Taiwan's Glory

Teresa Teng

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One and Only Teresa Teng

 

 

 

 

* 燒肉粽 (閩南/福建語)

* 祖母的話 (閩南/福建語)

* 天黑黑 (閩南/福建語)

* 高山青/原鄉情濃 /再見我的愛人

* Girl of South Sea

* 緑島小夜曲

* 她的眼睛像月亮

* 風從那裡來

* 夜來香

* 美酒加咖啡

* 何日君再來

* 你在我心中

* 海韻

* 誰來愛我

* 不了情

* 在水一方

* 千言萬語

* 月亮代表我的心

* 我只在乎你

* 恰似你的溫柔

* 梅花

* 小城故事

* 但愿人长久

* 甜蜜蜜

* 淚的小雨

* 忘記他 (in Cantaonese)

* 空港 (in Japanese)

* 愛人 (in Japanese)

* 星月淚痕 (in Japanese)

* Mimpi Sedih (in Indonesian)

* Dayung Sampan (Tian Mi Mi in Indonesian)

* Indonesian Boat Song

* Ayo Mama - An Indonesian folk song

* More Than I Can Say (in English)

* I Just Called To Say I Love You (in English)

* Endless Love (in English)

 

 

 

In the 1996 Hong Kong film Comrades: Almost a Love Story (甜蜜蜜; film clip), directed by Peter Chan, the life and death of Teresa Teng is featured as a subplot to the main story.

 

 

 

Articles

* Pop diva Teresa Teng Lives on in Chinese Hearts by China Daily

* Why Teresa Teng Could Not Visit Mainland China by Zhao Lei

 

 

 

• Taiwan's Glory
  • A-mei
  • Takeshi Kaneshiro
  • Yuan T. Lee
  • Ang Lee
  • Cho-liang Lin
  • Chien-ming Wang
  • Chang Yung-fa
  • Luo Dayou
  • Teresa Teng
  • Momofuku Ando

Excerpts from Wikipedia.org

Teresa Teng (January 29, 1953 – May 8, 1995) (鄧麗君), sometimes spelled as Teresa Tang or Teresa Deng, was a legendary and influential C-pop singer from Yunlin County, Taiwan. She enjoyed immense popularity amongst all Chinese-speaking communities and in the rest of East Asia, particularly in Japan, for around 30 years. Teng was known for her folk songs and romantic ballads, which remain popular to this day.

She recorded many famous songs, including "When Will You Return?" (何日君再来). In addition to her Mandarin repertoire, she also recorded songs in Taiwanese, Cantonese, Japanese, Indonesian and English

 

Biography

Teresa Teng was born in a village in Yunlin County, Taiwan, to a mainland Chinese family originating from Hebei province. She was educated at Ginling Girls High School.

As a young child, Teresa possessed a singing voice that won her many awards at talent competitions. Her first major award was in 1964 when she sang "Visiting Yingtai" from Shaw Brothers' Huangmei opera movie, "The Love Eterne" (梁山伯与祝英台), at an event hosted by China Radio Station (Taiwan). Her singing proved successful and helped her family through the tough times of Taiwan's developing economy in the 1960s. To support her father, Teresa quit high school to pursue singing professionally.

In 1968, she became famous after giving a performance on a popular music programme in Taiwan, and released several albums within the next few years under the Life Records label. In 1973, she attempted to crack the Japanese market by signing with Polydor Japan records label, and taking part in Japan's Kōhaku Uta Gassen, a year-round singing match of the most successful artists of that year, and won the prize for "Best New Singing Star".

In 1974, with the song "Airport" (空港), she conquered Japan, where she remained a leading star despite a short exile in 1979 when she was deported for having entered on a fake Indonesian passport, bought for $20,000, a subterfuge rendered necessary by a break in relations between Taiwan and Japan on China's entry to the UN Security Council. Singing by now in Cantonese, Japanese and English as well as her native Mandarin, Teng was soon popular as far as Malaysia and Indonesia.

