In memory of folk music
Renowned Chinese folk singer Wang Kun, 84, and her students will give a special concert "Memory and Love" on Sunday at the National Center for the Performing Arts, to celebrate her 70-year singing career.
Wang's students, many of whom are themselves popular singers such as Cheng Fangyuan and Li Lingyu, will be on stage. Her latest disciple, 9-year-old Huang Jiaqi, whom Wang acknowledged recently, will join her in singing Nan Ni Wan, Wang's signature song of the 1940s.
The concert will kick off a series of activities to honor Wang's contribution to the development of Chinese folk music. These will include album and book releases and a documentary on her life and work.
Wang was born in Tangxian county, Hebei province, in 1925, and joined the performing arts troupe in the revolution army in the 1940s. In 1945, she played the title role in the opera White-haired Girl, produced by the Yan'an Lu Xun Institute of Arts. The five-act opera is modern China's first Western-style opera.
In 1954, Wang joined the Central Conservatory of Music and later directed the Oriental Song and Dance Company. She combines Chinese folk with Western bel canto, giving her singing its unique style.
MTV World Stage
MTV World Stage will make its debut in Malaysia on Aug 15.
The outdoor concert at Sunway Lagoon Surf Beach will feature live performances by British rockers Kasabian, Raygun and Pixie Lott, US bands Hoobastank, All-American Rejects and Boys Like Girls, as well as local rock group Estranged.
The event will mark Kasabian's first live appearance in South-East Asia. The band released its self-titled album in 2003 and has won numerous awards including Best Live Act at the 2007 NME Awards.
MTV World Stage brings multi-genre talents with global relevance to an audience in over 550 million households. Over 15,000 people are expected to attend the show.
The event will premiere on MTV Asia on Aug 28 at 8 pm.
Honoring opera artist
Leading Peking Opera artists and players of jinghu, the stringed instrument always used in this operatic tradition, will celebrate the more than 80-year-long career of Li Muliang, renowned composer and jinghu maestro, with two grand shows. One show will run at the National Center for the Performing Arts on Friday and the other at the Mei Lanfang Grand Theater on Saturday.
Li was born in Changsha, Hunan province, in 1918, and began to learn Peking Opera singing at the age 7, specializing in laosheng, the old male roles. He first played the jinghu when he was just 9 and gave his first public performance at 12. His talents were quickly spotted by famous Peking Opera artist Ma Lianliang (1901-66), who soon took him under his wings. He rose in fame in the early 20s, accompanying Ma and Yan Jupeng (1890-1942).
After the founding of New China, Li joined the Beijing Peking Opera Company and composed many new dramas such as Orphan of Zhao's Family (Zhaoshi Gu'er) and Battle of Red Cliffs (Chibi Zhizhan), as well as the eight popular modern Peking Operas with revolutionary themes, during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).
The show will feature many leading Peking Opera artists who collaborated with Li including Mei Baojiu, son of Mei Langfang (1894-1961).
Editor: Dong Jirong
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