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22 LIFE | Arts Monday, May 11, 2015 CHINA DAILY STAGE FOLK CULTURE Li sings a different SET tune By CHEN NAN Li Zhi is one of the few singer­ songwriters in China who can FOR quickly sell out tickets to each of his concerts. But he has never per­ formed on TV, rarely does inter­ views and always keeps a low profile. During the past 10 years, he has been exploring ways of being an SHOW independent folk singer­songwriter by relying on social media to spread Zhang Huoding, a veteran yet his music and interact with his fans. Li held a news conference in Bei­ low­profile Peking Opera artist, will jing in early April to launch his upcoming national tour, titled Kan perform at the closing ceremony of Jian (Seeing). Starting in Shenzhen on May 23, Li will perform in five cit­ Meet in Beijing Arts Festival. ies, including Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan. Chen Nan reports. Li showed to the media a photo depicting him half­naked, a tattoo on the center of his chest in the shape of a Chinese map. The photo seems to hint at his ambition to con­ quer the country. “Press conferences are so not my style. But lots of my friends encour­ Zhang Huoding enjoys great popularity among Chinese Peking Opera fans. Her upcoming performances include shows later this month in Beijing and in New York in September. aged me to have one, as a way to cel­ PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY ebrate my 10 years in the music scene. So I wanted to give it a try,” says the Li, 37, said at the recent hile traditionalists major schools in Peking Opera, are media event. often complain tragic stories, and she likes the role He has nearly 200,000 followers that ancient Chi­ of Bai Suzhen in particular, the lead on micro blog Sina Weibo. nese art forms are character in The Legend of White Since 2004, Li has released seven facingW extinction, Zhang Huoding, Snake, which is a personified snake albums, including the newest, 1701, a Peking Opera actress, is reviving spirit married to Xu Xian, a which was played online more than the old practice. human. 2.5 million times within a week of its Despite keeping a low profile in “I was attracted to the role of Bai. debut in November. the media, the performer has She is crazy about love,”says Zhang, Li first rose to fame on Dou­ become one of the country’s most­ who performed the whole work for ban.com, a popular Chinese social loved opera artists, thanks to her the first time in 2000 when she was networking website. His folk tunes melodious singing voice and out­ with the China National Peking and poetic lyrics about his personal standing performances. Not only Opera Company. “The classic work life and observations about society have the elderly followed her career contains a tragic love story, lots of won him thousands of fans online. with keen interest, youngsters have martial arts ... so I believe that With an entrepreneural spirit, Li also given her pop star­like status. American audiences will like it.” established his own team to promote On May 28, at the closing cere­ I am not an Compared with many Peking his music. His concert on Dec 31, mony of the ongoing 15th Meet in Opera actors, who learned the tra­ 2014, sold an unprecedented 3,600 Beijing Arts Festival, one of the ambitious person. ditional art when they were young, tickets within 13 minutes. The con­ largest art festivals in China, Zhang Zhang, who came from Baicheng cert was also webcast live with more will present classic works created I have very few city in Northeast China’s Jilin prov­ than100,000peoplepayingtowatch. by Peking Opera master Cheng shows every year.” ince, studied Peking Opera at age With the Internet revolutionizing Yanqiu (1904­58), including Reun­ 15. A late start is considered a dis­ the music industry worldwide, Li ion in the Dream and The Jewelry Zhang Huoding, Peking Opera actress advantage for Peking Opera actors promoted himself internationally, Pouch. and actresses, who need to train and his songs can be purchased on Zhang will make her debut at the their bodies and voices early in life. iTunes and other platforms. Lincoln Center for the Performing IF YOU GO Zhang failed three times when Li has stirred some controversy Arts in New York City in September applying to Peking Opera schools with his comments about the cur­ by performing two shows, The Jew­ 7:30 pm, May 27­28. National Center but her obsession with the art led rent music scene in China. for the Performing Arts, 2 West elry Pouch and The Legend of White Chang’an Avenue, Xicheng district, her to keep trying until in 1986, she “People take it for granted that Snake. Beijing. 