Overview
So far, Guo Feng has composed hundreds of musical works, covering a wide range of themes and genres. These include both sentimental ballad and charity songs; while primarily focused on pop music, he has also ventured into electronic music, rock music, Chinese folk songs, Japanese Enka, and various other musical genres, along with numerous attempts to make crossover music by blending classical, folk, and pop music. [1]
Guo Feng's first notable pop music work was the charity single "Let the World Be Filled with Love [ zh ] performed in 1986. [1] In May of that year, Guo Feng initiated and organized a charity concert titled "Let the World Be Filled with Love: The First Concert of 100 Stars—A Tribute to the International Year of Peace" to commemorate the International Year of Peace. [10] [12] After the performance on May 9 at the Beijing Workers' Stadium, the theme song "Let the World Be Filled with Love", composed, arranged, produced, conducted, and played on keyboard by Guo Feng, became an instant hit. The cassette of "Let the World Be Filled with Love" sold over 3 million copies, making it a household name. [9] The song was performed by 128 well-known singers, breaking the then-prevailing rule in mainland China that "three pop singers cannot share the same stage." [10] [12] This performance greatly promoted the development of original pop music in China and became one of the milestone events in the history of Chinese pop music. [6] [8] [10] [12] It also led to Guo Feng being later hailed by official Chinese media as the "first person to initiate original pop music in China" and "the first person of mainland Chinese pop music." [1] [2] [3] [4] The influence of "Let the World Be Filled with Love" continues to this day, and in 2022, it was used as one of the theme songs for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. [13] Additionally, academics believe that Guo Feng's song innovated the song form of pop music, creating the first pop suite in mainland China. [11] [14] It is worth mentioning that Guo Feng was only 24 years old when he composed the song. [9] Other representative works by Guo Feng in the field of pop music include public welfare choral songs such as "Children of the Earth" (1987, environmental theme), "With You, With Me" (1996, disability assistance theme), "Believe in Love" (2008, anti-epidemic theme), "Wish" (2015, Winter Olympics bid theme), and lyrical songs such as "Let Me See You Again" (1984, performed by Zhu Hua), "The Struggles of Love" (1985, performed by Tian Zhen), "Longing for Love" (1987, performed by Wei Wei), "The Heart Walks with Love" (1993, performed by Kit Chan), "Don't Say Leave If You Want to Leave" (1994, performed by Su Rui), and "Willingly" (1995, performed by Linda Wong). [1]
Guo Feng has also been actively exploring the electronic music field. [1] In the late 1980s, he went to Japan, signed with Nippon Columbia Records, and released the electronic music album "Yellow" in 1991. [1] The album was co-produced by Guo Feng and Mikie Yoshino, a member of the Japanese Godiego band, with Guo Feng himself composing all the lyrics and music. [15] The album was highly praised for its avant-garde arrangements and exquisite production, which blended traditional Chinese multi-ethnic instruments with Western electronic music. [15] [16] [17] The editors of the Japanese music magazine CD Journal praised the album for its unique mystical emotions, reconstructing China's distinctive melodies, rhythms, and sounds. [16] In its 1994 annual publication CD Bible, Hong Kong's Hi-Fi Audio Magazine commented: "After listening to this disc, you will be amazed, as Guo Feng, though living in the mainland, has a highly modern composition style. This album, Yellow, represents the highest achievement of Japanese studio production; its instrument positioning, dynamics, and bass impact are exceptionally rare. One track, "Dance" (舞), has such a sense of space, instrument detail, and shocking bass that it will leave you astonished." [17] The mainland Chinese audio and music review magazine Hi-Fi Audio gave the album high praise in its October 2000 issue, stating that it "combines the unrestrained nature of modern pop music with the elegance of traditional Chinese ethnic music," that "each track is... extraordinarily beautiful," and that it is "a recording that can withstand the test of time." [15]
