Song surprised many when he opened a Peking duck restaurant in February.
But he says he isn't leaving the music industry.
"I have a professional team to run the restaurant. With the new music company's launch, I feel my second spring is coming," Song says, laughing.
His strategy for building up the label is corporatizing concerts.
Song's first move will be staging 10 shows by rock singer-songwriter Wang Feng. Wang staged eight performances nationwide in 2011. Evergrande will hold 10 concerts for Wang within five months in 2012 - at least two concerts a month, Song says.
"The systematic management of concerts not only promotes the musician and his music but also builds up the organizer's image in the concert sector," Song says.
The gurus say they'll not only host performances by established stars but will also discover new talent.
The company's first new singer-songwriter is 16-year-old Zhou Ziyan, who rose to fame by playing guitar in online videos. She will release four albums under the label.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Three Chinese metal bands Yaksa
Among them are not only traditional groups, such as Jiangsu Province Kunqu Opera Troupe and Xinjiang Makit Dolan Muqam Troupe, but also the rock band Second-Hand Roses and "free folk" singer Xiao He.
Three Chinese metal bands -Yaksa, Suffocated and The Falling - will perform at the Wacken Open Air in Germany, one of the biggest metal music festivals in the world, in August.
It seems that Chinese rock music is appearing more often on the international scene. But not many people know that one of the driving forces behind the phenomenon is the Ministry of Culture, which is sponsoring the international travel of the aforementioned Chinese musicians.
This is something new for the Chinese government, which has been sending out official art troupes to tour other countries for a long time but has only recently begun to work with independent musicians. It was hard to imagine in the past that the ministry would support a band with the name "Suffocated" to represent China at an international festival.
Three Chinese metal bands -Yaksa, Suffocated and The Falling - will perform at the Wacken Open Air in Germany, one of the biggest metal music festivals in the world, in August.
It seems that Chinese rock music is appearing more often on the international scene. But not many people know that one of the driving forces behind the phenomenon is the Ministry of Culture, which is sponsoring the international travel of the aforementioned Chinese musicians.
This is something new for the Chinese government, which has been sending out official art troupes to tour other countries for a long time but has only recently begun to work with independent musicians. It was hard to imagine in the past that the ministry would support a band with the name "Suffocated" to represent China at an international festival.
The Spice Girls meteoric
Beckham, who has remained in the limelight since the band went into hiatus in 2000 due to her success as a designer and style icon and marriage to soccer star David Beckham, hoped Viva Forever! would bring girl power to a new audience.
"We talked about girl power for a long long time and we're hoping to introduce a whole new generation. What we do individually as well is empower women and it's fun - we want to have fun and we're excited."
Viva Forever! is not a re-telling of the Spice Girls' meteoric rise to global fame after they formed in 1994 having answered an advertisement to form a girl band.
While it does feature their hits, which include "Wannabe", "Spice Up Your Life" and "Viva Forever", it centers around four characters who audition for a TV talent show.
"It's not about actually us, it's the essence of the Spice Girls," said Halliwell, who, like the other four Spice Girls, is a mother in her late 30s.
"We talked about girl power for a long long time and we're hoping to introduce a whole new generation. What we do individually as well is empower women and it's fun - we want to have fun and we're excited."
Viva Forever! is not a re-telling of the Spice Girls' meteoric rise to global fame after they formed in 1994 having answered an advertisement to form a girl band.
While it does feature their hits, which include "Wannabe", "Spice Up Your Life" and "Viva Forever", it centers around four characters who audition for a TV talent show.
"It's not about actually us, it's the essence of the Spice Girls," said Halliwell, who, like the other four Spice Girls, is a mother in her late 30s.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
French Armenian dual citizen
The event's proceeds will go to three charities: Operation Smile, the Shanghai International Film Festival and the Shanghai Soong Ching Ling Foundation Safety for Mothers and Infants Project.
Aznavour, a French-Armenian dual citizen, admits his main reason for agreeing to do the fundraiser was not exactly altruistic. Singing in Shanghai, he says, is a chance to cross off a name from the short list of countries he has not yet visited.
The China he has found in Shanghai, however, turned out to be at least half a century ahead of the China he envisioned.