In 1983, she released her most-acclaimed album Light Exquisite Feeling (淡淡幽情). This album comprised 12 Ci poems from both the Tang and Song dynasties, set to a blend of modern Western and traditional Chinese music written by various composers, several of whom were involved in many of Teresa's previous albums. The most famous song from the album is "Wishing We Last Forever" (但愿人长久), best known to the current generation through the cover version by Faye Wong.

Teresa Teng's music is still well known today, throughout Asia and beyond. She was so popular that her music was banned for several years in Mainland China in the early 1980s for being too "bourgeois". Even though she had hoped to hold a concert in Tiananmen Square and was even publicly invited by the Chinese government, she would never have the opportunity to perform in China. She performed in Paris during the 1989 Tiananmen student uprising, singing for the students and proclaiming her support for them and for democracy. On May 27th, 1989, over 300,000 people gathered at the Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong for a gathering called "Democratic songs dedicated for China" (民主歌聲獻中華), where she performed the song "My home is on the other side of the mountain."

She sang many Japanese songs, including her own originals such as "Airport" (空港) and "I Only Care About You" (時の流れに身をまかせ or 我只在乎你), as well as some in tribute to original artists like Southern All Stars, most of which were re-written with Chinese lyrics.

 

Influence on Popular Culture

• Her songs were so popular in Chinese Karaoke bars that they bypassed mainland censorship, and it was said that "by day, Deng Xiaoping rules China, but by night, Deng Lijun rules."
• Teng's songs have been sung by other singers, most notably Faye Wong who released a tribute album (Decadent Sounds of Faye) consisting entirely of cover songs originally sung by Teresa Teng. Timi Zhuo is also known for singing her songs, and has been called her "second generation" because they both share the same soft voice and a similar singing style.
• In the 1996 Hong Kong film Comrades: Almost a Love Story (甜蜜蜜), directed by Peter Chan, the life and death of Teresa Teng is featured as a subplot to the main story.
• Her songs are played in various films, e.g. Rush Hour 2.
• In 2007, TV Asahi produced a tanpatsu (単発, TV movie), entitled Teresa Teng Monogatari (テレサ・テン物語) to commemorate the 13th anniversary of her death. Actress Yoshino Kimura starred as Teresa Teng.

 