Guo Feng has also created excellent works in the fields of Chinese folk songs, Japanese enka, and rock music. [1] These include Chinese folk songs such as "The Road" (1987, performed by Dong Wenhua) and "Our Country, Sweet Songs and Fragrant Flowers" (1983, performed by Yan Weiwen), both performed on China Central Television's Spring Festival Gala, the enka "Hana Zakari" (1995, composed for Japanese singer Umezawa Tomio), the rock songs "Monologue of the Heart" (1985, performed by Cui Jian) and "Star in the Heart" (1985, performed by Wei Wei), as well as Chinese folk songs with rock elements like "How Much I Want" (1985, performed by Cheng Fangyuan) and "Answer Myself" (1987, performed by Cai Guoqing). [18] [19] [20] In addition, Guo Feng applied the suite composition mode from classical music to pop music, creating pop suites such as "Sincerity and Love" (1987) and "Ode to the Olympics" (2015). [1]
Life
Early Years
Guo Feng was born in 1962 in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. Under the influence of his father, who was also a composer, he began learning music at an early age. He started learning piano at the age of three and was admitted to the Piano Department of Sichuan Art School (now Sichuan Art Vocational College) at the age of 13. At 14, he published his first composed song, "Moonlight". [1] [2]
1980 ~ 1983
In 1980, at the age of 18, Guo Feng graduated from school and stayed on as a teacher. At the same time, he became the youngest member of the Chinese Musicians Association. [1] [2] During this period, Guo Feng composed three widely sung Chinese lyrical folk songs: "How Much I Want" (1981), "The Road" (1982), and "Our Country, Sweet Songs and Fragrant Flowers" (1983). [1] These three songs were later performed by Cheng Fangyuan (1986), Dong Wenhua (1988), and Yan Weiwen (1988) on China Central Television's Spring Festival Gala and became representative works in each singer's career. [1] [18] [19] "How Much I Want" was also performed and recorded by singers such as Wu Xiaoyun, Tian Zhen, Wu Jing, Li Lingyu, Cheng Fangyuan, Su Hong, Hang Tianqi, Cai Guoqing, and Guo Feng himself during public performances. [1] [19]
1983 ~ 1988
At the end of 1983, 21-year-old Guo Feng moved from Chengdu to Beijing to further his career, joining Huaguoshan Band, the first pop music band in China formed by Wang Yanjun and others, as a keyboardist and composer. Through collaboration and interaction with band members, Guo Feng was exposed to a large amount of Western pop music and began using MIDI equipment for arrangement. [1] [2]
In 1984, Guo Feng recorded his first personal album, "Heart Tide". This album is considered the first music album in mainland China in which one person handled all lyrics, composition, arrangement, and singing. [1] The album included songs that later became well-known, such as "Let Me Look at You Again" (which was later covered by Wei Wei) and "Twists of Love" (which was later covered by Tian Zhen and included in her 1995 album "Monica"). [1] [21] [22]
In 1985, after the band disbanded, Guo Feng joined the Oriental Song and Dance Troupe as a composer and keyboardist. [1] [2] [22] After joining, Guo Feng produced music for a series of film and television works, including the film "The Superstar" (March 1985), the TV drama "This Year Here" (March 1986), and the film "Operation Hurricane" (April 1986). He also released the soundtracks "The Superstar" cassette (sung by Wu Xiaoyun), "The Superstar" vinyl record (sung by Wu Xiaoyun), and "Dream Journey" (sung by Japanese actress Nakano Ryoko). [1] In December, Guo Feng released the personal works album "New Stars in the Music World". Guo Feng himself was the composer, arranger, and producer of the album. The twelve songs in the album were sung by twelve different singers from mainland China, including Tu Honggang, Zhu Hua, Zhang Tong, Zhao Li, Cui Jian, Wei Wei, Wu Jing, Hu Yinyin, Zhang Weijin, Yu Jiayi, Fu Diseng, and Tian Ming. [1] In the songs "Me and You" (sung by Tu Honggang), "How Much I Want" (sung by Wu Jing), and "Monologue of the Heart" (sung by Cui Jian), Guo Feng used the hallmark backbeat rhythm of Western rock music (previously very rare in mainland Chinese music), giving the songs a dynamic feel. This was an early attempt at the Rock and Roll style in original music in mainland China. [1] The song "Answer Me" won the gold medal at the "Peacock Cup" National Youth First Popular Song Competition held in Hangzhou, China, in July of the following year; [22] Wei Wei won the second prize in the professional group pop singing category at the second "National Young Singers TV Grand Prix" held by China Central Television in September of the following year with the song "Let Me Look at You Again", thus beginning her singing career. [1] [21]
