During this year's Spring Festival, retired artists from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism participated in performances and went deep into the grassroots; Gather with family and friends and share the joy. Seeing the lively cultural life of the masses during the Spring Festival, their fond memories of the past Spring Festival also came flooding. The reporter of this newspaper interviewed a number of old artists to tell their New Year stories
Sha Jingchang: The busier I get, the stronger the flavor of the New Year
Reporter Yu Fan.
Sha Jingchang, a national first-class actor of the National Theatre of China, has been active in the front line of drama and film and television performances, and has participated in many film and television works, such as "Love in the Courtyard", "Soldiers on the Battlefield", "Killing the Tiger's Mouth", "The Hawthorn Tree in the Distance", "Yellow River Waves", "Legendary Love and Hatred" and so on. Engaged in literary and artistic work for more than half a century, Sha Jingchang has participated in performances during the Spring Festival, in his words, "every festival must be performed, and every festival will not fall".
The Spring Festival is one of the busiest times for literary and artistic workers. Sha Jingchang said that the busier he is with performances, the busier he feels, the stronger the New Year's flavor. Recalling his cultural life, Sha Jingchang was most impressed by the Spring Festival in 1981. He said: "Our ** Experimental Drama Theater (later formed by the China National Drama Theater with the China Youth Art Theater) performed Liu Shugang's drama "Spirit and Flesh" adapted from the story of the American boxing champion at the Beijing People's Theater, and I played the role of the boxing champion in the play. It was freezing outside, and I had to sweat and sweat with my opponent shirtless on stage to recreate the battle between good and evil, strong and weak in the boxing ring. ”
At that time, the economic conditions were limited, and it was difficult to obtain enough meat, eggs and food to maintain physical strength, and for more than half of each performance, Sha Jingchang had to rely on a few pieces of chocolate issued to the main actors in the troupe to replenish his physical strength. "I felt exhausted after more than two hours of physical exertion during the whole performance. But every time we hear the cry for justice erupt from the audience with the plot, our actors on stage are deeply inspired and work harder to push the plot and the festive atmosphere to a high point. Sha Jingchang said, "As an actor, I am very pleased and satisfied to hear the voice of the audience subconsciously echoing and can't help but participate in the plot!" At the end of the performance, the last bus was gone, and the actor pedaled his bicycle home for 40 minutes in the cold wind, but he was still very excited along the way. ”
Talking about the flavor of the New Year, Sha Jingchang said that in the past, making dumplings, eating melon seeds and peanuts, eating frozen persimmons, and setting off firecrackers were simple and simple. For literary and art workers, the taste of the New Year has never changed, that is, the glory and happiness felt during the Spring Festival performance.
After his retirement, Sha Jingchang is still busy with performance activities, and he is still constantly exploring new performance forms and contents. In 2022, he performed a poem recitation "Starry Tonight" and "Red Boat" in China Education Television's "Poetic China Spring Festival Gala", which was recognized by the audience. In other performances, his recitations of "The Story of Deng Jiaxian", "Salute to Lovely People", "Remembering the Yellow River", "What is the Motherland" and other works are also popular. "Times are changing, but what has not changed is the public's love for literary and artistic works that are full of positive energy, inspiration and educational significance. Sha Jingchang said.
With decades of experience in performances, Sha Jingchang is able to capture the current audience's demand for theatrical performances. He learned that in recent years, the public has become more partial to opera. "Literary and artistic workers are to constantly meet the needs of the audience, try to broaden their skills, and serve audiences with different hobbies. To this end, Sha Jingchang was invited to participate in the Spring Festival Gala program of the 2024 ** Radio and Television Station Opera Channel, and performed Guo Jianguang's singing segment "Military and Civilian Fish and Water Feelings" in the model play "Shajiabang".
Sha Jingchang said: "During major festivals such as the Spring Festival, it is the duty of literary and artistic workers to provide rich cultural and artistic programs to the audience, and it is the lifelong duty of actors to inherit artistic treasures, promote the national spirit, and promote the excellent traditional Chinese culture." ”
Nectar: Reflects the value of the elderly art troupe
Reporter Li Rongkun.
