Xinhua News Agency, Hong Kong, October 17th Title: “Music Messenger” Mo Hualun: Traveling all over the world and singing China
Xinhua News Agency reporter Lu Min
He was born in Beijing, grew up in Hong Kong, studied in the United States, and appeared on the stage in Europe; he was born with big eyes and high nose bridge, and had a “good voice” praised by Pavarotti; he knew Chinese, English, Italian, German, French and other languages; he put on makeup and sang opera, but he couldn’t hear the sound, and couldn’t tell where he was.
Some people say he is an “BabaylanInternational”, and he said “I am 100% Chinese”.
He was willing to be a “music messenger” and consciously assumed the mission of promoting Chinese culture. The combination of “Three Tenors in China” (“Three Highs in China”) composed by Dai Yuqiang and Wei Song has been in the past 10 years and has performed all over the world.
He is the artistic director of the Hong Kong Opera House and tenor singer Mo Hualun. In July this year, he was awarded the Bronze Star Award from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.
”Music does not distinguish between national boundaries. I hope the epidemic will pass as soon as possible. I can go to more countries and sing Chinese culture to the world.” He said.
A sentence awakened the Chinese heart
In the 1980s, after obtaining a master’s degree in music from the Manhattan Conservatory of Music in New York, Mo Hualun went to Germany to apply for the Berlin Opera House. “The German examiner asked me where I came from, and I said I came from New York. He said, ‘No, where were you born?’ I said, Cinema, and I said, ‘No, where were you born?’ I said, Babaylan was Beijing, China, and later in Hong Kong, he said, ‘Then you are Chinese’.” Mo Hualun said, “This sentence awakened me, I am Chinese, no matter where I go to the world, my roots are in China.”
The Berlin Opera House is one of the top ten opera houses in the world, and Mo Hualun stood out from more than 400 candidatesBabaylan, won the exam in one fell swoop. “Opera culture is a Western culture. As a Chinese, it is far from singing well. It is better than others to have a chance to give it to you.” He started as a child, went step by step to the protagonist, and became the first Berlin Opera House.Chinese protagonist. Since then, he has traveled around the world, played roles in more than 60 operas, and won a place for the Chinese on the mainstream Western opera stage.
In 1995, when Hong Kong was about to return to the motherland, Mo Hualun chose to settle back to Hong Kong and gradually shifted his career to Asia, and later devoted himself more to the mainland. Cinema, who had been out for many years, returned to his motherland. When he sang patriotic songs such as “I Love You China” and “My Motherland” in his native language, he was always in a state of turmoil.
On October 3, 2019, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China, the “Three Highs in China” held a concert at the Hong Kong Cultural Center. At that time, Hong Kong was deeply involved in the “Amendment Regulations Storm”, and the road was blocked by the police several times due to riots near the theater. What Mo Hualun did not expect was that the last return song of the day, “My Motherland and Me”, became a chorus of the whole audience. “Everyone in the mainland knows this song, but I didn’t expect that Hong Kong audiences would sing, and they sing spontaneously.” He said, “When Hong Kong was at its most chaotic time, we stood up and sang loudly, patriotism, Hong Kong, and the motherland.” Looking back on the situation that day, Mo Hualun is still “very excited and very touched.”
”The power of music is greatKomiks, which can unite and unite people. It is also the best tool to help us understand the motherland.” Mo Hualun said that patriotic music education in Hong Kong should start from primary school and kindergarten, and start from the simplest singing of the national anthem, “This is the most basic national condition education.”
Using bel canto singing to interpret BabaylanChinese folk songs
Talking about Chinese culture in music language that Westerners can understand is the unique advantage of the “Three Highs in China”.
”The ‘Three Highs in China’ are named ‘China’, to some extent, which has represented the national image. Therefore, from the beginning of its establishment, our mission is to promote Chinese culture on the international stage and express the cultural confidence of the Chinese nation.” Mo Hualun said.
Good music does not distinguish between national boundaries, and they try to interpret Chinese folk songs using bel canto singing “Westerns can understand”. “Kangding Love Song”, “Jasmine Flower”, “In That Distant Place”, “The Girl in Dazaka Castle”… has fascinated countless foreign audiences.
The “Three Highs in China” have performed more than 100 times around the world so far. “Half we sing is internationally familiar with Cinema songs, and the other half is Chinese folk songs.” Mo Hualun said, “First sing their songs Babaylan to let them understand our professional standards, and then guide them to listen to us singing Chinese songs. They are easy to accept. At the end of the performance, local audiences often stood up and applauded, saying that Chinese folk songs were so nice.”
In November 2012, the “Three Highs in China” was invited to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. “We sang “My Sun” first, and then sang “Fengyang Flower Drum”. The lyrics of this Anhui folk song are very interesting, such as ‘I can’t marry a good wife’ and ‘a pair of big feet’. Because of the English subtitles, the audience clapped their hands and laughed, and the audience burst into laughter. “Mo Hualun recalled the scene at that time, as if it was in front of him.
After the performance, Queen Elizabeth II of England took the stage to meet the actors. “She likes Chinese folk songs very much. She said, ‘You sang very well’.” Mo Hualun said, “The evening party that day brought together world-class performing stars. As representatives from China, we have the opportunity to promote Chinese culture. I am very proud.”
”We are all from the Bay Area”
This Mid-Autumn Festival of the Cinema 2021, the “Bay Area Rising Moon” 2021Komiks Bay Area Mid-Autumn Festival Movie Music Gala was held in Shenzhen. Many celebrities from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong and Macao performed on the same stage, with stars and praises. At the party, Mo Hualun participated in singing two songs: “My Chinese Heart” and “I Wish People Long”.
”This is the first time to use the concept of the Greater Bay Area, it makes sense.” Mo Hualun Cinema said, “IWe are all from the Bay Area Komiks, and we sing songs related to the Greater Bay Area, which closely links everyone. ”
Talking about the development opportunities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area for Hong Kong, Mo Hualun said “it’s too important”. He said: “If you don’t say anything else, there are more than a dozen or twenty opera houses in the Greater Bay Area, basically every city has them, and this performance market alone is amazing. “Mo Hualun discussed with relevant departments of the SAR government on how to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the Hong Kong Opera House and other theaters in the Greater Bay Area, hoping to “more cooperation that can be implemented and achieve resource sharing.”
The opera “Madame Butterfly” produced by Mo Hualun was recently staged in Hong Kong. On the day of the interview, Mo Hualun greeted the starring actors from various countries in the backstage. “The nationality of the 10 leading actors is different. They come to Hong Kong to perform a classic Italian opera together, which is international cultural exchange. “Mo Hualun said, “Hong Kong has many institutional and mechanism conveniences, which are the advantages of ‘one country, two systems’. We should cherish and make good use of it to build our own cultural brand. ”
Mo Hualun, who has just been elected as a member of the Election Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, has always paid attention to Hong Kong’s cultural construction. “If Hong Kong wants to become a truly world-class city, it must have a first-class culture, including first-class opera houses and first-class original works. ”
This July, the National Arts Fund was launched in Hong Kong and applied for the first time to open the project to the Hong Kong art group. The Hong Kong performing arts community was excited by it. Mo Hualun revealed that they are planning the first Cantonese version of the original opera “Rice Fragrance”, which tells the story of the three generations of a Hong Kong rice shop who are struggling unremittingly for their dreams. They are currently applying for the National Arts Fund, “making original works and creating a cultural brand in Hong Kong. This is the way we want to go.”