010­6655­0000. made it to a school in Tianjin. folk and rock singer­songwriters “In 1930, Mei Lanfang (1894­ In 1989, Zhang started learning should cater to a minority taste and 1961) brought Peking Opera to the the performing style of the Cheng lower their tickets price. I don’t United States for the first time and school with renowned Peking think so,”says Li. his art surpassed the language and ater Arts. Opera master Zhao Rongchen Tickets for his national tour cost cultural obstacles. I believe Zhang Despite her fame, she has led a (1916­96), which ushered her into a as much as 880 yuan ($142). will carry on the legacy by display­ simple life and has never used clear career path. He adds that there are few inde­ ing the charm of Peking Opera to social media platforms such as Her first Peking Opera teacher pendent singer­songwriters in the American audiences,” says Fu Jin, a WeChat and micro blog. was Zhang Huoqian, her elder music industry “because their atti­ professor at the National Academy She spends most of her time with brother, who is a veteran wu sheng, tude and spirit are not independent”. of Chinese Theater Arts, a top insti­ her students and taking care of her or the warrior role of Peking Opera. “An independent singer­song­ tution for traditional Chinese per­ 3­year­old daughter. Zhang Huoqian once said in an writer should have a clear under­ forming arts. “I am not an ambitious person. I interview that he didn’t expect his standing of his music and his “When you go to Zhang’s shows, have very few shows every year so I sister to be so popular as an opera audience, rather than counting on you can feel the warm atmosphere guess that’s why audiences want to actress since “she didn’t display any images designed by the record com­ of the audience, which reminds you see me,”says Zhang, who left China great talent when learning Peking panies,”he says. of the golden era of Peking Opera,” National Peking Opera Company in Opera in the beginning”. He adds that his idols are Cui Jian, Fu says. 2010 to become a professor at the “But what made her special is her Chinese godfather of rock ‘n’ roll, Wearing a navy blue blazer and a National Academy of Chinese The­ shy and calm personality,which fits The Jewelry and rock singer­songwriter Xu Wei. short, tidy hairstyle, 44­year­old ater Arts. the style of Cheng school,”he said. Pouch, “Being real to myself is the core of Zhang recently participated in a When asked about the upcoming performed by being a singer­songwriter, no matter media event for the festival at the shows, Zhang says many works of Contact the writer at Zhang Huoding. you are in China or anywhere in the National Academy of Chinese The­ the Cheng school, one of the four [email protected] world.” Born in Jintan city, Jiangsu prov­ ince,Liboughthisfirstguitarin1995 at age 17.In 2004, he borrowed 5,000 MUSICIAN yuan from his friend and made his first album, The Forbidden Game. Oneofhissongs,Mr Van Gogh,wasa big hit after its release in 2007. Owl City comes to China for new gig “His melody and lyrics are good but his singing technique needs improving. I believe what makes By CHEN NAN expect that “new songs, old songs, to be a producer, writer and engi­ him special is the realness in his deep cuts and B­sides will all make neer, and his involvement with col­ music,”says Lao Lang, a famous Chi­ Adam Young, better known by appearances throughout the show”, laborators has taught him the value nese folk singer. his stage name, Owl City, has swept including Fireflies from his debut of learning from other people who Li now lives in Nanjing, and says the world with his electronic and album, Ocean Eyes, which shot to The crowd, the are excellent at their craft, he says. the city inspires him. melodic tunes ever since he No 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart Describing himself as “introvert­ “It’s a shame that I have not writ­ emerged as a one­man band from and went platinum four times over. smoke, the lights, it’s ed”, Young says he has always pre­ ten any good lyrics in a long time. I the basement of his parents’ house He also wrote music from some ferred to be alone. But there is will go back to Nanjing after the tour in a small town in Minnesota, the animated movies, such as The all very alluring ...” something that happens when he and think about it.” United States in 2007.

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