Before the Spring Festival, Ganlu, a national first-class choreographer and former head of the China Song and Dance Troupe of China Oriental Performing Arts Group, has been busy in Fujian, Guizhou, Hubei and other places, serving as a judge and teaching choreographers and directors ...... creation classesAfter her retirement, she actively participated in theatrical performances and mass cultural work in various places. Approaching the Spring Festival, she returned to Beijing for the New Year.
Ganlu has served as the chief director of many important evening parties, and is accustomed to high-intensity and fast-paced work. "Especially during the New Year's holidays, it is common to participate in activities such as the Spring Festival Gala and rehearse until midnight, and it is generally impossible to reunite with family members during the Spring Festival. Speaking of this, Manna did not feel hard, and her words revealed pride. "Bringing joy to the masses through performances is a kind of responsibility engraved in the bones of literary and art workers. Especially when I see the work being perfectly presented, I feel very happy. Manna said.
Talking about the impressive story, Ganlu recalled that before the Spring Festival in 2006, she went to Yale University in the United States to perform, and it was difficult to find tickets for the performance at that time. Many foreign friends came to visit, and the aisles and steps of the theater were filled with enthusiastic audiences. During an instrumental program, there was a sudden problem with the wiring and the sound went out of voice. At that time, "Jasmine" was playing, and the actor was very calm, did not panic, but continued to play, and the originally embarrassing atmosphere of the scene changed instantly. The audience sang along to the melody, and the scene was exciting and exciting. In this way, the small accident in the performance was reversed into a highlight.
Once, Manna went to Africa with the troupe to perform. In order to make "Red Silk Dance" more rich and lively, Ganlu, as the chief director, turned red silk into a colorful silk with both red, yellow and green, and integrated cultural elements with local characteristics. After the performance, the head of the local cultural department shook the hand of manna and was very excited, because the color of the colorful silk was the color of their country's flag, and this idea touched him. This made Ganlu feel deeply: as a literary and artistic worker, we must always take on the important mission of strengthening cultural self-confidence and spreading the voice of China. "This performance has given me a lot of inspiration, and in the future performances abroad, I will consider integrating the cultural elements of the other party into the work, so as to shorten the distance and deepen the relationship. ”
After retirement, Ganlu is still active in various art activities, joining the elderly art troupe organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and performing in villages, nursing homes and other places. Before the Spring Festival this year, she went to a nursing home in Hangzhou with the group to give a condolence performance to the old scientists and researchers living there. They liked it very much, and after the performance, many elderly people were moved to tears. Ganlu said, "It's so meaningful to do this, and it also reflects the value of the elderly art troupe." ”
Ganlu said that decades of acting career have made her understand that literary and artistic creation must always adhere to the people-centered creative orientation, sing the main theme, transmit positive energy, and provide strong spiritual strength for the realization of the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Qu Xianhe: Change into a miner's suit and go down to the mine
Reporter Li Xinran.
At 9 o'clock in the evening, the 80-year-old former head of the China Coal Mine Art Troupe, a national first-class actor, and a famous broadcaster, Qu Xianhe, came to an end and returned home to rest.
Qu Xianhe recited poems one after another with a calm and heavy voice, accompanying the growth of several generations of audiences. During the Spring Festival this year, he insisted on going to various places to participate in performances, and as always, he went deep into the mining area to send joy and blessings to his miner friends with wonderful performances.
For Qu Xianhe, "coal mine" is a key word that is closely related to and inseparable from his artistic life. Looking back on the past, during his tenure as the head of the China Coal Mine Art Troupe, he would lead the members to the grassroots every Spring Festival to send blessings to the miners who were struggling on the front line. In many beautiful and unforgettable memories, there are miners.
