Listening to Cai Qin's songs is just like reading the novels by Zhang Ailing, who indulges herself in desolation. Her novels written are inevitably stamped with her unique sense of melancholy. Cai Qin's songs give listeners the same feeling.
Late at night, turn out all the lights and light up some candles. Put Cai Qin's CD into your CD player. Take a seat on your sofa and close your eyes. Ok, it is time to relax in nostalgia and listen to your voice within.
In the flickering candlelight, a faintly sad atmosphere is flowing in the air. Your
heart begins to melt in this lingering melody and moving lyrics. There she sings 'such a long night, long enough for me to turn on every light. I lean on the door waiting, my beautiful vesture shining...' It can create quite a stir in your heart. Then the image of a sad, lonely while graceful woman in her splendid clothes waiting for her lover in the dim light lingers in your mind.
Cai Qin herself regards her voice as natural and powerful, but still easy and comfortable. She was born to sing, giving each song a soul by the incredible virtuosity of her voice and her unaffected emotions.
Cai was born in Hubei Province. She started her singing career in 1979. Over the past 24 years, she has released over forty albums and won numerous musical awards, such as Taiwan Jinding Awards, Golden Melody Awards, HK Top 10 Chinese Golden Songs Awards, etc. Besides, she is also known as a presenter in broadcasting, a writer, a costume designer and an actress and has achieved noteworthy accomplishments in these areas.
Cai attaches great emphasis on lyrics. She believes that a moving song must have moving lyrics. Lin Xi is her favorite lyrics writer because his lyrics can grasp the subtle change taking place in a split second in people's hearts, and the rhythm is attractive even without music.
She has not changed much during the last 24 years. So it is with her music. She sticks to her own style and base line, not drifting with popular trend. However, she also improves herself constantly.
Her works like 'Just Like Your Tenderness', 'Your Eyes', 'Endless Love', 'Time Forgotten', 'Impatient Heart', 'Stupid Words' and so on are still widely popular today.
(CRI February 6, 2004)
