| |
 |
From ‘dumb’ baby to composer
|
Shen Xianzhi
MANY Shenzheners may not have heard of Rao Rongfa, but in Beijing he is the toast of music circle.
From A Bustling Trip sung by Zhang Ye and Lu Jihong on the CCTV Lunar New Year's Eve broadcast in 1999, to China, My Sweet Home and Harvest, broadcast in Beijing, Dalian and Shandong on this New Year's Day show, to other songs, such as I Love You Forever, China and Wish You Well, to be recorded in Beijing during this Spring Festival, Rao's growing repetoire of songs is impressive, and he has made his name almost overnight. His songs are performed by many famous singers including Li Guyi, Peng Liyuan, Song Zuying and Yan Weiwen, and his success has even been dubbed “Rao Rongfa Phenomenon".
“I was born to be a man of music, but I attribute my success as a composer to diligence, observation and reflecting on life," Rao beamed at a recent interview.
But this “man of music" was regarded as “dumb" when he was a baby. At 10 months old, Rao, who was even unable to cry, was adopted by a family in Heyuan, Guangdong Province, for his own parents were too poor. His foster parents thought he was mute.
However, while still a schoolboy, the “dumb" boy began to show a gift for music. In his first music class, he realized he had an excellent singing, and by the time he entered middle school he was able to write and compose songs.
“At that time, four of us wrote and composed and sang very well, and I could still remember the song we wrote," Rao recalled excitedly, singing aloud the song he and his pals did at that time.
But among the four “singing stars", only Rao became famous, because “I was more diligent than they were".
Rao has never had any school education in music. In 1975, Rao began his music training in Heyuan Hubei opera House, and he had the luck to be under the instruction of Chen Chunyan, now secretary-general of the Musicians' Association of Guangdong Province, in 1987 and later Zhou Bin, a famous composer in Zhejiang. During his apprenticeship with Chen, he worked all night long in the recording room. His experience there taught him more than just theory, he said. He was plunged in a musical atmosphere, which sharpened his musical instincts and honed his talent for drawing inspiration from observing and reflecting on the world around him.
“I'm a good learner," Rao said. “I will learn anything that can inspire me, even bits of information from TV programmes. Pieces can be assembled in my mind to make a whole. That's the way I learn."
Rao began his career as a composer only in May 1998. “Now in Guangdong, I'm one of the three most successful composers, including Wang Yougui, composer of Story of the Spring, and Zhu Derong, composer of Wine of September 9. As Wang has gone to Beijing for his career development, I will strive to be the best," Rao said confidently.
|
|
|
|