Qu Xianhe recalled that on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year in 1985, he led the drama troupe of the China Coal Mine Art Troupe to the Wangpingcun Mine, which is affiliated to the Beijing Mining Bureau, and presented a Spring Festival condolence performance for the miners with a drama "Special Reporter". At that time, the theater facilities in the mining area were old and close to the train station, and the stage was wobbly as soon as the train passed. There are no lounges and toilets on either side of the stage, and the actors have to find a place to change their costumes backstage between performances. "The old gentleman who guarded the theater took care of the weather and privacy, so he vacated his room on the second floor for the actresses to change their costumes, groom and take care of the logistics. The old gentleman's actions deeply touched Qu Xianhe and his colleagues. Even if the conditions are limited, every employee in the mining area tries their best to create a convenient and comfortable performance environment for the actors; The members of the art troupe also shook their spirits and tried their best to complete the performance.
If you want to understand the production and life of coal miners, experience the ideology and spirit of coal miners, and better serve them with art, you must change into miners' clothes and go to the mine. Qu Xianhe said that at that time, the Coal Mine Art Troupe stipulated that actors should go to the mining area to make dumplings with miners during the Spring Festival, and held condolence performances, so that the experience of experiencing life at the grassroots level became a teaching material for cultivating literary and artistic workers.
Qu Xianhe's memory is still fresh in the Spring Festival condolence performance in 1991. At that time, he and the members of the Song and Dance Troupe and the Repertory Troupe of the Chinese Coal Mine Art Troupe went to the Datai Coal Mine in Beijing on the first day of the Lunar New Year to give a condolence performance, and many star actors in the troupe participated in this event. Before he could enter the mine, he saw the workers welcoming them warmly, and the procession stretched for miles. Changing into miners' uniforms and going down to the mine, the deep alley was transformed into a temporary stage, where everyone sang a song and recited a poem with the miners, without the barrier between the actors and the audience. "We have all been cultivated by the people in long-term performances, and by constantly performing at the grassroots level, we will dedicate what we have learned to the people, which is the eternal path of literary and artistic workers. Qu Xianhe said.
The experience of going deep into the grassroots and performing in the mining area runs through Qu Xianhe's artistic career, and even if he can no longer go down to the mine after retirement, he still insists on visiting the mining area during the Spring Festival every year. This year, Qu Xianhe went to the Zhunger Coal Mine and returned to the Jixi Mining Area, the birthplace of the Coal Mine Art Troupe, to perform. "I have always considered myself a member of the coal miners, and I will never change my feelings with the coal miners. As long as I can give full play to my spare heat and use my skills to serve the masses, I am willing to perform on the stage for a lifetime. Qu Xianhe said.
Yang Qing: "It's all about dumplings on the night of the Chinese New Year's Eve."
Reporter Zhang Ying.
During the Spring Festival, the home of Yang Qing, a national first-class actor of the National Theatre of China, was particularly lively. "There are a lot of people at home during the Spring Festival this year, and as the eldest in the family, younger siblings and juniors all come to my house for the holiday. "The most important thing in the New Year is to get together, in Yang Qing's eyes, a reunion releases the long-term longing between relatives.
Yang Qing, who has loved literature and art since childhood, was admitted to the Performance Department of ** Drama Academy in 1978, and after graduation, he entered the China Youth Art Theater (later formed the China National Drama Theater with the ** Experimental Drama Theater) to work, and has won important awards such as the Plum Blossom Award for Chinese Theatre and the Wenhua Award. Yang Qing also created many classic characters in film and television dramas, from "Xu Yuejuan" in the TV series "Desire" to the "Queen Mother" in the TV series "Do You Know If You Should Be Green, Fat, Red and Thin", which touched countless audiences.
Yang Qing is a native of Beijing, born in the 50s of the last century. In her impression, the Spring Festival when she was a child was happy and sweet, carrying urgent expectations. She said: "When I was young, I looked forward to the Chinese New Year, and I felt that time passed so slowly. Now, I feel like the year has been too fast, and I don't know if it's time or because there's too much going on. ”
At that time, Yang Qing began to wait for Chinese New Year's Eve with a "red heart" from Laba, waiting for the New Year's greeting ...... on the first day of the Lunar New YearOld Beijingers have rich New Year customs, and Laba began to prepare for the arrival of the Lunar New Year. Yang Qing recalled: "When we were young, the little girl would buy velvet flowers, wear them on her head during the Chinese New Year, and wear new clothes and shoes. Adults are busy steaming steamed buns, steamed bean buns, steamed jujube cakes, stewed meat, stewed chicken, stewed fish, etc.
