Archives For big vocal chops

If I’m not mistaken, I’ve been listening to Daiqing Tana (黛青塔娜 / Дайчин Тана) for quite a few months, so total surprised to find out that they’ll be performing in the latest season of I Am A Singer (我是歌手). Strange on its own, because we all know that Chinese people’s music taste is all sorts of conventional love ballad. And I love LOVE LaLa with all my bobo heart, but come one~ COME ON!

Now THAT’s a fuckin’ performance!

Also~ the mysterious Guan Zhe (关喆), who performed that catchy Beijing, Beijing, Wo Ai Beijing (北京,北京,我爱北京) number, will also be participating. Both he and HAYA Band (HAYA乐团) placed last.

If you’re interested, the performances (sans interruptions) are available on Xiami. Including the clean version of HAYA Band.

Also check out HAYA Band’s albums Migration (迁徙) and Crazy Horse (疯马), which are available on Xiami and iTunes. Apparently, you can also buy Migration on CDBaby, and there seems to be an up-to-date-ish Facebook page. However, the best place -always- is Weibo + DaiQing Tana’s.

Yeh Dil Vole! xD

Anyone who’ve seen both Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 1996 directorial debut Khamoshi: The Musical (Silence: The Musical) and last year’s Belgian-French La Famille Bélier -by Eric Lartigau- can spot the similarities between the two (as well as the 1996 German film Beyond Silence (Jenseits der Stille) by Caroline Link). You can even spot the similar plot points by either reading the outline or watching the trailer.

In the pivotal emotional punch of the movie, the daughter (played by Manisha Koirala and Louane Emera respectively) auditions to the coveted singing position, when her (deaf) parents -who had been against the idea- show up to see their daughter perform both vocally and in sign language. Koirala (voiced by playback singer Kavita Krishnamurthy) doing Yeh Dil Sun Raha Hain (This Heart Is Listening), and Emera singing Je Vole (I Fly).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM5SDobPdi0

Though Lartigau’s more modern take is much more musically accessible (let’s be honest, the film starts out with 2008 staple That’s Not My Name [1]), it’s also lighter. Bhansali’s story focuses a big chunk of his running time to tell the story of Manisha’s parents, also incredibly played by Nana Patekar and Seema Biswas, their struggle to raise a (hearing) child in near poverty levels, to the point that Patekar goes door to door with his daughter to make a living selling things.

Of course, both also have a love interest, and both Salman and Ilian Bergala are the weakest link.

I declare- DRAW!

I’ve just published a list of 100 songs in Chinese (mostly Mandarin, but also Cantonese… and maybe Hokkien… can’t be sure of that) that’s a great cheat sheet for anyone wanting to show off their knowledge of the scene. There’s definitely a wide variety of artists, so you’re sure to find something you enjoy.

yammag-100-songs-in-chinese-music

Visit YAM Magazine for the list with a link included to the YouTube playlist.

Jin Chi’s voice was one of my favorites from The Voice of China [1], but as with anyone coming from reality contest shows, her releases had been on the so-so side. This latest song called Hao Hao Guo (好好过, which I’m guessing it’s like saying I’ve Lived Well) gave me a lot of JeA vibes [1]. Those two should collab in the future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=568NPuupmO8

Jin Chi’s voice, though, it’s a breaking point. I love it.

Han Hong brought out the big guns with the most perfect rendition of Heavenly Road (天路) [1] I’ve seen her do. You know she means business when she pulls that song out, so she -of course- was crowned the winner of this season of I Am a Singer. Well, it was about time! LOL

I still wish she and Meav could collaborate in a song together.

… and, BAM!

You gotta love a contest that focuses on material, composition and production. That’s my main problem with singing contests, there are soooooo many great voices out there, but when albums are released, they turn out to be very boring in production. Sun Yunying’s (苏运莹) voice isn’t even bad at all, she sounds great and unique and she sells Wild Child (野子) so well right from the start.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-1ciY-psAs

Damn, Christina Aguilera sounds pretty good as Cher and Britney. Her Shakira sounds a bit Cher-y for my taste, but her yodeling sounds legit. But apparently, it’s pretty big news that Christina does old school Britney better than Britney herself because my mother came over with an already set comment on this before I showed her the clip.

Thing is, Christina can do voices, BiBi does gestures [1].

Happy 2015!

Let’s begin the new year with the latest season of China’s version of I Am Singer, where THE VOICE Han Hong is participating… kicking ass and taking names in the evening, ugly crying [1] and all. She knows the stage.

Not exactly new talent, but just discovered~

Jamyang Dolma (降央卓玛) is a Chinese singer, though I’m sure people would identify as Tibetan (for the obvious folk roots in her music, as well), who has been featured on CCTV programming. I’m pretty sure she would identify as Chinese or Chinese Tibet, otherwise she wouldn’t be featured on the channel. She’s also done her music school at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music [1], where all the famous people in the industry have studied… including famed Super Girl Chris Lee [1][2] ;P

And lately Chen Bing [1].

I just sorta fell in love with that song That Day (那一天), which is included on this 2014 album called Golden Calling II (金色的呼唤 II), which you can preview on Xiami, while some of her stuff is also available on iTunes.

Since I was kinda lukewarm with Season 2 of The Voice of China, and the format of the show seems to have expanded… and I don’t have my dad to watch with, I haven’t been following this year’s season. Just reading Cfensi’s recaps. xD

Also, there’s not as much variety of music genres and voices like in the first season. However, I’m always game for someone who wants to sing Mayday, because as my dad would note… there is a certain flare to Mayday’s music, as well as Ashin’s voice (plus composition skills!). Nobody can really do Mayday’s music like Mayday can.

But damn~ Chen Bing (陈冰), aka. Kiki, does it pretty well.

I’m not sure about being Kiki Chen, though. And it can’t be plain Kiki, because there’s Kiki from Milk@Coffee.

You can also get the clean song on Xiami, because those damn The Voice special effects can get in the way.