Teresa Teng |
On May 8, 1995, 43-year-old China's Taiwan singer Teresa Teng died from a severe asthma attack while in Thailand.
The incident shocked people on the mainland, in China's Hong Kong and other areas in Southeast Asia who grow up on her songs and considered her their "sweetheart forever".
Teng is probably the most famous modern, female singer in the Chinese-speaking world. Her death was, to some extent, the end of an era for Chinese pop music. The singer is gone, but her songs remain. Over the past decade, many artists and companies have organized concerts and shows to commemorate her.
On Tuesday, November 20 and 21, Qiu Lin and Tong Yao, two singers who closely resemble Teng in looks and voice, will give shows at the Beizhan Theater.
They will sing most of Teng's hits, including Sweet Honey, When Will You Come Back Again? More Than Words Can Say and Small Town Story. There will also be video segments portraying Teng's story. Teng had a face that fit the Chinese ideal of a gentle and sweet young lady, with a fresh and pure "girl-next-door" demeanor. It was the sweetness of her voice, cute inflections and clear pronunciation that made her folk songs and ballads so achingly perfect.