Seven Castles

Chen Chusheng

                                      

May 18, 2008

 

Chen Chusheng is a 27-year-old original singer who finally won the championship of the "Happy Boy" sponsored by Hunan Satellite TV Station and arrested the whole country's attention with his gloomy songs, elegant guitar performances and distinguishably magnetic voice.

 

No one has ever thought about that he, a farmer's son who has never received professional trainings of any kind, with his musical dream, has finally greeted his own days. Like many other rural parents, his parents had the biggest wish. They had hoped that some day their son would pass the National College Entrance Examinations with flying colors, and thus win honors for the whole family. But rebellious as a little boy, he did not do well in his schooling, but showed tremendous enthusiasm for music. In his free time after class, he would imitate through the tape recorder and sing his favorite songs again and again with occasional dancing poses; and on every early morning, he would yell them out on the hill. With music flowing quietly through his tender soul like a clear stream, he began to dream, hoping to own a musical world of his own. But his father did not understand him for the reason that there had been no one from the past generations in their family who had ever shown a bit of musical talent, and for what is more important, in the obscure old man's eyes, studying would be the only mission for his son at that time. Father had never seen his son's future in music. He sometimes even thought that his son had been completely doing something wrong. Overindulged in music, the boy had lost much time in his study, and finally failed the National College Entrance Examinations that year.

 

Not being admitted by any college that year, he had no choice but to help his brother repair bicycles and motorbikes. In Sanya, a small city in Hainan Province, he worked during the daytime while singing in different bars in the evening. Only indulged in music, could he find a bit of happiness. He had been living this way until the year of 2000, when he went up to Shenzhen, a hustling and bustling city that can arouse your long-existed dreams and even make them come true.

 

He had never expected that his first job in this new land was delivering packed food. He regained his lifestyle in Sanya again - working in the daytime while singing during the evenings. He experienced difficulties and great sorrow at that time that could probably only be felt by himself. Once a drunk guest poured beer on his face, which posed a great insult to him, who was born with a proud soul. Yet, such things have unavoidably happened to bar musicians, who cannot choose to escape or even have no right to choose but to take the bar as a springboard with the hope that some day they will be real singers on the stage. Luckily, he had a clear knowledge about that. After that, he became crazier for music because he knew well about his music dream - owning a stage of his own.

 

Bars in Shenzhen are commonly referred to as "star-making factories", which have forged quite a lot of star pop singers. It was in these bars that he made acquaintances with quite a few of the famous local musicians, accumulating necessary human resources for his later development in music. Meantime he has conquered a big audience once and again with his rebellious character and original songs. He thus began to win his own place in the music arena of Shenzhen.

 

In the following few years, he, with his musical dream, had attended numerous musical contests throughout the country, winning prizes for many times and signing a contract with a renowned record company. Today, when thinking about the large amount of his fans ("peanuts"), and thinking about his glorious success and great successful stories, one cannot help getting a feeling that it is so brilliant to have grown famous from obscure.

 

He first auditioned in Xi'an singing his original song "Girl", which took him into the next round. The judges were impressed with his distinctive vocal and instrumental ability. And he became the champion of the "Happy Boy" after a triumphant performance that wowed the show's judges and viewers who gave him 3.318 million votes. The after-effects of his win continue to be felt everywhere across the country where his music is played in stores, Internet bars and on the streets, and more and more people are beginning to learn the guitar because of him.

 

He released his first EP "I'm not alone all along" and expressed his wish to study music abroad, in either Britain or the US.

 

His voice is so special that he lends most love songs a crisp, heavenly note. He sings slowly, yet his voice penetrates. When he sings about waves, you really feel as if you are rowing in a boat.

 

He is quiet looking, apparently unswayed by waves of emotion. His eyes are deep and appear to gaze far into the distance. He smiles, but only mildly. He looks a bit shy, but is quite manly, having weathered the vicissitudes of life since he had to work at the age of 19.

 

His love songs are mainly about the hardship and coldness in city life and a strong mind in the face of setbacks. My favorite is "Has Anyone Told You" which moved me so much that I burst into tears while listening to it. 

【作者: zhangliping】【访问统计:】【2008年05月18日 星期日 05:42】【注册】【打印】