Veteran pop singer Wei Wei is set to sing her new song, Go-Girl-Go!/ Fly With Me, at the Fifth World Women's Soccer Cup, at Shanghai on September 10. Wei's latest role as image ambassador for the Chinese national women's soccer team comes at a time when life has sharpened her creativity. Next month's World Cup would seem an ideal pre-Olympic berth for Wei, who is a popular contender to sing the 2008 Games theme song, according to a recent internet survey.

With her long hair and tanned Zhuang-minority looks, Wei, in her late 40s, looked more charming than ever at last week's exclusive interview with BJW. The song for the soccer cup was written by Swedish songwriter Jurgen Elofsson, who also wrote the theme song for the last World Cup. Wei penned the Chinese lyrics herself. The song's music video was filmed at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain, showing Wei with stellar players Messi, Deco, Mrquez and Puyol cheering for the players in the World Cup. Wei admitted she had only played soccer with her three sons before shooting the MV. But she swims, skis, skates, and does sailing. Her link with women's football began in 2000 when she sang the theme song for Women's Soccer Player No 9, a film by Chinese director Xie Jin.

"Since then, I've come to know some of China's top women soccer players, including former Chinese forward Sun Wen," said the singer, known for her mellow, husky voice.

"I got to know they endured a lot of hardship in training," said the singer. "I wanted to express in my new song that the hardship they sustained will eventually bring them happiness and success."

Wei's song, written not only to cheer the Chinese team, is also sung in English and Swedish. The aim is to encourage players from all 16 countries contesting the cup.

Wei is known for the depth and range of her voice, with a strength that has not faded over the years. She has arguably sung more sport themed songs than any other Chinese female singers, including theme songs for 1990 Asian Games, 2001 World 21st Universiade, and the 3rd Asian Winter Games.

In a recent survey for CCTV, voters ranked her 2nd behind pop diva Faye Wong as their choice to sing the 2008 Olympic theme song. "There is not yet an Olympic song that we are all satisfied with," Wei said. "I expect the theme song grand, dynamic, and the lyrics understandable to peoples of the world."

Wei married a senior Swedish musician in 1994, and had three children, but divorced in 2004. She has spent half of the past 13 years in China, the rest in the US and Europe. She speaks fluent English.

(China Daily 08/30/2007 page18)