In the past, the material was not abundant, and the Chinese New Year was particularly important and sweet. Yang Qing said: "At that time, the house where the family lived was not as big as it is now, and the family always felt warm and happy in such a small space. Adults would tell us stories, we ate peanuts, melon seeds, and fruit candy that we couldn't usually eat, and the house was full of the smell of the New Year. ”
During the Spring Festival, Yang Qing sometimes can't reunite with his relatives because he is filming in other places. One year, during the filming of the TV series "The Age of the Second Child", Yang Qing spent the Spring Festival in the crew. In the Chinese New Year's Eve, in the hotel restaurant, Yang Qing made noodles, rolled the skin, mixed the filling, made dumplings with everyone, and quietly put peanuts and sugar in the dumplings as a sign of luck. Actors from all over the world gathered at around zero o'clock to share the joy of the New Year. "The Spring Festival that year was completely different from at home, and it was all about dumplings on the night of the Chinese New Year's Eve to set everyone's mood up. Yang Qing said.
After retiring from the National Theatre of China, Yang Qing's life is still full. She participated in dramas, participated in public welfare activities, and in recent years, she has become a "mother" professional household in film and television dramas. In the new year, Yang Qing is looking forward to having a role that suits him. As an old drama bone, she is also willing to be a "green leaf", hoping to present more good shows to the audience with young actors.
Ji Qilin: Fight closed and insist on finishing the show
Reporter Peng Aoli.
Speaking of the story of the Chinese New Year, Ji Qilin, a 77-year-old retired cadre of the China Opera and Dance Theater and a performing artist, is like a treasure. In his decades of stage career, he actively participated in major performances every Spring Festival, sending holiday blessings and joy to the people and showing the demeanor of literary and artistic workers.
In the early 80s of the last century, the China Opera and Dance Theater organized a song and dance party with a gathering of heroes, gathering opera performance artist Guo Lanying, dance drama performance artist Zhao Qing, etc., to Inner Mongolia for a Spring Festival condolence performance in the name of the first condolence group, which was warmly welcomed. "In the past month's performances, we performed from Hohhot to Baotou and then to Erenhot. At that time, the dance drama "Liang Zhu" performed by Ji Qilin and Zhao Qing was the finale, which moved the audience as soon as it was staged and pushed the atmosphere to a climax.
Ji Qilin said that although the performance conditions were difficult at that time, he received "the highest courtesy" in the place he went, and the artist and the people went in both directions. "An eldest sister who has served the prime minister of *** heard that I love milk tea, and every day after breakfast, she prepares two warm pots of milk tea for me and asks me to take back to my residence. I was deeply moved. Ji Qilin said.
One year, on the eve of the Spring Festival, the China Opera and Dance Theater organized Zhao Qing and Ji Qilin to perform in Tianjin. The performance took place in a newly built theater, and because it had not yet had a suspended ceiling, all the heating was sucked off by the roof. Due to the cold weather, Ji Qilin's body couldn't stretch before he went on the field, and his muscles and joints were in a tense state. "It's risky for athletic actors to be unable to move their limbs until they start their job. Sure enough, when he performed on stage for the first show, he sprained his waist.
The show consisted of 7 dance drama clips and dance programs, and in order not to affect the performance, I gritted my teeth and insisted on completing the first program. Ji Qilin said that in order to prevent the audience from returning home in disappointment, he took 3 injections to seal, tightly wrapped his waist with a bandage, and finished the remaining 6 programs. After the performance, the comrades carried him on a stretcher and sent him back to Beijing on a train. "Gradually, I said goodbye to the stage I loved and turned to film and television art. With more than 60 years of experience, he has become an all-rounder across five industries: Peking Opera, Dance Drama, Drama, Television and Film.
