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December 15, 2013

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Home » District » Putuo

Competition helps new Shanghainese singers

Source: Shanghai Daily | December 15, 2013, Sunday | Print Edition

The 18-year-old Mikhail Ryabovich from Russia performed the Chinese song “Hometown Cloud” at the Changfeng Cup New Shanghainese Singer Competition Final held at Shanghai Star Stage on the afternoon of November 8.

He won the bronze prize in popular singing this year.

The New Shanghainese Singer Competition, founded in Changfeng New Village Subdistrict, is co-organized by the Shanghai International Arts Festival committee, Putuo District government as well as Shanghai Musician Association.

The competition provides an opportunity for people new to Shanghai to express themselves in music. It is a stepping stone for many who love music and wish to start professional careers as singers. Over the years, there were waiters and waitresses who became signed singers, vendors who have hosted concerts, and people who got job offers.

This year, a total of 254 people participated in the competition. They came from different countries, provinces and professions as well as different ages and backgrounds. What they had in common was that they were all new residents to this city, and they had a passion for singing.

Originally from Vladivostok, Russia, Ryabovich came to Shanghai in September to study Chinese at Tongji University.

Ryabovich said in his self-introduction that he developed an interest in music as a child, and has participated in many competitions in Russia.

Studying the song in Chinese wasn’t hard for him.

“Learning this song was faster than studying the language, because I’ve been studying singing since I was young, and memorizing the lyrics with the notations was easy,” he said.

“The reason why I started learning the Chinese language is that I’m very interested in Chinese history and culture. Moreover, I would like to stay here for a long time because I feel this country may help me broaden my mind,” he said.

Ryabovich said even though it wasn’t so hard to study the lyrics in Chinese, singing the song correctly in the foreign language was really difficult. At the same time, he said, it really was worth it.

“I had never tried that before. I tend to think that Chinese is the most difficult language in the world, so at first I was hesitant about singing a song in Chinese,” he said.

“Fortunately I decided to try. I’m very grateful to all my friends who cheered me up in the difficult moments.”

The competition was really an important step in his future singing career, he said.

A total of 12 contestants in three groups (folk style, bel canto and popular) entered the final competition after the qualification trial, quarter-final and semi-final. The final performances had live accompaniment and had two sections: a solo presentation and group singing with others.

Tang Wanlian, the winner of the gold prize in folk singing, participated in the competition for the second time this year. Originally from Hunan Province in central China, she won the silver prize in 2009, which also changed her life because Jinshan Culture Center in southwest Shanghai offered her a position as a folk artist.

E Wanting of the Daur people of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region won the bronze in folk singing. She performed “Mirage” with a bright and natural voice.

After graduating from Jiangnan University in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, with a major in vocal music, E is a music teacher at Waigang Primary School in Jiading District. She insisted on using her own folk singing style for the love of the Daur culture and her hometown.

Guo Qimeng from Hubei Province in central China was among the finalists this year. In 2006 she came to Shanghai by herself with a dream of becoming a singer. Life was hard when she first came: She lived in a basement with several other people and didn’t have much money for food. Even at times like that, she didn’t give up on singing.

“It’s the love for music that’s been holding me up, to be persistent until today,” Guo said.

Putuo


 

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