Chapter 5 Popular Hong Kong

In the Mood for Love at the age of 16, Teresa Teng stepped out of the island of Taiwan and stepped into a wider world. Singers who have released best-selling Mandarin records in Taiwan usually go on tour to Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and other places where many Chinese live, to explore overseas markets and increase their popularity. Teresa Teng, who was born and raised in Taiwan, entered the music scene and became famous in Taiwan. Hong Kong is an important base for her to develop her "overseas" popularity.Teresa Teng's overseas development took Singapore as the first stop. After taking the first step of her career in Asia, she gradually climbed to the peak of her career from Hong Kong.

In a person's life, there is always a place like that, where you stop and stay, let you dream; let you unload the burden of life, let you experience the splendor and meaning of life; let you feel that all your efforts are worthwhile. Worth it, lucky to have it all, you left your heart there in the end.Such a place, for Teresa Teng, is Hong Kong. Teresa Teng came to Hong Kong for the first time in December 1969. It was the first time she performed in Hong Kong two years after she entered the music scene.Teresa Teng was invited by Yan Yuying, chairman of the Hong Kong Baihuayou (a family medicine that is the same as Wanjinyou, a medicine containing mint) pharmaceutical company, and accompanied by her mother, to participate in the "Saving Children and Aiding Education" charity sale activity initiated by "Huaqiao Daily".At that time, Baihua Oil Pharmaceutical Factory was a large-scale enterprise in Hong Kong. Every year, celebrities from Hong Kong and Taiwan were invited to conduct charity sales.In the bazaar, movie stars and singers act as auctioneers, and each person is responsible for a product.Since the charity bazaar does not sell the value of the product itself, it depends on the popularity to sell a good price, and the popularity of the star can also be seen from the results of the charity bazaar.At the Hong Kong Industry Fair, the 16-year-old Teresa Teng, whose fame spread far from Taiwan at this time, raised 5,150 Hong Kong dollars as soon as she ascended the heights. Queen.Teresa Teng immediately received great attention and reports from the local media.

Although this is the first time to visit Hong Kong, Teresa Teng said that because the charity sale of the industry fair is very busy, and Hong Kong TV has repeatedly invited her to be on the program, there is no free time to have fun.However, she likes this place very much. "This is a cosmopolitan city that combines Eastern and Western cultures. It is very interesting to be exposed to a variety of lifestyles." January 1970 was the day when Teresa Teng was "crowned" as a queen.Yan Yuying, chairman of Baihua Oil Pharmaceutical Factory, held a celebration banquet for Teresa Teng at the Moon Palace Restaurant in Central Hong Kong; then specially invited Dong Liang, chairman of Hong Kong Po Leung Kuk, to preside over the coronation ceremony. The guests present at the ceremony included hundreds of people from Hong Kong news, business and cultural circles.At the beginning of the coronation ceremony, Huang Gui, the publicity minister of the Industrial Exhibition and Manufacturers Association, put a red brocade robe inlaid with gold on Teresa Teng's body; The ribbon of "Queen of Charity", Dong Liang, Chairman of Po Leung Kuk, put on a pearl crown for her, and Cen Caisheng, general manager of "Overseas Chinese Daily", presented the banner of "Queen of Charity"; finally elected "Queen"

Teresa Teng donated Hong Kong dollars on the spot to sponsor the "Saving Children and Aiding Education" activities. Teresa Teng's status in the Hong Kong music scene was thus established. Soon after the "coronation", Hong Kong TVB signed a contract with Teresa Teng, and then Teresa Teng's performances in Hong Kong were arranged by TVB.The contract signed by Teresa Teng and TVB is that Teresa Teng will be a guest singer for one month, that is to say, she can only be a singer of TVB during her stay in Hong Kong, and she is not allowed to participate in singing activities of other TV stations.At the same time, the Taiwanese singers who signed a contract with TVB also included Xie Lei and Zhang Qi, who were praised as "singing couples" at the time.In addition to intensive activities on TVB, Teresa Teng was also invited to perform on stage at the Hong Kong Opera House.

