Teresa Teng - The Angel Of China

Teresa Teng was a Chinese singer whose songs had, and continue to have, an enormous musical influence across southeastern Asia, and over the last decade, a rising impact on western countries in the area, in particular Australia.

Teresa Teng - the Angel of China (Image Wikipedia Commons)

She possessed a wonderful voice, said to be the "voice of an angel", that covered a wide vocal range and sang in a distinctive melodic style that became highly sought after around the world. Multilingual, she recorded many songs in different languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Vietnamese and English, using a style that uniquely bridged the gap between traditional Chinese music and western culture. For the first time, western people were able to hear modern Chinese music and as a result Teresa become highly popular around the world.

She sang many songs that were to become quite famous during the 1970's and 80's, including "Small Town Story" , "The Moon Represents My Heart" and "When Will You Return", all of which became well known in counties outside China, including Japan where she became very well known.

She was an asthmatic and tragically died from this condition in 1995, but her music has enjoyed a continually rising popularity around the world ever since.

A wax likeness of Teresa Teng located at Madame Tussauds in Hong Kong.
(Image Wikipedia Commons - click to enlarge)

In Australia, exposure to Chinese culture rose markedly during the 1990's and Teresa Teng was increasingly heard. In my case I had the good fortune to work with some Chinese meteorologists during this time and was introduced to the talents of Teresa. I have enjoyed them ever since.

Some of her wonderful songs can be heard here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDO6V5ueVv0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97-GXzi6PPw&feature=fvwrel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMw2U8KqqHE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9VaF-7YMY8&feature=related