Han Hong Dreaming Of Tibet

Many people didn't expect Han Hong to become a famous pop star, because she didn't have the stunning looks and slim figure that is usually associated with successful personalities in the pop industry. Despite discouraging comments, Han Hong didn't give up her pursuit of a career in music. Now, she's famous for being one of the few versatile female musicians who not only sings well, but is also a very successful song-writer.

Han Hong inherited her mother's talent as a singer. She was born in 1971 in Xigaze, the second largest city in the Tibet after Lhasa, and was given the Tibetan name, Gesang Zhuoma. When she was very young, she used to watch her mother, a renowned Tibetan singer, sing and dance on stage, and dreamed that one day, she too would perform before great audiences.

At the age of nine, Han Hong came to Beijing to receive professional vocal training in a children's chorus. This was just the start of the long trek in pursuit of a professional musical career. In 1985, 14-year-old Han Hong won her first national prize in a singing competition. At the age of 16, she joined the People's Liberation Army as a military singer. Later, she trained at the Central Conservatory of Music and the Art Institute of the PLA. Han Hong's singing has distinctive Tibetan characteristics; she's able to shift freely from piercing high pitches to soft low pitches. She says if she hadn't become fascinated by pop music, she would have become a Tibetan folk singer.

Han Hong's ambition goes far beyond just being a pop singer though. She also writes her own music. She started composing songs in 1993, without having had any professional training. Maybe this helped her form her own distinctive style, which has become popular with so many listeners.

Quite a number of Han Hong's songs are related to her roots in Tibet. Her songs combine elements of classical Tibetan folk music with pop music. Her songs have thrown a light on the mysterious and rich culture of Tibet and aroused a lot of interest.

The song “Brilliant Rays on a Snowy Landscape” is one of Han Hong's early works, which conveys the vastness and beauty of Tibet. It swept various pop song billboards across China, garnering more than 20 awards. Let's listen to the song.

Han Hong hadn't been to her hometown of Xigaze since she left it at the age of nine. In her mind, her hometown hasn't changed in any way since the day she left it. That's the theme of her song, “Hometown”, which recalls her carefree childhood in Tibet. This song also hit the top of the charts, collecting more than 40 awards in three months. It's now counted among modern pop classics.

Han Hong returned to Tibet last year after feeling drained of inspiration. She passed through cities and towns, and was moved by the sincerity of the people and their simple lives. All this helped revive a sense of inspiration, which led to her writing a song called “Passing Through”. Here's the song, which is one of the composer's favorites.

Though she hadn't been in her hometown for nearly two decades, Han Hong stayed informed about the development of the region. Tibet is an endless source of inspiration for her music and allows her to give her listeners insights into the Tibetan way of life.

Yet, Han Hong's songs, which deal with the theme of Tibet, make up just a small proportion of her work. As a pop singer in Beijing, she's had a lot of exposure to different styles of music, such as Jazz, R&B, Rock and Roll and Latin music, and her work reflects this. We'll be playing a variety of Han Hong's music in our next edition of China Melody.