I can have today's achievements in the literary and artistic circles without the great support given to me by my wife Zhang Bailing. "At the CCTV Spring Festival Gala in 1984, in the audience interactive game "Mother and Son Heart" hosted by Huang Ayuan, the host of Taiwan, three pairs of mothers and children competed to make dumplings. "My son Ji Chenmu and my wife participated in it, which became a precious memory of the Spring Festival Gala in our family. Ji Qilin said.
On Chinese New Year's Eve this year, Ji Qilin and his family ** CCTV Spring Festival Gala. "Now the performance content is more colorful, and the performance form is diverse. Although I didn't have the opportunity to be there in person, I turned on the TV and I could see a variety of high-level performances and feel the joyful atmosphere of the festival, which was a kind of happiness and enjoyment. Ji Qilin said sincerely, "Thank you to the colleagues and behind-the-scenes heroes who have performed with all their hearts, and salute them!" ”
Li Ke: I received three precious Chinese New Year gifts
Reporter Wang Tianyi.
Photo by Lu Xu.
I received three precious gifts. "This year's Spring Festival is very special for Li Ke, a retired mezzo-soprano singer of the China Symphony Orchestra (formerly ** Orchestra).
Grandma, I got the 4th place in the whole grade! Listening to the crisp laughter on the ** head, Li Ke couldn't help but redden. Who would have thought that this 13-year-old child named Liang Jinghui had just experienced a desperate struggle with leukemia, and it was Li Ke and daughter Li Shuman who accompanied Xiao Jinghui to defeat the disease.
Liang Jinghui comes from an ordinary family in Jingle County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province, her father is an employee of the Goose Town Health Center in Jingle County, and her mother has no formal job. Li Ke donated generously again and again to raise medical expenses for Liang Jinghui. Li Shuman has been paying nearly half of his salary to Liang Jinghui's medical account regularly every month for three years.
Under the protection of the artist's mother and daughter, Liang Jinghui not only died, but also returned to the classroom in September last year. Liang Jinghui said: "I will study hard, live a good life, and live up to Aunt Li and Grandma Li." ”
Since 1995, the former Ministry of Culture has carried out various forms of assistance to Jingle County, and Li Ke has participated in it. She organized 6 choirs for Jingle, spent nearly half of her time teaching in Jingle public welfare every year, funded the establishment of Jingle Culture**, and won the honorary title of "National Advanced Individual in Poverty Alleviation". Over the years, Li Ke has sown love and art on this land.
Another young man, Li Yanyun, graduated from university with honors in June last year. For 4 years in college, her tuition and fees were all funded by Rick. "Grandma Li is a ray of light in my heart. Li Yanyun said, "It was Grandma Li who made me see a wider world and made me understand that the meaning of life lies in dedication." Talking about the future, Li Yanyun said that she wants to return to her hometown of Xinzhou to be a people's teacher, and has passed the relevant qualification exams. "I want to shine a light on more people like Grandma Lee. She said.
Early in the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Li Ke also received a New Year's message from Du Xin, a doctor from the Russian Glinka State ** College: "*Everything is fine with me here, please rest assured." All along, in order to help Du Xin realize his academic dream, Li Ke and Li Shuman patiently tutored and provided more learning opportunities as much as possible. Stepping out of the county and on the international stage, as the first doctor trained by Li Ke for the Jingle Choir, Du Xin became a role model for the members.
I have always believed that art has the power to change people's hearts and change lives. "Seeing the children grow up makes me extremely happy." ”
Tong Fan: The laughter of the audience is the biggest reward
Reporter Wang Tianyi.
In the memory of Tong Fan, a performing artist and national first-class actor, the Spring Festival was the busiest time of the year.
In 1978, Tong Fan entered the China Youth Art Theater (later formed the China National Drama Theater with the ** Experimental Theater) and engaged in drama performances. Since then, almost every Spring Festival, Tong Fan has spent it on the stage. "At that time, many audience members came from afar to buy tickets overnight to see the performance, and we repeatedly added more performances while maintaining the standard of the performance, just to be worthy of the support and expectations of the audience. Therefore, the Spring Festival in those years was a tough battle for me and my colleagues. ”
In the 80s of the last century, it was regarded by many people as the "first era" of the blowout development of drama art. Tong Fan starred in "Clay Figures", "Late Flowers", "Red Nose", "Monserra" and other works have become masterpieces in the minds of the audience, and they are also a must-have program for family reunions of drama fans, and it is difficult to find a ticket. Later, with the development of television, film and other industries, the drama market was strongly impacted. "The most dismal performance at that time, there were only seven people in the audience. That year was also the first time that Tong Fan did not accompany the audience on stage for the New Year after entering the industry.
