New Year stage boom in China

With the arrival of the New Year, theatres around China are heating up with quality concerts staged by veteran singers. Meanwhile, sluggish album sales are showing signs of recovery.

Veteran Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung's 2011 world tour kicked off in Shanghai on December 30th last year. Cheung, who turns fifty this year, named his new tour "Half Century". He said it was to commemorate his achievement in the music world.

Starting on January 21st, Jacky Cheung will arrive in Beijing to sing three solos for local fans.

Nostalgia seems to be the buzzword across the country. The "City With Love" concert has just wrapped up in central China's Wuhan city. Seasoned singers such as Lo Tayu, Alan Tam, Julie Su and Han Hong took turns to woo their fans with melodies from the 1980's.

Veteran artists must miss the days when their albums would fly off the shelves. Due to an industry downturn, there's no way for today's upcoming artists to experience this level of album sales. However, the good news is the industry seems to be making somewhat of a come back. Many singers are seizing the New Year to release new albums. Record companies are also exploring new ways to promote music in this digital age.

In addition, the Chinese mainland singer Liu Yuanyuan has completed recording her new album. She will highlight some of these songs during a charity gala.