Faye Wong 王菲 |
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Faye Wong is one of the most famous Chinese singers who to date has
released 41 albums and starred in 4 movies. Her songs are classics in
Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. She is one of the very few international
Asian stars to be equally popular on both sides of the Taiwan Straights. Faye Best is one of her latest compilation albums, although some western media sources take this to be the singers name. It is not, her name is Faye Wong and her album is called Faye Best. Faye Wong was born in Beijing in 1967. She was the daughter of a factory worker, whilst her Mother was a soprano singer who toured a lot. She was partially raised by her God-mother during her early years. This may have been responsible for her independent view of the world. |
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Quote: "I wandered around, visited museums and sat at cafes. There were so many strange, confident-looking people. They didn't care what other people thought of them. I felt I was originally like that too, independent and a little rebellious. But in Hong Kong I lost myself. I was shaped by others and became like a machine, a dress hanger. I had no personality and no sense of direction." Returning to Hong Kong she burst into the spotlight with her 1992 album Coming Home, which was a drastic change in musical direction from the more traditional Cantopop and incorporated R&B influences. In this album, she covered the song "Fragile Woman" which propelled her to stardom. A string of hits singles and albums followed during the 90's, which confirmed her as Hong Kong's biggest selling star. Meanwhile she continued to write her own songs and later changed from Cantonese to her native Mandarin. Her success in Hong Kong was mirrored in China where she became the countries top selling artist. However, the mandarins of government mistakenly picked out the word 'opium' in one of her songs, and banned her from entering Mainland China. In her defence she simply says she wrote the song herself and did not mention opium or drugs at all. Unlike most other stars Faye has never been one to court the press. Surprisingly this only bolstered her reputation with fans, and her disdainful dismissal of media, especially on questions concerning her private life, became the stuff of legend. In the new millennia Faye has cut back on her touring and releases of new material. She has starred in films, and made guest appearances for special events - such as the Sichuan Earthquake Appeal. However she embarks on a new tour late in 2010, touring China and Asia, including Japan, where she is also highly revered. She also spends much time working for Smile Angel Foundation, a charity for children with cleft lips. This is partly due to her second daughter who was born with the condition, (Since corrected by surgery in California). The part of Faye Wong's personality that resonated most with her audiences is her independence and her courage to be different. As she wrote for the lyrics of "No Regrets". Katie Chan, Wong's agent, once said "Faye does whatever she wants.... it's really quite a miracle that she became a success." |
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Quotes: "People always say I'm flighty, say I don't care, say I'm cool to all things. But who say's I don't care? It's just my personality." |
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"I'm lazy, only manage to jog for 2 days. I smoke, an act of damaging health. I'm a straightforward person, therefore offending someone becomes part of everyday life. I love to throw my temper around, not knowing how to control them. I'm an impatient person; especially to things that does not interest me. I'm confident yet feel inferior, very contradicting. Facing my fans, I'll feel embarrass. I'm not motivated, always thinking of holidays. I'm not an obedient person, even my mum can't change this fact. I'm not an idol, please don't treat me as one. Thanks to all who loves me. Hope that I'll reach my definition of perfection one day; you'll still be proud of me." | |||
Top Tracks
More information: Please see Wikipedia for full biography and discography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faye_Wong |