In May 1986, Guo Feng composed his most important work, "Let the World Be Filled with Love". [1] [11] On May 9, using the commemoration of the International Year of Peace as an opportunity, Guo Feng initiated and organized a charity concert called "Let the World Be Filled with Love: The First Hundred Star Concert—Tribute to the International Year of Peace". [10] [12] He served as the composer, arranger, producer, conductor, and keyboard player for the theme song "Let the World Be Filled with Love" and provided three other songs: "Heart Song" (sung by Zhao Li), "How Much I Want" (sung by Wu Xiaoyun), and "Light Flow" (also known as "Time Is Passing," sung by Wei Wei). [1] [10] This performance caused a huge sensation, greatly promoting the development of original pop music in China, and is considered to have opened a "new era" of Chinese pop music. [1] [6] [9] [10] The music cassette of the theme song "Let the World Be Filled with Love" sold over 3 million copies. [9] The spirit of universal love embodied in the song is considered to have elevated the character of pop music in mainland China, and the suite form was seen as a revolution in the structure of pop music. [6] [8] [11] Subsequently, Guo Feng was invited by the government to participate in a series of peace memorial performances: in August 1986, he represented China at the Hiroshima International Peace Music Festival in Japan; and in October 1986, he toured the United States, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Venezuela with the Oriental Song and Dance Troupe. [1] [22]
Between 1987 and 1988, Guo Feng participated in a series of public service performances and public service songs, including "Children of the Earth", composed in 1987 to commemorate the International Day for Environmental Protection, "Friend of Mankind", composed in 1988 to commemorate the International Organisation for the Conservation of Wild Animals, and "Sincerity and Love", which was composed to encourage the reintegration of people who have served their prison terms into society. [1] [22] He also produced the music for the films The Last Madness and Oh Sisterhood and the television series Frenzy. [22] During this period, Guo Feng's work helped usher in a number of singers' career highs: on 20 August 1987, Wei Wei won the 24th Sopot International Music Festival, Poland (Sopot International Music Festival) for her performance of "Star in the Heart Sopot International Song Festival]]; [23] In November 1988, Wei Wei won the Gold Prize in the Yugoslavia Mechem International Music Festival International Music Festival in Mechem, Yugoslavia, with her performance of "Love Search"; [24] [25] In December 1988, Zhang Qiang won the Special Prize for Singing at the 25th Sopot International Music Festival, Poland for his performance of "The Same Ancestor". [22] [26] In addition, the cassette "Let the World Be Full of Love" won the 1986-1987 National Cassette Gold Medal in December 1987; [22] [25] the song "Answer Yourself" won an award of excellence in the Central People's Broadcasting Station's "Teenage" The song "Answer Yourself" won an award of excellence in the "China School Songwriting Grand Prix" initiated by the Central People's Broadcasting Station on 14 October 1988, which was sponsored by the Central People's Broadcasting Station. [27] [28]