Since then, Teresa Teng's career in Hong Kong has developed rapidly.Hong Kong has thus become her second hometown. In August 1970, Teresa Teng went to Hong Kong to perform with more than 50 people from the "Kaisheng Comprehensive Art Troupe".The singers in the same group include Chen Ling, Chen Yamei, Lin Rentian, Lin Feiyan, Fang Qing, Wu Jingxian, Wan Jun, Ye Jinying, Yang Mimi, etc., as well as six dance, magic, and stunt groups. The pillar of the variety show troupe. The "Kaisheng Variety Troupe" sang for one and a half months at the Caritas Center and the Royal Theater in Hong Kong and Kowloon, and raised welfare funds for the Hong Kong and Kowloon Neighborhood Association, and also raised children's rewards and bursaries for the Hong Kong Lu Clan Association.

During Teresa Teng's stay in Hong Kong, as before, she showed her natural and youthful image.She did not follow the fashionable dress at the time, but kept the innocence and freshness that fit her age, and was loved by Hong Kong people.Her pure and fresh image immediately became popular in Xiangjiang. At that time, she could get more than 1,000 Hong Kong dollars for singing a show, which was a world of difference compared to when she first debuted.Just three years after saying goodbye to her middle school classmates, Teresa Teng's life situation has changed 180 degrees.Referring to those years, Teresa Teng said calmly:

"When I stepped on stage for the first time, I only got five Taiwan dollars, which was the round-trip transportation fee, but at that time, as long as I could stand on the stage and sing, I was very satisfied." Teresa Teng emphasized that as long as she can The saying that standing on stage and singing can get the greatest satisfaction left a good impression on Hong Kong people, and Hong Kong became an important base for her to look at Asia. Teresa Teng's performance schedule in Hong Kong is very intensive.In addition to performing with the "Kaisheng Comprehensive Art Troupe", she also performed as guest singers at Haitian Nightclub, Luxury Building Nightclub and Hong Kong Theater, and signed a three-month contract with TVB. keep the appointment.After the TVB TV contract expired, she was hired by the TV station to host the singing program "Miss Fan", and recorded all the programs once a week for a total of seven weeks.In addition, she also produced two albums for two record companies, EMI and Meiya.Moreover, she also presided over the kick-off for the "President's Cup" Men's and Women's Basketball Final Four Invitational Tournament hosted by the Hong Kong Amateur Basketball Federation.

Although Hong Kong is a modern city with fierce competition, Teresa Teng's frequent appearances have had a great impact and have been fully affirmed by Hong Kong people. Zhang Wenxin, Manager of Chinese Program Production Department of RTHK (Radio Hong Kong), thinks that Teresa Teng "she can sing Chinese songs, from folk songs to covers of European and American pop songs, and everything is popular." "It is completely different from previous singers, very cute." Art critic Huang Qizhi said very pertinently: "The voice and humanity are very easy to accept, and it can be said that he has no personality."

Teresa Teng's superstar potential has also been discovered by some veterans in the entertainment industry.Huang Zhan, a well-known producer in the Hong Kong TV industry, said: "Her interpretation is good and the sound quality is good. I think she has the qualities that those singers in the past lacked. The singer Ouyang Feifei who developed in Hong Kong is quite famous, but Teresa Teng is not known to many people, but I thought at the time that this girl would definitely become a superstar." Being affirmed by people in the circle undoubtedly represents real strength.Teresa Teng's comings and goings and busy schedule in Hong Kong have finally paid off, and no amount of hard work and dedication has paid off.

Hong Kong newspapers praised Teresa Teng even more, especially her beautiful typhoon.A newspaper commented: "Although Teresa Teng is young, she is in good shape, and the typhoon is excellent. She has a childish face, lively movements, and she does not pretend to be adult, which means she has no talent. Among Hong Kong rookies, no one can become the first. Two Teresa Teng, so her popularity is second only to Yao Surong among female singers." The situation in the Hong Kong music scene is very similar to that of Taiwan, but more prosperous and strict. After 1949, with the influx of mainlanders, they brought the culture and art of Shanghai.EMI Records, which was established in Shanghai in the 1920s, also moved to Hong Kong. The company once released all Chinese pop songs from the 1920s to the 1990s.Thus, Hong Kong from the 1940s to the 1960s inherited the heyday of pop songs and movie episodes from Shanghai in the 1930s.Soon, new music such as Latin American music and American pop music was integrated to form Hong Kong's experimental music.At the same time, Huangmei tunes imported from the mainland and Taiwanese movie songs are also very popular.The fusion of different kinds of music makes the Hong Kong music scene present a scene of competition.In the 1960s, European and American pop music swept Hong Kong like a whirlwind, and quickly occupied the hearts of Hong Kong people, especially becoming the favorite of the younger generation.

Under such circumstances, Teresa Teng came to Hong Kong from Taiwan. For Hong Kong people who are used to listening to traditional Chinese songs, the newly developed Chinese songs in Taiwan are particularly refreshing.Her sweet singing voice and fresh image left a very good impression on discerning Hong Kong people, especially "her unique singing style that appeals to emotion and her cute baby face are well received in Hong Kong", (Zhang Wenxin) Quan It is something that commercialized Hong Kong has never seen and is so eager for.Taiwanese Mandarin songs before Teresa Teng were all sung by more mature acting singers. They often rely on technology and packaging, but lack the innocence that can make people relax.And the appearance of Teresa Teng, the "doll who sings very well", immediately gave the Hong Kong audience a different feeling, very comfortable and at ease.Her singing can penetrate the exhaustion of life and the pressure of survival, the ups and downs and the vicissitudes of life, enter people's hearts and open people's hearts. "Picking Red Watermelon", "Green Mountains", "Song of Triumph", "Little Cowherd", "New Peach Blossom River", "Laughing at Seeing You", etc., especially "Jingjing", Teresa Teng has performed in almost every performance. Sing. Teresa Teng's singing can always make life less heavy, such as "I Laugh When I See You" (lyricist-Liu Erqi, composer-Xian Hua): I smile when I see you, your elegant demeanor is so beautiful; when I am with you, I will never worry; I smile when I see you, your elegant demeanor is so beautiful; when I am with you, I will never worry; what is it for?I smile when I see you!Because I have fallen in love with you, beyond your expectations; I smile when I see you, your elegant demeanor is so beautiful; with you, I will never worry. With the popularity of Teresa Teng's sweet Mandarin songs and the brisk Cantonese pop songs of Xu Guanjie and others, Chinese songs can finally be on par with European and American pop songs.Young people also suddenly discovered that the moon in foreign countries is not rounder than that in Hong Kong. Regarding Teresa Teng's achievements in promoting Chinese pop songs, Huang Qizhi once said: "To me, a Chinese who has been educated in Europe and the United States and has a more Western way of thinking, she looks like just a cute doll. Her personality will not be revealed. Through singing, she is not an artist who can feel the pulse of the times. However, her importance lies in developing the Chinese song market together with Xu Guanjie in the Chinese society, and her popularity is not inferior to that of Japanese and European and American pop songs. Teresa Teng In Mandarin, Hui Guanjie in Cantonese, both have made great contributions to Chinese songs." After being recognized in the music world, Teresa Teng also tried acting.Under the strong invitation of Hong Kong Seven Seas Film Company, she acted as the heroine "Ding Dong" in the movie "Miss Fan", which became popular in Hong Kong and Kowloon.The film is directed by Wang Ningsheng, the guiding consultant is Wang Tianlin, and all the episodes are composed by Xian Hua. Mei, Pan Xiuqiong, Yang Yan, Zhao Xiaojun, Zhen Xiuyi, Qingshan, etc. "Miss Fan" tells the story of the singing girl "Ding Dang" who was discovered by the big singer "Lan Yun" played by Zhang Chong and trained her to become a singer.The film's theme song "Miss Charming" sung by Teresa Teng and other episodes were recorded by EMI.And in the "Miss Fan" program hosted by the TV station, she also sang songs from this movie. In 1973, Teresa Teng filmed the third movie "The World Laughter", and immediately released the original soundtrack of "The World Laughter", which was also popular.In the early days, he made several other films in Hong Kong.In addition, Teresa Teng has also participated in TV dramas and dramas. In 2010, she starred in the comedy "Tang Bohu Spots Autumn Fragrance", the stage play "Female Reporter" and comedy.When she was in Taiwan, she also performed in "Taiwan Television" and other dramas such as "The End of the World", "Dark Horse No. 1".After a series of performances, Teresa Teng believed that she was more suitable for singing than acting, and her acting career became famous because of this. After that, she went behind the scenes and insisted on only singing movie theme songs. 4 But because of the enthusiastic expectations of the fans, even when the Teresa Teng craze re-emerged in Taiwan in the early 1980s, the merchants took out copies of Teresa Teng's previous film and television works during the craze, dubbed them and re-broadcasted them, which also aroused great repercussions.Various channels also continue to release gossip that Teresa Teng has been invited to shoot a new film, but none of them came true. According to Li Hanxiang, a famous Hong Kong director, he was in Taiwan for 8 years. Teresa Teng became more and more popular day by day, but they never met each other until he returned to Hong Kong and Shaw Brothers. After filming "The Great Warlord", Teresa Teng suddenly She and her parents went to see Li Hanxiang at his home in Clear Water Bay.That day, Chen Ping and Liu Yong were also present, her father was gentle and gentle, and her mother was also a kind old lady.Although it was the first time they met, Li Hanxiang felt that they were reunited after a long absence.Teresa Teng told him that she had filmed a movie in Taiwan supervised by Shao Feng, the former manager of the League of Nations.Li Hanxiang said that he had seen it, and Shao Feng showed it to him specially, and it was very good.In fact, good or bad, he has no impression.Teresa Teng said that she hoped to be able to film Director Li's scenes, Li Hanxiang said: "If there is a chance, I have a chance, I also want to cooperate with you for a long time." Director Li was in a very good mood that day, so he drank a lot.When his films "Burning the Old Summer Palace" and "Taking Political Affairs" under the title "The Empress Dowager" were released in Japan and caused a sensation, Teresa Teng had already participated in the Japanese Red and White Singing Contest, and even won the Newcomer Award.Once, when she came back from Japan, she asked Director Li and his family to eat Vietnamese food at Jinniuyuan in New World.Li Hanxiang told Teresa Teng that she lived in Shangri-La in East Tsim Sha Tsui every time she came to Hong Kong, and also heard that she went to the gym in New World every day to work out.Teresa Teng smiled.After eating, as soon as she walked out of the gate of Jinniuyuan, Teresa Teng suddenly raised her arms, clenched her fists like a world bodybuilder, and said, "Director, look at my arms, are you afraid?" Li Hanxiang said in feigned surprise : "Oh, it's terrible." "What are you afraid of?" "I'm afraid it will break and tie me." Teresa Teng laughed, and Li Hanxiang's family also laughed. Scenes of the past, but unbearable to look back.Teresa Teng and Li Hanxiang have never cooperated in film and television, although Teresa Teng once relied on Li Hanxiang's Huangmei Opera to emerge. Teresa Teng stayed in Hong Kong for more than three months this time, and did not return to Taiwan until November.During her stay in Hong Kong, she won a great reputation by performing on stage, guest singing in karaoke halls and nightclubs, appearing on TV, making movies, and recording records. Her popularity and reputation have also risen sharply, and her status as a Mandarin singer has become more stable. In 1972, Teresa Teng was once again invited to Hong Kong to participate in the charity bazaar held by the Industry Fair, and won the throne of "Queen of Charity" for the second time with a charity sale of HK$6,500.Then in December, she was elected as one of the top ten most popular singers in Hong Kong. In September 1973, she was awarded the "Top Ten Singer Golden Camel Award" in the Hong Kong City Hall; in October, Teresa Teng sang in the "Night of White Flower Oil" at the Xinhua Theater.Sure enough, Teresa Teng was recognized by Hong Kong as expected by the audience and the media.From then on, Teresa Teng ascended the first step of the world singer hall.