New Trend, No Hip-Hop Music, African Americans Singing in Chinese

New Trend, No Hip-Hop Music, African Americans Singing in Chinese

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- PRC Development reports that on Friday, January 7th at the SIR Studios in Hollywood, two young African American singers, Lauren Elliott and William Henry, participated in the 2005 "Arts from our Land competition," organized for the first time in Los Angeles by China's Beijing TV station.

Elliott performed in Cantonese, a beautiful song to a catchy pre-recorded beat. Henry, the very last contestant, mixed comedy, poetry, and singing into his performance. "Friends who would hear me sing in Chinese would always say I have talent," says Henry, an advertising salesmen. "When I heard about the competition, I decided to enter as a personal challenge."

Henry, has also written a song in Chinese he hopes to release later this year. The song, which is entitled "Ren Zai Mei Guo, Xin Zai Zhong Guo," describes a person who lives in America, but his heart is in China. "I've fallen in love with the Chinese culture, food and music," Henry says. "Every time I return to China, I feel as if I am returning home."

Henry began singing a cappella, "Liu Lang Ge," the "Wanderer's Song," to an audience that seemed in disbelief that an African American could sing such a heartfelt Chinese song. The judges, Ms. Yi Hua Wang from UCLA, and actress Ms. Lena Zhou, from the "Joy Luck Club," both extended words of praise for Henry's performance.

African Americans singing in Chinese is perhaps a new trend. "Patti Austin, a legendary African American jazz singer, sung a few songs in Chinese, at a recent concert," Henry says. "African Americans are learning, speaking and singing in Chinese now. We can do more than just sing RAP music."

Producer Mr. Song Min of China's Beijing TV station, was undoubtedly pleased with the variety of performers that participated in the competition. Two winners were flown to China, to participate in the semi finals and finals, which will be televised to close to over 100 million people during the Chinese New Year Eve festival celebrations.


Source: PRC Development

CONTACT: Bill Dickson of PRC Development, +1-310-281-7023,
prc.development@gmail.com


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