Liu Huan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Liu Huan
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| Born | August 26, 1963 Tianjin, China
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| Occupation | Singer, songwriter | ||||||
| Years active | 1987 - present | ||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 劉歡 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 刘欢 | ||||||
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| Musical career | |||||||
| Genres | C-pop | ||||||
| Instruments | Vocals, piano | ||||||
Liu Huan (born August 26, 1963) is a famous Chinese singer and songwriter. He is known as one of the people who helped start modern pop music in China. Besides his music career, he also teaches about the history of Western music at the Beijing University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.
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Early life and learning
Liu Huan was born on August 26, 1963, in Tianjin, China. His parents were both teachers. He finished Yaohua High School in Tianjin in 1981. Four years later, he graduated from the University of International Relations in Beijing. He studied French literature there.
While at university, Liu Huan won first prize in a French songwriting contest. The French government even sponsored him to visit Paris. After that, he spent a year in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in China. He helped teach music there, and this experience influenced his own music.
Liu Huan never had formal music lessons. He taught himself how to play and sing. His friends remember him playing guitar and singing late into the night. When he was in France, he looked for music inspiration in local bars instead of just sightseeing.
Singing career
Liu Huan has sung theme songs for many TV shows. In 1987, he sang his first song, Sun in Heart, for the show Snowing City. He is also famous for singing theme songs for historical TV dramas. These include The One Who Wins the Hearts of the People Gains the Empire for the 1996 series Yongzheng Dynasty. He also sang Heroes' Song for the 1998 series The Water Margin. His song, Asking Myself a Thousand Times, stayed at the top of Chinese radio charts for ten weeks.
In 1990, Liu Huan sang the official theme song, Asian Mighty Winds, with Wei Wei. This was for the 1990 Asian Games held in Beijing.
Concerts and big performances
On March 19, 2004, Liu Huan held his first concert in Beijing. It was called "Huange 2004" and took place at the Capital Indoor Stadium. Other famous singers like Na Ying and Sun Nan joined him. In 2006, he had another concert in Shanghai.
On August 8, 2008, Liu Huan performed for a huge international audience. He sang the official theme song You and Me with British singer Sarah Brightman. This was at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He also sang in the 2008 Beijing Olympics song, Beijing Welcomes You.
TV shows and competitions
In 2012, Liu Huan became one of the four judges on The Voice of China. This was a popular singing talent show on Zhejiang TV. He returned as a coach in 2017 for Sing! China. His finalist, Tashi Phuntsok, won that season.
In 2019, Liu Huan joined the singing competition Singer on Hunan TV. On April 12, he was crowned the winner of Singer 2019. He won with the highest score ever in the show's history.
Teaching career
Liu Huan is not just a singer; he is also a teacher. He used to teach at the University of International Relations. Now, he teaches the history of Western music at the Beijing University of International Business and Economics. He believes it's important to share music with more students in China.
Even with his busy singing career, Liu Huan loves teaching. He sees it as a steady and important job. He has taught students for many years and is one of the most popular teachers at his university. He feels that being a singer and a teacher can work together. He focuses on making music interesting for his students in class. Then, he has time to write songs. His classes are often full, with extra students standing to listen to his lectures.
Liu Huan says he is close to students and understands what they want to learn about music. He finds today's students active and curious about many types of music, including new and alternative styles.
Personal life
Liu Huan married Lu Lu, a TV host, in 1988. Their daughter was born in September 1991.
Liu Huan is known for his unique look: a round face, a round body, and long braids. He often wears black clothes for his performances, even at the 2008 Olympic opening ceremony. He started keeping his hair long and tied back after an overseas concert, finding it more convenient.
On December 26, 2018, Liu Huan started "The Liu Huan's Foundation of Original Music". He created it with Mango TV to help new singers in China. Every year, money from the foundation is used to support a talented singer. Liu Huan also helped promote the Mango TV app to encourage people worldwide to watch the show.
Foreign language skills
In his lectures, Liu Huan sometimes uses words from other languages. These can be English, French, German, or even Italian. He explains that French is his main language, and he can speak English too. For German and Italian, he knows some terms but cannot speak the languages fluently.
Additional Links
See also
In Spanish: Liu Huan para niños