Now, the drama market is recovering, and the New Year stage is being re-dressed. I think it's a blessing that the actors are back in the theater and the young audience is enthusiastically embracing the drama. Tong Fan prefers the title of "literary and artistic worker" to "artist". "To be an actor is to have an audience in mind. Our predecessors taught us to be honest, act seriously, and serve the society and the people. This is by no means a big talk, but a responsibility entrusted to us by profession and career. Tong Fan said.
That's what Tong Fan said, and that's what he did. Since the 90s of the last century, Tong Fan has often served as the host of the Spring Festival TV Gala and other activities of the former Ministry of Culture, and he has been doing it for more than ten years. Whether it is a big or small stage, Tong Fan cherishes it very much. He followed the literary and artistic team to the grassroots level, did public welfare, and braved the cold wind to send literary and artistic activities to the vast countryside and to the villagers. Tong Fan uses "dedication" to describe the perseverance year after year. "The laughter of the audience is the greatest reward. He said.
During this year's Spring Festival, Tong Fan once again accompanied the audience for the New Year through programs such as the 2024 Poetic China Spring Festival Poetry Gala and grassroots performances. "Literature and art can help rural construction, promote social development, and boost the people's spirit, which is the mission that literary and artistic workers in the new era must undertake. Only by going to the people can we better understand the needs of the people and better serve the people, so as to absorb more nutrients and enrich our art. Tong Fan said.
Li Yuanhua: People who are always moving forward will not get old
Intern reporter Wang Weijie of this newspaper.
Li Yuanhua, a 77-year-old opera performance artist, is the second-generation "Xi'er" in the national opera "The White-Haired Girl", and also played the heroine "Ah Lian" in the Peking Opera movie "Ode to the Dragon River". In the lively atmosphere of "Happy New Year", whenever Dan performs on stage, the classic folk song "Nanniwan" is Li Yuanhua's must-sing repertoire. In her eyes, "Nanniwan" is not only a song, but also a spiritual inheritance. "Let's not forget these long-sung old folk songs, today's good days are the embodiment and interpretation of the spirit of Nanniwan that is self-reliant and hardworking. No matter what kind of industry you are, you need to inherit this spirit. Li Yuanhua said.
Li Yuanhua couldn't stay idle, and he ran to many places before and after the Spring Festival in the Year of the Dragon. "Serving the grassroots while walking is the best way for me to maintain health, and I feel very happy. Li Yuanhua told reporters, "After going deep into the grassroots, I found that the lives of ordinary people have changed greatly, the villages and villages have no worries about food and clothing, and at the same time, the demand for culture and art is becoming more and more vigorous." As a person who has been engaged in spiritual products all my life, I feel very gratified that I should strive to launch more excellent works that enhance the spiritual strength of the people. ”
In December 2021, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism held an oath-taking ceremony for four old artists, Wang Tiecheng, Li Yuanhua, Li Ke and Wang Huizhong, and Li Yuanhua realized his long-cherished wish to join the party.
As someone who is almost the same age as the Republic, my art and life experience is like how China has changed over the years. Li Yuanhua said, "I am very pleased to see today's development and see the good atmosphere of prosperity." At the same time, when I see some problems, I think about what I should do. Although I am old, I still hope that I will not only serve the society with my singing, but also warm those in need with my thoughts and enthusiasm. ”
In recent years, Li Yuanhua has actively participated in the cultural volunteer service project of veteran artists of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, spared no effort to popularize and promote opera art, and won the honor of "The Most Beautiful Volunteer". On the eve of the Spring Festival this year, at the village banquet in Nanqing Village, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, Li Yuanhua saw the orderly banquet of 1,500 people in the village, and was surprised by the ubiquitous strong New Year's flavor of "Hemei Village" and the simple emotions of the villagers. At the village farmers' market near the sea, the fish on the board "** jumped high, and her heart seemed to jump high. Whether it is the prosperous scene of living and working in peace and contentment in the countryside, or the lively atmosphere of villagers visiting the door and paying New Year's greetings, the lively atmosphere of laughter and laughter has deeply infected Li Yuanhua. She suggested that local entrepreneurs build a "mountain people" art palace to serve the rural people and use diversified art to make the lives of the villagers better.