Some of Her Most Popular Songs

• "When Will You Return?" This theme song was also unofficially used in Meteor Garden where Shan Tsai's mother (Tsukushi) sings the first few stanzas. This song was originally sung by the Shanghai songstress Zhou Xuan.
• "Endless Love" (Bu Liao Qing) This was a song originally sung by Koo Mei, who sang on behalf of the late actress Lin Dai in the movie with the same name (Bu Liao Qing); then popularized by Poon Sow Keng (another singer of the same generation as Lin Dai, Koo Mei, etc.) in about the mid-1960s. This song was covered by Tsa Chin, and a Cantonese version was sung by Anita Mui. The song was later given a rap interpretation by David Tao.
• "Wine Added to Coffee" This theme song was unofficially used in Meteor Garden II where a few stanzas are sung when Shan Tsai's father gets drunk after work.
• "As Gentle As a Breeze" (恰似你的温柔;lit: Just Like Your Tenderness), covering a song originally recorded by Tsai Chin (蔡琴).
• "A Small Wish" (一个小心愿).
• "The Milky Way" (云河;lit: Cloud River).
• "Fragrance of the Night" (夜来香).
• "How Would You Explain" (你怎么说;lit: Let's See What You'll Say Today).
• "Raining on the East Mountain" (东山飘雨西山晴;lit: East Mountain Raining West Mountain Clear).
• "Don't pick the roadside flowers" (路边的野花不要采) composed by a Malaysian songwriter, and released in 1973, Teresa's early songs (before her debut in Japan in 1974) were mainly dominated by Chinese-folk aura, although "acculturated" with modern instruments.
• "The Moon Represents My Heart" (月亮代表我的心) This song has been popularized by other artists like the late Leslie Cheung in the album Forever, Jerry Yan in the F4 concerts and Sammi Cheng with Jerry Yan in a duet. A fast version was sung by Linda Wong. The late Anita Mui sang this song as a tribute to Teresa Teng; she had also performed it as a duet with Andy Lau. A rap format was made by David Tao. This song was also translated into Filipino and sung by Zsa Zsa Padilla for the film Mano Po 2. Kim Chiu also sang her own version of the song. This remains her masterpiece (most popular song) since its release (1977) to this date. This song is popularly considered Teresa Teng's trademark.
• "Stroll on the Road of Life" (漫步人生路).
• "Your Sweet Smiles" (甜蜜蜜;lit: Sweet Honey Honey) This song was later used in Love Storm, sung by Leon Lai in a livelier format and by Machi Didi in a rap format. The late Roman Tam also sang this in tribute to Teresa Teng. Various sources have this song based on an Indonesian folk song.
• "On the Other Side of the Water" (在水一方). This song is later revived by Fahrenheit member Jiro Wang, used as theme in the show The X-Family.
• "Small Town Story" (小城故事).
• "Forget Him" (忘记他).
• "Do You Know Whom I Love" (你可知道我爱谁).
• "Thank You" (谢谢你).
• "Goodbye My Love" (再见，我的爱人;Indonesian language: Selamat Tinggal Kekasih) This is Teresa Teng's most popular song in Indonesia. Teresa Teng recorded the Indonesian version of this song in 1977, translated by Indonesian composer A. Riyanto for her only album in Indonesian.
• "Wishing We Last Forever" (但愿人长久/水调歌头) A traditional poem, transformed into a song. Faye Wong later covered this song. Jolin Tsai also sang this song with Jay Zhou on piano.
• "How Many Worries" (几多愁/虞美人) Another poem turned into a song.
• "I Only Care About You" (我只在乎你; Japanese: 時の流れに身をまかせ (Toki-ni nagare-ni mi-o makase), "I Leave Myself in the Hands of The Flow of Time") She also sang this in a duet with Itsuki Hiroshi, and Jackie Chan, with a duet cover version of it released on one of his albums after her death, adding lyrics about her to honor her memory. Teresa's voice was mixed posthumously. Gigi Leung also released her own cover version of this song.
• "Fruit" (Japanese: 別れの予感).
• "To Live With You From Now On" (Japanese: あなたと共に生きてゆく) This was her last Japanese single. This song was re-sung by the song's lyricist Zard's Izumi Sakai in 2005. Surprisingly, the new version included music played by Erhu and contained Mandarin dialogues, in memory of Teng's 10th death anniversary.
• "Airport" or "Lover's Concern" (空港）or (情人的关怀): This was her first Japanese original hit, released on July 1, 1974. This song and album made Teresa's popularity in Japan — and probably throughout the rest of Asia, and the rest of the world.
• "The Night Ferryboat" or "You are in my Heart" (夜のフェリーボート) (你在我心中): This is another famous Japanese original song that was sung by various singers like Faye Wong.
• "Night in Hong Kong" (香港の夜) or (香港之夜).
• "Lover" (爱人).
• "Love Compensation" (償い) or (偿还).

 

 

 

Hebei (河北) is a northern province of the People's Republic of China. The name Hebei means "north of the (Yellow) River". Zhili (直隸), meaning "Directly Ruled (by the Imperial Court)", was the name of Hebei before 1928.

It borders Liaoning to the northeast, Inner Mongolia to the north, Shanxi to the west, Henan to the south, and Shandong to the southeast. Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea is to the east. A small part of Hebei, an exclave disjointed from the rest of the province, is wedged between the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin. Most of central and southern Hebei lies within the North China Plain.

The population is mostly Han Chinese with minorities of Mongol, Manchu, and Hui Chinese.

Plains in Hebei were the home of Peking man, a group of Homo erectus that lived in the area around 200,000 to 700,000 years ago. Neolithic findings at the prehistoric Beifudi site date back to 7000 and 8000 BCE.

