By Liu Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-03-04 15:53

Yang Guang records at a studio. Zhang Wei

 Sinking in the sofa, Yang Guang tells his manager, a slim man standing by: "Tell them, that's the price." When he hears footsteps, he rises quickly. "Hello," he offers a hand.

Dressed in a yellow Converse sweater and loose blue jeans, the plump young man looks like most 20-somethings you see on the street. But behind his black-rimmed glasses, he lives in darkness.

"Yang Guang" means "sunshine" in Chinese. This radiant name, however, did not prevent him from becoming blind when he was eight months old. As the saying goes, when one door shuts, another opens. For Yang, it was music that brightened up his life.

On the eve of the Spring Festival, Yang amazed millions by imitating voices of celebrities and singing at China Central Television's gala show. Overnight fame has changed the 29-year-old's life. "The biggest difference is in one word: busy," he says.

As he sits on the sofa, answering questions, neither too fast nor slow, his manager and mother keep on interrupting the interview: "What to wear for tomorrow's show?" "Have you chosen the song for Hunan TV's evening show?" "CCTV-4 called, is Feb 24 alright?"

If not for a gift his father bought for him at 7, it is hard to imagine where he would be. On the electronic organ, the boy recited the melody of a popular TV serial's theme song. His parents, both factory workers in Harbin, Heilongjiang province of Northeast China, soon found a music coach for their son.

In 1990, Yang was picked up by a local art troupe formed by disabled people. The 11-year-old played piano. But he soon gave up.

"It is almost impossible for a blind man to be a great pianist, because I cannot recite the notes as quickly, neither can I communicate with the orchestra effectively."

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