Teresa Teng

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Teresa Teng
Background information
Birth name	Deng Li Jun
Born	January 29, 1953 Yunlin, Taiwan
Origin	Taipei, Taiwan
Died	May 8, 1995 (aged 42) Chiang Mai, Thailand
Genre(s)	Mandarin Pop
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1967 – 1995
Label(s)	Polydor, PolyGram

Teresa Teng (sometimes spelled Teresa Tang or Teresa Deng; Traditional Chinese: 鄧麗君; Simplified Chinese: 邓丽君; Hanyu Pinyin: Dèng Lìjūn; Wade-Giles: Teng Li-chün) (January 29, 1953 - May 8, 1995), from Taipei, Taiwan, has been the most famous singer amongst Chinese-speaking heritage. She also has enjoyed immense popularity in the rest of East Asia, particularly in Japan, for some 30 years. Teresa is known for her folk songs and romantic ballads.

She has made famous several songs, including "When Will You Return?" (Simplified Chinese: 何日君再来; pinyin: Hé Rì Jūn Zài Lái). In addition to her Mandarin repertoire, she has also recorded songs in the Taiwanese dialect, Cantonese, Japanese, Indonesian and English.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Death and commemorations 3 Influence on popular culture 4 Some of her most popular songs 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Biography

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

In 1968, she became famous after giving a performance on a popular music programme in Taiwan, and released eight albums within the next two years. In 1973, she attempted to crack the Japanese market, taking part in in Japan's Red and White Song Competition, and won the prize for "Best New Singing Star".^[1]

In 1983, she released her most-acclaimed album Light Exquisite Feeling (淡淡幽情). This comprised 12 poems from Tang and Song dynasties, set to music by various composers for the first time in Chinese music history. These included the famous songs "Wishing We Last Forever" (Shuǐ diào gē tóu, 水调歌头) and "How Many Worries" (Yu Mei Ren, 几多愁/虞美人).

She was well known and her music was also hugely popular in mainland China despite the fact that the authorities had branded most Western music, including her music, as "decadent". However, she was never to perform there.^[2] 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 Victoria Park for a gathering called "Democratic songs dedicated for China." She also performed the song called "My home is on the other side of the mountain."^[3]

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.

[edit] Death and commemorations

Long time asthmatic, Teng died from a severe asthma attack while on holiday in Chiang Mai, Thailand at the age of 42 (43 by Chinese reckoning) on May 8, 1995.

She is buried in a mountainside tomb at Golden Treasure mountain (Chin Pao San - 金寶山), a cemetery near Jinshan, Taipei County in Taiwan. A memorial was built at the tomb with a statue of Teng and her stage clothes on display, with her music playing in the background. There is also a large electronic piano keyboard that visitors can play by stepping on the keys. The tomb is well visited by her fans, a notable departure from traditional Chinese culture shunning visits to burial sites.^[4]

A house she bought in 1986 in Hong Kong at No. 18 Carmel Street also become a site of pilgrimage for her fans soon after her death. Plans to sell the home to finance a museum in Shanghai were made known in 2002,^[5] and subsequently sold for HK 32 million. It closed on what would have been her 51st birthday on January 29, 2004.^[6]

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of her death, Teresa Teng Culture and Education Foundation launched a campaign entitled "Feel Teresa Teng". In addition to organizing an anniversary concert in Hong Kong and Taiwan, music fans paid homage at her shrine at the Jinbaoshan Mausoleum. Additionally, some of her dresses, jewelry and personal items were placed on exhibition at Yuzi Paradise, an art park outside Guilin, China.^[7]

[edit] Influence on popular culture

• Her songs were so popular in Chinese Karaoke bars, 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 (The Decadent Sound of Faye) consisting entirely of cover songs originally sung by Teresa Teng.
• 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.

[edit] Some of her most popular songs

• "When Will You Return?" (Simplified Chinese: 何日君再来; pinyin: Hé Rì Jūn Zài Lái) - This theme song was also unofficially used in Meteor Garden where Shan Tsai's mother (Tsukushi) sings the first few stanzas
• "Wine Added to Coffee" - This theme song was unofficially used in Meteor Garden II when Shan Tsai's father gets drunk after work where a few stanzas were sung
• "As Gentle As a Breeze" (Simplified Chinese: 恰似你的温柔; pinyin: Qià Sì Nǐ De Wēn Róu, lit: Just Like Your Tenderness), covering a song originally recorded by Tsai Chin (蔡琴)
• "A Small Wish" (Simplified Chinese: 一个小心愿; pinyin: Yī Gè Xiǎo Xīn Yuàn)
• "The Milky Way" (Simplified Chinese: 云河; pinyin: Yún Hé, lit: Cloud River)
• "Fragrance of the Night" (Simplified Chinese: 夜来香; pinyin: Yè Lái Xiāng)
• "How Would You Explain" (Simplified Chinese: 看今天你怎么说; pinyin: Kàn Jīn Tiān Nǐ Zěn Mé Shuō, lit: Let's See What You'll Say Today)
• "Raining on the East Mountain" (Simplified Chinese: 东山飘雨西山晴; pinyin: Dōng Shān Piāo Yǔ Xī Shān Qíng, lit: East Mountain Raining West Mountain Clear)
• "The Moon Represents My Heart" (Chinese: 月亮代表我的心; pinyin: Yuè Liàng Dài Biǎo Wǒ De Xīn) - This song has been popularized by other artists like Leslie Cheung in the album Forever, Jerry Yan in the F4 concerts and Sammi Cheng with Jerry Yan in a duet. 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
• "Stroll on the Road of Life" (Chinese: 漫步人生路; pinyin: Màn Bù Rén Shēng Lù)
• "Your Sweet Smiles" (Chinese: 甜蜜蜜; pinyin: Tián Mì Mì, 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
• "On the Other Side of the Water" (Chinese: 在水一方; pinyin: Zài Shǔi Yī Fāng)
• "Small Town Story" (Chinese: 小城故事; pinyin: Xiǎo Chéng Gù Shì)
• "Forget Him" (Simplified Chinese: 忘记他; pinyin: Wàng Jì Tā)
• "Do You Know Whom I Love" (Simplified Chinese: 你可知道我爱谁; pinyin: Nǐ Kě Zhī Dào Wǒ Ài Shéi)
• "Thank You" (Simplified Chinese: 谢谢你; pinyin: Xiè Xiè Nǐ)
• "Goodbye My Love" (Simplified Chinese: 再见，我的爱人; pinyin: Zài Jiàn, Wǒ De Ài Rén, 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" (Chinese: 但愿人长久/水调歌头; pinyin: Dàn Yuàn Rén Cháng Jǐu/Shuǐ Diāo Gē Tou) - A traditional poem, transformed into a song. Faye Wong later covered this song. Jolin Tsai also sang this song while Jay Zhou was on piano
• "How Many Worries" (Chinese: 几多愁/虞美人; pinyin: Jǐ Duō Chóu/Yú Měi Rén) - Another poem turned into a song
• "I Only Care About You" (Traditional Chinese: 我只在乎你; pinyin: Wǒ Zhǐ Zài hū Nǐ; Japanese: 時の流れに身をまかせ, "I Leave Myself in the Hands of The Flow of Time") - she also sang this in a duet with Jackie Chan. This was also sung by Gigi Leung later on
• "Fruit" (Japanese: 别れの予感)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• publicradio.org
• Teresa Teng Fan Club
• Teresa Tang at the Internet Movie Database