During the Spring and Autumn Period (722 BC - 476 BC), Hebei was under the rule of the states of Yan (燕) in the north and Jin (晉) in the south. Also during this period, a nomadic people known as Dí (狄) invaded the plains of northern China and established Zhongshan (中山) in central Hebei. During the Warring States Period (403 BC - 221 BC), Jin was partitioned, and much of its territory within Hebei went to Zhao (赵).

The Qin Dynasty unified China in 221 BC. The Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) ruled the area under two provinces (zhou), Youzhou Province (幽州) in the north and Jizhou Province (冀州) in the south. At the end of the Han Dynasty, most of Hebei came under the control of warlords Gongsun Zan in the north and Yuan Shao further south; Yuan Shao emerged victorious of the two, but he was soon defeated by rival Cao Cao (based further south, in modern-day Henan) in the Battle of Guandu in 200. Hebei then came under the rule of the Kingdom of Wei (one of the Three Kingdoms), established by the descendants of Cao Cao.

After the invasions of northern nomadic peoples at the end of the Western Jin Dynasty, the chaos of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Northern and Southern Dynasties ensued. Hebei, firmly in North China and right at the northern frontier, changed hands many times, being controlled at various points in history by the Later Zhao, Former Yan, Former Qin, and Later Yan. The Northern Wei reunified northern China in 440, but split in half in 534, with Hebei coming under the eastern half (first the Eastern Wei; then the Northern Qi), which had its capital at Ye (鄴), near modern Linzhang, Hebei. The Sui Dynasty again unified China in 589.

During the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) the area was formally designated "Hebei" (north of the Yellow River) for the first time. During the earlier part of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, Hebei was fragmented among several regimes, though it was eventually unified by Li Cunxu, who established the Later Tang Dynasty (923 - 936). The next dynasty, the Later Jin Dynasty under Shi Jingtang, posthumously known as Emperor Gaozu of Later Jin, ceded much of modern-day northern Hebei to the Khitan Liao Dynasty in the north; this territory, called The Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, became a major weakness in China's defense against the Khitans for the next century, since it lay within the Great Wall.

During the Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127), the sixteen ceded prefectures continued to be an area of hot contention between Song China and the Liao Dynasty. The Southern Song Dynasty that came after abandoned all of North China, including Hebei, to the Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) in 1127.

The Mongol Yuan Dynasty divided China into provinces but did not establish Hebei as a province. The Ming Dynasty ruled Hebei as "Beizhili" (北直隸), meaning "Northern Directly Ruled", because the area contained and was directly ruled by the imperial capital, Beijing; the "Northern" designation was used because there was a southern counterpart covering present-day Jiangsu and Anhui. When the Manchu Qing Dynasty came to power in 1644, they abolished the southern counterpart, and Hebei became known as "Zhili", or simply "Directly Ruled". During the Qing Dynasty, the northern borders of Zhili extended deep into what is now Inner Mongolia, and overlapped in jurisdiction with the leagues of Inner Mongolia.

The Qing Dynasty collapsed in 1912 and was replaced by the Republic of China. Within a few years, China descended into civil war, with regional warlords vying for power. Since Zhili was so close to Peking (Beijing), the capital, it was the site of frequent wars, including the Zhiwan War, the First Zhifeng War and the Second Zhifeng War. With the success of the Northern Expedition, a successful campaign by the Kuomintang to end the rule of the warlords, the capital was moved from Peking (Beijing) to Nanking (Nanjing). As a result, the name of Zhili was changed to Hebei to reflect that fact that it had a standard provincial administration, and that the capital had been relocated elsewhere.

The first half of the 20th century saw China plunged into a period of disunity and civil wars that divided the country into two main political camps - the Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) and the Communist Party of China (CPC). The war ended in 1949 with the establishment of the People's Republic in mainland China by the victorious Communists while the retreating Nationalists set up the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan.