Chapter 13 "Star Road" hardships

Teresa Teng's younger brother Deng Changxi still vividly remembers the hardships of this "star journey".He told reporters in detail about Teresa Teng's five years of ups and downs in Japan. In 1973, Teresa Teng, who was in her twentieth year, suspended her series of performing arts activities in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia as the most popular Mandarin singer in Hong Kong, and decided to go to Japan for development. Reporter: At that time? Deng Changxi: Yes.So she discovered the Japanese company in a dance hall in Hong Kong, so I talked to her about the development of Japan. At that time, I was already 20 years old.

Reporter: Did she have a decision process at that time, whether to go to Japan for development? Deng Changxi: My father firmly opposed going to Japan.My father thinks that you are well-known in Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Then going to Japan is a completely unfamiliar environment. My mother is also afraid of the Japanese, because it was too late to escape to Japan during the Anti-Japanese War, so she wanted to go by herself. Break through.So later, my mother was willing to accompany her, so my father didn't care, anyway, you mother and daughter decided, don't regret it, so the general process is like this.

Reporter: Why did Japanese record companies come here to find Chinese singers? Deng Changxi: I didn’t really look for a Chinese singer, because at that time, their company was called Baolijin in Hong Kong, and Baolibo in Japan, so they were all the same company. In Li Jin, Hong Kong singers were brought to Japan, and then released, like this. Reporter: She was at that time, because I knew that there was a Taiwan-to-Japanese program at that time, which was not allowed to be broadcast on TV, and may not be broadcast on the radio. Deng Changxi: Yes, the radio, the radio is not clear, especially the TV, Japanese songs are not allowed.

Reporter: Then her development in Japan will affect her development in Taiwan, will it, at that time? Deng Changxi: Fortunately, on the contrary, she can still return to Taiwan every once in a while after going to Japan, so her popularity was not affected at that time.On the contrary, I feel that I have become a red star traveling in Japan. Reporter: As for Japanese, she didn't know it at all before she went, right? Deng Changxi: Not at all, I only learned it when I went there. Reporter: But she is very gifted in language. Deng Changxi: Well, I admire this too. Reporter: Then when she sang Japanese songs, did she start singing Japanese songs after she had a basic understanding of Japanese, or did she just memorize the pronunciation from the beginning?

Deng Changxi: Memorization by rote means spelling in English and spelling the sound.So if you look at many of her previous notes, she used English to annotate the parts that were difficult for her to read. The words were bitten word by word, which was very hard. Reporter: Then it’s easy to sing a song. If it’s a small concert and many songs are to be sung, how does she write it down? Deng Changxi: Later, I memorized one song by heart, and that one was no problem, so I kept memorizing new songs. When I recited to a certain level, I would not have to recite every time I sang. She was like Mastered that song.

Reporter: Was it smooth to release the film in Japan from the very beginning? Deng Changxi: No, the company did a review in the first year, wondering if it had hired the wrong person?Because the two films were released, they didn't sell for money. Later, the person in charge of her business, he insisted, give another chance and release another film, so waiting for that one to come out is equivalent to getting affirmation. Reporter: What is the standard for her not to sell, that is, what position does she rank on the ranking list, if she is above, she will sell, and if she is below, she will not sell?

Deng Changxi: It didn’t enter the charts at all. There are a lot of Japanese newcomers, and there are probably thousands of Japanese newcomers competing for it every year. At that time, the release of her film was not an album. They were called a single, which was a single, and the single was sold first. , the singles did not sell well, and then it was impossible to release an album, so when it came to the third album, that single was called "Airport", and "Airport" jumped to the charts immediately, and then it was released later. Released the album, and then her song also won the newcomer in Japan..., which is the feeling of being the best newcomer, so for her, it was like laying a foundation for her in Japan.

In June 1974, one year after Teresa Teng arrived in Japan, Teresa Teng's new film "Airport" finally won her own applause. This is a hard-won success. She finally conquered the singing principles that the Japanese once insisted on with her understanding of pop music and her usual interpretation techniques. Reporter: How long has she been in Japan when "Airport" was released? Deng Changxi: One year. Reporter: Will she be able to adapt psychologically this year? I am very popular in Taiwan and in the Chinese-speaking areas of Southeast Asia. I have to start as a newcomer here?

Deng Changxi: I am not very clear about this point, not very clear. Reporter: What do you think in terms of her personality? Deng Changxi: I don't think she will admit defeat. She always thinks that the Chinese should be better than the Japanese, so on her terms, since she can get ahead in the Chinese circle, it should not be difficult to go to Japan. Reporter: Was she happy to get the newcomer award? How does she feel? Deng Changxi: I'm happy. She always felt that she had given up her studies and Taiwan's achievements to come to Japan. She finally made a right choice and received a very positive affirmation.

Reporter: Since then, the development in Japan has been very smooth. Deng Changxi: It went very smoothly, and then I started packaging, and then helped her arrange small solo concerts, and gradually gained popularity. Reporter: At this stage, how does she take care of the Taiwan market, Hong Kong, and the Chinese market? Deng Changxi: Japan allows you to come back twice a year, each time is about two weeks, three weeks, and then when you come back, you will shoot an album with the TV station, and you will also shoot an album with TVB in Hong Kong, that’s how it is Some. Reporter: At this stage, you will see her even less.