Li Yuanhua has always followed the footsteps of the times and worked hard to create. At the 18th and 19th National Congresses of the Communist Party of China, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and other major nodes, she planned and directed large-scale theatrical evenings. "I'm still learning and releasing my passion," she said. When the spirit is healthy, there is good health; When the body is old, the mind cannot be old. Only in the constant pursuit can we make our lives more fulfilling and meaningful. Those who are always moving forward never get old. ”
Liu Junxia: Sing to the old, learn to the old, and dedicate to the old
Intern reporter Wang Weijie of this newspaper.
69-year-old tenor Liu Junxia has twice won the gold medal of the National Young Singer TV Grand Prix held by CCTV, and has been invited to participate in the Spring Festival Gala of ** TV station many times and served as the lead singer. Songs such as "The Great Yellow River" and "Love of the Republic" first sung by Liu Junxia are popular all over the country. In his opinion, the theatrical performances of the Spring Festival are becoming more and more colorful, and the performance forms are closer to life, showing a good trend of thriving and vigorous development of literature and art.
At the CCTV Spring Festival Gala in 1991, I sang the song "The Great Yellow River", and the stage sound and light technology and recording level of that era could not be compared with now. Liu Junxia said that the improvement of the people's appreciation level has also forced the cast and crew to continuously improve their professional capabilities. The 2024 CCTV Spring Festival Gala has increased the proportion of popular songs and national songs, which is more down-to-earth.
In his early years, Liu Junxia, who was born as a miner, often went to the grassroots level, sang for coal mine workers and their families, and actively participated in various public welfare activities. Today, he participates in the cultural volunteer service project of veteran artists of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism every year, and goes deep into government agencies, universities, communities, nursing homes, etc. to give condolence performances. In the grassroots nursing home, Liu Junxia, together with many artists, celebrated the birthday of the elderly. "The Artist's Dedication" is a must-sing track for every event, and this song is not only the theme song of the event, but also a vivid portrayal of the selfless dedication of the old artists. "Art is at the grassroots level. In the grassroots performances, we can deeply feel what the people need. They are eager for artists to perform at the grassroots level, because this not only enriches their spiritual and cultural life, but also enhances their appreciation level and cultural accomplishment. ”
On January 22, the 2024 Spring Festival group meeting for veteran cadres of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism was held at the National Museum of China. In a series of wonderful programs, Liu Junxia and tenor singer Huang Yuefeng, mezzo-soprano singer Li Ke, and mezzo-soprano singer Wang Hong sang "The Artist's Dedication" finale. "The Spring Festival group meeting started at 14 o'clock, and we came to the National Museum of China at 9 o'clock and found a corner to rehearse. It was a very cold day, there was no heating in the hall, and although it was hard work, we were extra engaged and serious in the rehearsals, and everyone felt that it was very meaningful to participate in this event. Liu Junxia said.
Liu Junxia is applying the method of "folk songs and foreign singing" to performance practice. "The so-called folk song singing is to use bel canto singing to interpret the things of our nation. Through continuous practice, the performance is very good. There is no end to art, I want to keep pace with the times, sing until I am old, and learn from the old. The repertoire, singing, and material selection must be constantly explored and carefully created. Liu Junxia said.
This article ** is provided by the interviewee except for the signature).
March 2, 2024 China Culture Daily
Special reports are published in the 2nd and 3rd editions.
"Old Artists Talk about the New Year on New Year's Day".
Editor-in-charge: Chen Chen.