The success of his numerous works led Guo Feng to a career peak - between 16 and 20 October 1988, the official music organisation of mainland China (Beijing Ark Culture and Art Society, the Creative Committee of the Chinese Musicians Association, the editorial board of Songs, and the Oriental Song and Dance Troupe) held five consecutive "Love World - Young Composer Guo Feng's Works Concerts" at the Beijing Exhibition Hall theatre, featuring Hu Yue, Hang Tianqi, Ren Jing, Tu Honggang, Zhu Hua, Tian Zhen, Fu Zhen, and Zhu Hua. Five consecutive concerts of "The World of Love - Young Composer Guo Feng's Concerts" were held by Hu Yue, Hang Tianqi, Ren Jing, Tu Honggang, Zhu Hua, Tian Zhen, Fu Disheng, Zhang Qiang, Wei Wei, Yu Jiayi, Huang Yingjie, Fan Linlin, Cai Guoqing, Feng Maintain and other top singers from mainland China. A line of singers, the Central Broadcasting Teenage Choir and the conductor Meng Dapeng, vibration breakdancing team, and Guo Feng himself to perform Guo Feng's 23 works, and a concert commemorative album "The World of Love" was released. [1] [22] [29]
1988 ~ 1995
At the end of 1988, Guo Feng travelled east to Japan and signed to Nippon Columbia. [1] [29] While in Japan, while writing and producing music albums, Guo Feng mastered computer music technology. [1] [29]
In 1990, he composed the theme music for the Japanese TBS television film 'Are You Asian?' Theme music composition for a large-scale TV film. In the same year, as a representative of China, he participated in various major international music events in Japan, such as Hiroshima Peace Concert, Yokohama Expo, Pacific Expo, Asian Music Festival, and so on. [1] [22] [29]
In 1991, he published and released his solo music album, "Yellow", in Japan. [1] The album was co-produced by Guo Feng and Mikie Yoshino, a member of Japan's Godiego, with Guo Feng writing all the lyrics and music himself. [15] The arrangements of the seven tracks combine traditional Chinese instrumental music with Western electronica in an avant-garde and ethnic style. The album was released to critical acclaim in Japan, the United States, and Hong Kong and Taiwan. [15] [16] [17] The album was highly praised for its avant-garde arrangements and exquisite production, which blended traditional Chinese multi-ethnic instruments with Western electronic music. [15] [16] [17] The editors of the Japanese music magazine CD Journal praised the album for its unique mystical emotions, reconstructing China's distinctive melodies, rhythms, and sounds. [16] In its 1994 annual publication CD Bible, Hong Kong's Hi-Fi Audio Magazine commented: "After listening to this disc, you will be amazed, as Guo Feng, though living in the mainland, has a highly modern composition style. This album, Yellow, represents the highest achievement of Japanese studio production; its instrument positioning, dynamics, and bass impact are exceptionally rare. One track, "Dance", has such a sense of space, instrument detail, and shocking bass that it will leave you astonished." [17] In the same year, Guo Feng performed solo concerts in Yokohama, Fukuoka, Shibuya and Ginza. [1] [22] [29]
Since then, Guo Feng has travelled to Singapore to develop his career, signing with Ocean Butterflies as a full-time music producer. [1] [22] [29] During his time in Singapore, Kuo Feng worked as a music producer for a number of film and television productions, including the television series Three Faces of Eve (March 1991), The Day of Love in the Net of the Law (October 1991), and The Wonderful Ghosts of the House (March 1993), and He has composed a large number of songs for singers from Hong Kong, Taiwan and New Malaysia (Nana Pao, Su Rui, Chen Jieyi, Ke Yimin, Wang Xinping, Gang Zebin, etc.). Some of them are widely sung, such as “The Heart Will Go with Love”(1993) for Chen Jieyi, “Don't Say Go”(1994) for Su Rui, and “Wishful Thinking”(1995) for Wang Xinping. [1] [22] [29] These songs were later performed by Guo Feng himself and became representative of his identity as a singer. [1] [2]
In 1994, Guo Feng's solo album Sober, produced by Xu Huanliang, was released in Singapore, with Guo Feng himself writing, arranging, performing and singing all the lyrics and music. [1] [22] [29]
1995 ~ 2000
By 1995, the music market in mainland China had begun to take shape, and Guo Feng returned to China, debuting as a singer (previously, although the release of the album "Tides of the Heart" in 1985 and his stage performances during his time with the Oriental Song and Dance Troupe suggested that Guo Feng might be one of the earliest singer-songwriters in mainland China, his primary work was still behind the scenes, and the media had long defined his role as a "composer" or "musician" rather than a "singer"). [1] [22] [29] In the same year he returned to China, Guo Feng, along with Mao Amin, received the "Special Honor Award" at the 2nd Oriental Music Awards. [1] [30]