"Very modern," the grandfather of three says in an exclusive interview at the presidential suite of a boutique hotel along The Bund, Shanghai's famous waterfront of concession architecture that faces 21st-century skyscrapers.
"It's not disappointing. It's only that I had the idea - the very romantic idea - to find out about the old China," he says.
"Through movies and documentaries and expositions, like we had in France in 1937, I had another vision of China."
Though this is Aznavour's first time in the country, his music is no stranger to the Chinese.
Aznavour, a French-Armenian dual citizen, admits his main reason for agreeing to do the fundraiser was not exactly altruistic. Singing in Shanghai, he says, is a chance to cross off a name from the short list of countries he has not yet visited.
The China he has found in Shanghai, however, turned out to be at least half a century ahead of the China he envisioned.
"Very modern," the grandfather of three says in an exclusive interview at the presidential suite of a boutique hotel along The Bund, Shanghai's famous waterfront of concession architecture that faces 21st-century skyscrapers.
"It's not disappointing. It's only that I had the idea - the very romantic idea - to find out about the old China," he says.
"Through movies and documentaries and expositions, like we had in France in 1937, I had another vision of China."
Though this is Aznavour's first time in the country, his music is no stranger to the Chinese.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Yamaha and Casio
He shuns building music from scratch with computer-generated timbres. He instead seeks out traditional instruments and low-end keyboards, records them and then builds melodies and chords from the tones they yield. His studio is littered with peculiar instruments: rare guitars, ukuleles, a pump organ from Egypt, a Roland analog synthesizer from the 1970s, stacks of cheap Yamaha and Casio keyboards and assorted percussion instruments.
"I just want to sound different than everyone else," he said. "I don't care if it sounds bad."
Yet his collaborators say Mr. Blanco's biggest asset lies in his ears and instincts. Much of what Mr. Blanco does during songwriting sessions, they say, is direct the creative flow of other musicians, pulling them in directions they would normally avoid.
"I just want to sound different than everyone else," he said. "I don't care if it sounds bad."
Yet his collaborators say Mr. Blanco's biggest asset lies in his ears and instincts. Much of what Mr. Blanco does during songwriting sessions, they say, is direct the creative flow of other musicians, pulling them in directions they would normally avoid.
Friday, January 11, 2013
There are very few places
According to a recent survey by Sina.com, about 83 percent of Chinese netizens do not want to pay for downloading music. This is a whole generation who has grown up listening to music for free, since the Internet made it possible more than 10 years ago.
There are very few places where you can still buy CDs, either original or pirated. The norm now is just a click on your computer or mobile phone and the music will play.
It seems that not many people are aware that music doesn't come from nowhere, but is made by professionals who devote their lives to music making. They are entitled to proceeds from their work, which supports them to continue to make music.
There are very few places where you can still buy CDs, either original or pirated. The norm now is just a click on your computer or mobile phone and the music will play.
It seems that not many people are aware that music doesn't come from nowhere, but is made by professionals who devote their lives to music making. They are entitled to proceeds from their work, which supports them to continue to make music.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
A singer Is success
One of the hottest singers in China at the moment, Li Daimo, released a new CD consisting entirely of covers of classic pop numbers. Like most other new Chinese pop singers, Li became famous because of his appearance in a TV talent show.
In the past, a singer's success was inseparable from his or her signature songs, but today, with few left in the business of making music, there is virtually no opportunity for a singer to shine with just a song.
There is a theory that the music industry's loss in recordings has been compensated by an increase in live performances. But music writing, which is the foundation of the music business, is not encouraged under the current system. And without it, there won't be momentum for the development of the art.
Online music has been a very important feature of major websites in providing multimedia entertainment for Internet users, and those websites have benefited greatly from the use of music.
In the past, a singer's success was inseparable from his or her signature songs, but today, with few left in the business of making music, there is virtually no opportunity for a singer to shine with just a song.
There is a theory that the music industry's loss in recordings has been compensated by an increase in live performances. But music writing, which is the foundation of the music business, is not encouraged under the current system. And without it, there won't be momentum for the development of the art.
Online music has been a very important feature of major websites in providing multimedia entertainment for Internet users, and those websites have benefited greatly from the use of music.
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