Yuan Yawei (Photo : We-Enhance)
After finishing third place in the reality show “China Star,” upcoming singer Yuan Yawei would have a Beijing concert on April 9. She would perform songs from her self-titled album released in 2015.
Among the songs she would perform from her album are “No Soul, No Good” and “Love Can Fly.” Also included in her repertoire are her numbers on the contest, which Dragon TV broadcast beginning in November 2015, such as “A Chu Gu Niang” (The Girl, A Chu), written by songwriter Liang Fan, reported China Daily.
The song is about a girl, Chu, who comes from a small town. It is a slow pop song which is quite different from the jazz and soul numbers that Yuan is known for.
In many ways, Yuan is like Chu because she was born and raised in the small town of Huai Hua in Hunan Province. She lived by rivers and mountains. Her divorced mother sold their small family business so Yuan could enroll in acting classes at the Beijing Film Academy.
Yuan joined the reality show upon the prodding of Liu Huan, a singer and songwriter and one of the judges of “China Star.” The talent show, produced by China Recording Association and Recording Academy, targeted to improve cultural exchange between China and the U.S.
Yuan is no stranger to reality shows. Before “China Star,” she also joined “Voice of China” in 2012 when she met Liu. “Voice” is aired by Zhejiang Satellite TV. Her very different way of interpreting “The Crescent Moon,” one of Liu’s hits, attracted Yuan to Liu, particularly the soulful way she sang it mixed with blues.
Liu said that Yuan, also known as Tia Ray, blew the audience away with her fresh and free music. We-Enhance, a multi-media entertainment company, has dubbed her as China’s first R&B Pop Princess.
Hans Ebert, chairman and CEO of We-Enhance which is based in Hong Kong, said, “Tia is a rare combination of style and talent.” We-Enhance is managing Yuan, together with Acewood Production, a Beijing based company run by Linda Lee.