Between 1995 and 2000, Guo Feng released the studio albums "With You and Me" (1995), "Transfer of Affection" (1996), "You've Taken My Whole Heart" (1997), "I Feel Like Crying Before You" (1999), and compilation albums "Guo Feng's Glory 1981-1996" (1996), "Guo Feng's Best of 97" (1997), "Willingly" (1999), and "Classic Guo Feng 1980-2000" (2000), as well as the MV collection "Guo Feng Forever OK" (1998), and took the lead in creating all the songs in these albums; he held the personal concert "Forever Guo Feng" (1998) and released the concert soundtrack "Forever Guo Feng - Music Concert" (1998). [1] [2] In 1999, Guo Feng also made his first appearance in a film, co-starring with Xu Qing, Pu Cunxin, and Tao Hong in the movie "Let's Not Break Up" and was responsible for the production and performance of the film's music. [1] [2]
While managing his entertainment career, Guo Feng once again created a large number of public welfare songs, following his works from the 1980s, such as "Let the World Be Filled with Love" and "Children of the Earth". [1] These include "With You and Me" in 1996 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the anti-fascist war, "Young Heart" in 1997 to support the national "National Fitness Campaign," "Embrace" in 1999 to welcome the return of Macau, and "Realizing the Dream" in 2000 to support Beijing's bid for the Olympic Games. [1] In 2000, Guo Feng initiated the "Realizing the Dream" chorus event with a thousand people and launched the nationwide tour "I Sing for the Olympics." [1] [2]
2001 ~ Present
After 2000, Guo Feng released studio albums "Guo Feng NEW11" (2001), "Burning" (2004), "HIGH TIME Passion Moments" (2005), and compilation albums "Guo Feng Embrace 1980-2004" (2004), as well as the MV collection + photo album "Guo Feng All". In 2015 and 2018, he held personal concerts "Guo Feng LIVE Concert" and "In the Name of Classics" solo concert, and released the concert soundtracks "Guo Feng LIVE Concert" (2015) and "In the Name of Classics Modern Pop Piano Hits" (2018). [1] [2]
During this period, Guo Feng became more intensively involved in the creation of public welfare songs than ever before, with works focusing on themes such as supporting the development of sports, caring for vulnerable groups, and enhancing social cohesion. [1] In 2001, he composed the theme song "We Are Friends" for the 21st Summer Universiade held in Beijing, and the theme song "Fluttering Red Ribbon" for the National AIDS Prevention Conference; in 2003, he composed "Walking Together" to support the fight against the SARS epidemic; in 2005, he composed the suite "Ode to the Olympics" to promote the Beijing Olympics and organized a concert named "Ode to the Olympics Large-Scale Music Event" at the Imperial Ancestral Temple of the Beijing Working People's Cultural Palace. In 2008, he composed "Believe in Love" to support earthquake relief efforts in Wenchuan; in 2015, he composed "Life" to promote International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking and "Wish" to support Beijing's bid for the Winter Olympics; in 2017 and 2018, he composed patriotic songs "China" and "We" respectively; in 2018, he composed the closing ceremony theme song "Come on, Friend" for the 15th Shanxi Provincial Games; in 2019, he was awarded the title of "Ambassador for Helping the Disabled" by the China Disabled Persons' Federation and composed the song "Sunshine of Love" to support disabled people, and in the same year, he composed the theme song "China, Watch Me" for the 2nd National Youth Games; in 2020, he composed a trilogy of songs "Never Give Up", "Wait for Me to Come Home", and "Stubborn Flower" to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic; in 2021, he composed the theme song "Running for Love" for the 6th Chongqing Municipal Games for Persons with Disabilities; in 2024, he composed the theme songs "Asia" and "Today and Tomorrow" for the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China. [1] [2] [31]
