusion to my narrative of her, so I have done.  This clip is from her show in the 1978-1979 period 一道彩虹 (A Rainbow) and the song is called 攜手同行 (Walking Hand-in-Hand). My rough translation of the lyrics is below.

Don’t be doubtful, don’t avoid me
You must believe I truly love you
Only you can understand my heart
And bring me endless joy

You must believe in how I feel
In my heart I’m holding so much tenderness
I can’t give this heart to anyone else
I want to give it all to you

Let our hands link together, let our hearts link together
Let us work hard, let us create the earth and sky of happiness

You must believe in how I feel
In my heart I’m holding so much tenderness
I can’t give this heart to anyone else
I want to give it all to you

(The sound will likely play all from the left side unless you pull the earphones slightly out of the jack)