'Queen of Love Songs'

Friday 18th February, 2011 3 BY ZHANG ZIXUAN stones to imagine the shapes of that, many times, his brush didn’t tries as the United Kingdom, CHINA DAILY/ ANN large trees and mountains. even touch the paper. Japan, Germany and the United Golden re-union of Zeng teaches his students with What Zeng did tell Tao was how States. teacher helps students with visual impairments how to place to control the amount of water Zeng also encourages students visual disabilities create every brush stroke in the right added to the ink. to become involved in charity. They Astunning artworks. Zhang place by putting differently shaped Tao recalls that Zeng once tried have sold their paintings to raise P’deniya 1961 batch Zixuan reports. stones on paper as reference points. to teach him what transparency money for victims of the 2008 Zeng Bailiang asks his students Tao Jin, a 46-year-old who was was. He grabbed Tao’s right index Wenchuan earthquake and the to paint by smell. For yellow, he born blind, began to learn Chinese finger and stuck it through the needy children of Project Hope. tells them to use the lemon-scented ink painting from Zeng in 1996. Tao paper. The instructor hopes his stu- paint, for green, the one that smells recalls that he thought Zeng was “This is transparency,” Zeng dents can perform at the 2012 of grass, and for red, the one with insulting him when the instructor told Tao. London Paralympics’ opening cere- the fragrance of roses. Zeng added volunteered to teach Tao how to “Painting enables me to experi- mony to let the whole world wit- the fragrances to the pigments to paint. ence a new life, and Zeng is my bea- ness the miracle of his blind paint- enable his painting students with But Tao was touched by Zeng’s con of light,” says Tao, who has ing students. visual impairments find their way around their palettes. “We overly trust what we see, but the blind use other senses to awaken their imaginations and set their minds free,” says Zeng, who has tutored more than 32,000 visu- ally impaired people in Chinese ink Colouring the painting over the past 30 years. He got the idea from a seeming- ly miraculous 1971 encounter when the then 12-year-old was practicing still-life painting in the country- side. “Why not paint that bird over there with the long beak and green darkness back?” a 4-year-old boy, who was standing behind him said, pointing he year 2011 is a memorable one for those who to a plant a few steps away. entered the University of Peradeniya the Zeng looked but didn’t see any Testeemed academic institution of Sri Lanka in bird. He walked closer to the plant the year 1961. and pushed aside its branches to 50 years is a long period to look back. During this reveal a bird that looked exactly as period most of us have completed the daily routine the boy had described standing of our life, some already enjoying the retirement exactly where he had said it was. while some others still at the tail end of serving the Zeng was shocked, because the country. The University of Peradeniya with its boy was blind. enchanting environment laid the ideal foundation “It’s just there. I can feel it,” the for all of us to achieve the educational goal. Those boy explained. who entered the University of Peradeniya are among That sentence changed Zeng for- the elite in society and all of us served the country ever. He says he can’t articulate in various capacities, namely as administrators, pro- exactly what the experience meant fessors, doctors, engineers, agriculturists, teachers, to him. etc. But, he says, he “seemed to sud- When we look back we feel humbly proud of our denly understand a certain open- achievements ness and relativity that he read There is one unique aspect which we could recall about in traditional Chinese philos- with pride. The batch of 1961 included for the first ophy books”. time non- residential students too. The residential So he began instructing people students were around 350, whereas non residential with visual impairments in paint- students were around 700. Even though with such a ing, hoping to guide people with large number we all lived as one big family, with no blindness, “out of the dark”, he conflicts or differences. These characteristics says. would set an example to the present day undergrad- “If blind people can paint, what uates who are faced with many conflicts. can’t they do?” says Zeng, who is Zeng Bailiang helps Han Ping’an, a 14-year-old boy with visual impairment, learn Chinese ink painting. In celebrating the golden re-union, opportunity also vice-chairman of the Nanning Huo Yan / China Daily will arise for us to meet old colleagues, and hear Artists Association and former what they have to say after so many years. For those deputy director-general of the sincerity and picked up the paint- become an acclaimed artist and the “Respect is even more impor- who are here as well as abroad, this reunion will be Nanning Disabled Persons’ brush with a shaking hand. While chairman of the Guangxi tant than love,” Zeng says. the occasion of a life time. Federation in the Guangxi Zhuang painting the first hill in his life, Association of the Blind. “I’m not just teaching them autonomous region’s capital. Tao had no idea where the next In 1989, Zeng founded a free painting. I’m helping them respect Zeng’s first painting class for brushstroke should be placed. It training school to help more people themselves and win respect from beautiful and people with visual impairments was as if he was walking helplessly with disabilities. others.” touching than any love songs I was solely to help the students gain through a boundless space, he says. More than 32,000 blind students had ever performed,” she says. confidence. “The mountain you just painted like Tao have since received karaoke hits, in Talking of married life, she He organized a needle threading is so magnificent!” Zeng told Tao. Chinese ink painting training. Hong Kong, Taiwan and the says, “You feel secure to know competition between his blind stu- Tao says he suddenly realized Many have become professional mainland. there’s a person supporting you by dents and those who can see. It “what confidence was”. And he fell artists, whose works have Her 2003 album, The Power of your side, whatever happens.” turned out the blind could thread in love with painting at that been exhibited in by Chen Nan Love, sold more than 1.5 million Having been in this industry needles much faster thanks to a moment. such coun- China Daily/ ANN copies in Asia, and won her numer- for many years, Leong says fame more sensitive sense of touch. Zeng didn’t tell Tao what his ous Best Female Vocalist awards. has been accompanied by a lot of “What seems necessary some- maiden work really looked like Her concerts, such as Love Parade pressure. “I found myself becom- times really isn’t,” Zeng says. until many years later. He he cover of Fish Leong’s new World Tour in 2004 and 2005, and ing narrow-minded and fixated on The “atypical” teacher takes his also didn’t tell his Talbum, What Love Songs Today is Our Valentine’s Day Tour success and failure. Tony opened students into nature so they can student Didn’t Tell You, is sure to raise eye- in 2007, were sold out events. up a different world for me,” she know more about such objects as Chetties brows, with the singer appearing in The singer, who tied the knot says. leaves and flowers through touch. black, 25.4 cm high heels, mini-skirt with Tony Chao after two years of Looking to the future, Leong He also has them feel and fire-red short hair.The brilliant dating, in March 2010, is still all says she plans to concentrate more potted landscapes of Sri Lanka diamonds on her neck and finger teary-eyed as she recalls their wed- on producing and writing songs. “I and complete this new look. ding in Boracay Island in the sing love songs today not because I “But I am still me and the only Philippines. want to yell out my pain but to launched difference is that I’m married, The beach wedding was Chao’s share (love) with people,” she says. which makes me happier and more surprise for her. “It was much more confident,” says the Taiwan-based Malaysian, who was in Beijing recently to promote her new album, her 15th. ‘Queen of Love Songs’ However, the changes are far from being merely cosmetic. The new album is not only Leong’s first as producer, the songs, too, are not finds peace in marriage the sad love tunes that won her wide popularity. Her chart toppers, such as Courage and Happy Breakup, earned her the moniker “healer of wounds”. Returning to the music circuit after a yearlong break, Leong readi- ly admits, “It’s hard for me to sing the usual love songs because I am married and I have a different per- spective on love”. The new album’s theme song, What Love Songs Didn’t Tell You, is about relationships, while in La La La La, a light-hearted song, the singer reflects on love and fear. “I am beginning to understand what real happiness is.

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