Deng Changxi: Yes. Reporter: Just twice a year. Deng Changxi: Once or twice a year. Reporter: How many years did she stay in Japan, at that stage? Deng Changxi: It was like the first time I went there for five years. After five years, there was a passport turmoil, so I left Japan for the United States, and then returned to Japan in 1984. Reporter: So most of the time is five years. Deng Changxi: Yes. Reporter: The first stage.What happened to the passport turmoil? I have seen many versions... There are many legends. Deng Changxi: It was mainly because it was inconvenient to travel and perform in Southeast Asia with a Taiwanese passport, so she met a wealthy businessman in Indonesia at that time.The rich businessman said, I will help you get an Indonesian passport, so she didn't know the inside story, and thought that the other party was also very social, and she wouldn't talk about fake passports, so she took that passport, but it was useless , and then went to Japan for work, and then passed by Taipei. She took the passport of the Taiwan official. If she wanted to go in, she would have to stay for two weeks before she could come out again.So she asked the Indonesian official, can I enter with this Indonesian passport?The official said, then you don’t have a visa, and you don’t have a Taiwan visa for your Indonesian passport, so you can’t get in either.There was a newspaper reporter next to her, and she saw that with sharp eyes, hey, why does she have an Indonesian passport, and Taiwan does not have "diplomatic relations" with Indonesia, so she copied down the passport number at that time. Then there is an Indonesian chamber of commerce in Taiwan, which is equivalent to an official organization. They called to verify this matter. The Indonesian official then went to check the passport. When they saw this, hey, it was not for her. The passport in the middle How it came about, we don't quite know.So that means the passport is illegal. Deng Changxi: So when she arrived in Japan, Japan cooperated with the Indonesian embassy and went to the hotel to find her. At that time, the passport was confiscated, and then she stayed in the Japanese detention center for three days. That incident was very important to her. A big hit. Reporter: Is it the detention center we mentioned? Deng Changxi: Yes, after three days, the Japanese record company also went to a lawyer for assistance, and then Japan used the method of deportation, that is, you left Japan, so she went directly to the United States at that time, and did not dare to return to Taiwan. . Reporter: There has been a lot of speculation about Taiwan, right? Deng Changxi: The hype was fierce, and she was ashamed to be thrown abroad. At that time, the public opinion was the whole society, and her criticism was very severe, so she didn't dare to come back, so she went to the United States.I happened to have a U.S. visa, and after staying in the U.S. for two years, I went back to school to study. Reporter: If she returns to Taiwan during this period, will she be held legally responsible? Deng Changxi: Yes, at that time, people in the field of law thought that although she violated this law in Japan, it was also applicable in the island, so they were also pursuing this matter. Reporter: At that time, your family was under a lot of pressure in Taiwan. Deng Changxi: Yes, at that time, we were in various aspects, especially the reporters, digging up information, inquiring about it. At that time, we felt that it was that her singing career had come to an end. Reporter: Will there be such a serious time? Deng Changxi: Very serious matter.Then her own mood was not expected to be so serious, and she was also in a bad mood.So my mother accompanied her to the United States at that time and began to study.We think it’s fine, so let’s stop singing, forget it, we’re not too young, just get married and live another life, we also think it’s okay.I studied in the United States for more than a year, and there was another manager in the United States for more than a year. He said that since you are in the United States, I will help you arrange a concert tour in Vancouver and New York, that is. Anyway, we have the foundation of Japanese concerts. We held three concerts for you in Vancouver, New York, and Los Angeles. She thought it would be good. After studying for more than a year, she was quite bored, so she started to perform again. .Then the record company also came to the United States to record, and the film was still released, and the film was still released, and I stayed in the United States for two years. Later, it was because she became popular in the mainland, that is to say, her singing voice spread to the mainland, and then the mainland authorities wanted to invite her back to the mainland, so Taiwan became nervous.They sent people to the United States to negotiate with her, saying that you should come back and forget about the past, and we will not mention the passport issue, and then returned to Taiwan. It was 1981 at that time. Reporter: So big a disturbance?During that period, would her songs be blocked in Taiwan, such as TV stations and radio stations? Was there such a situation at that stage? Deng Changxi: No, but the newspapers are all negative. They all report that she took a fake passport, and then received some treatment in Japan, and then began to dig out the source of this passport. They were all negative things, and then commented, What kind of law is this behavior in Taiwan? Reporter: For so many years since her debut, she has never encountered negative reports. Before that incident, right? Deng Changxi: No, the negatives are just some rumors and those things. Reporter: But there is no such thing? Deng Changxi: There is no such thing. Reporter: Her personal mood at that time, to what extent can she accept this matter? Deng Changxi: In fact, it came very suddenly. Her personality is that she should get through this test first, but she is also very loyal. She has never mentioned the person who provided the passport. She has shouldered the responsibility, and she also feels that Said that it was her own personal fault, so she also apologized to the public.Later, when I came to the United States, I was slowly hiding my strengths and biding my time, slowly recovering, which was like healing my wounds.Later, she was always judged by the public opinion at that time, and she was still worried about it. Reporter: Maybe there will always be knots in my heart with the Taiwanese media at that time. Deng Changxi: Yes, there is still one point. Although the "fake passport" storm broke out to clarify the truth, only a short period of one week.But in the specific political environment at that time, the unanimous crusade of Taiwan's public opinion made Teresa Teng completely feel the coldness of the world, and was hit hard. Teresa Teng, who was originally standing on the edge of her career peak, decided to suspend her stage career. Reporter: At that time, she really thought about not singing anymore? Deng Changxi: I had such an idea, because our family members all thought so, so I finished talking, and probably ended here. Reporter: But at that time, Taiwan may no longer be easy to sing, but other parts of Asia and other parts of Southeast Asia are still possible. Deng Changxi: But it is impossible for you to go back to Japan. The market is the largest, and you dare not come back to Taiwan, so it doesn’t make much sense for you to go to other places.So that is to say, simply study in the United States, meet a partner, fall in love, and maybe quit this business.