Wei Wei (singer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wei Wei
|
|
|---|---|
|
韦唯
|
|
| Standing Committee Member of the All-China Youth Federation | |
| In office 2005–2010 |
|
| President | Zhao Yong |
| Vice President | Peng Liyuan |
| Ambassador of the Chinese Football Association | |
| In office 2008–2009 |
|
| President | Yuan Weimin |
| Ambassador of Forestry of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration | |
| In office 2009–2010 |
|
| Minister | Jia Zhibang |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 September 1963 Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China |
| Citizenship |  People's Republic of China |
| Spouse | Michael Joseph Smith (1995–2004) |
| Children | Symington W. Smith, Remington W. Smith, Vinson W. Smith |
| Residence | Beijing |
| Alma mater | Central Conservatory of Music |
| Occupation | Singer, Mezzo-soprano, professor |
| Awards | 24th Sopot International Song Festival Winner & Miss Photo Category Winner (1987) Honorary Doctorate, East China University of Political Science and Law (2009) Golden Phoenix Award (2008) 1st Level National Professional Qualification Certificate (1986) |
Wei Wei (simplified Chinese: 韦唯; traditional Chinese: 韋唯; pinyin: Wéi Wéi; born September 28, 1963) is a famous Chinese singer, actress, and professor. She is also known for her charity work. People call her "The Empress of Pop" because of her amazing singing and performances. Many see her as one of China's greatest entertainers. Her music and work have made her a very important person in Chinese pop culture. This was especially true in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Wei Wei started singing and dancing in competitions as a child. She sang songs about revolution. Her big break came in 1986. She won the National Young Singers contest in China. She also won the 24th Sopot International Song Festival in Poland. This was a major international competition. Later, in 1993, she sang with Spanish singer Julio Iglesias. They performed at the 1993 East Asian Games in Shanghai.
Wei Wei is strongly linked to sports and the Olympics. Since 1993, she has been an Olympic Cultural Ambassador for China. She took on this role when China first applied to host the Olympic Games. She was the only cultural representative from Asia at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Wei Wei has performed at many big events. These include the opening of Expo 2010 and the closing of the 2008 Summer Olympics. She also performed at the opening and closing of the 11th National Games of China.
Many of Wei Wei's songs have become official theme songs for major sports events in China. Her song "I Want to Fly" was chosen by the Chinese Olympic Committee. It was the official theme song for the 2008 Olympic Sailing events. In 2007, the All-China Women's Federation called her the "Queen of Sports." This was to honor her contributions to Chinese sports culture.
Wei Wei has sold an estimated 100-200 million records worldwide. This makes her one of Asia's top-selling music artists. In China, she is seen as a "national treasure." She was the first pop singer from mainland China to compete abroad. She was also the first artist from the Zhuang ethnic group to represent China internationally. She was the first woman to be chosen as China's Olympic Cultural Ambassador. Also, she was one of the first Chinese artists to release music online. A special dress designed for her by Lars Wallin for the 2008 Olympics is now on display. You can see it at the Nordic Museum in Sweden.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Wei Wei was born in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. Her family belonged to the Zhuang ethnic group. Her father was a railway official and a veteran of the People's Liberation Army. Her mother's name was Wei Xiuqun. Wei Wei started learning performing arts when she was in kindergarten.
When she was seven, her family moved to Liuzhou in Guangxi. At 14, she moved to Beijing. She began working for the China National Song & Dance Ensemble. As a young member, she learned many things. This included dancing, singing, playing instruments, and designing stages. The group traveled all over China. They often performed several shows in one single day. She finished her education at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.
Music Career
1986–1987: First Big Successes
In 1986, Wei Wei won a national singing contest on Chinese television. She sang the song Wanna Take One More Chance to Look at You. In 1987, she won the Sopot International Song Festival in Poland. She was the first Chinese singer to represent China in an international pop music contest.
In 1986, she received a "2nd Level National Performer Professional Qualification Certificate." This was from the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China. A year later, she got the "1st Level National Performer Professional Qualification Certificate." This is the highest professional award in her field in China. It is like having a professional doctorate. This award allowed her to teach music at universities.
1988–1992: Becoming a Star
In 1988, Wei Wei sang the theme song for China Central Television's CCTV New Year's Gala. The song was called Gathering of the Year of the Dragon. In 1989, her song Dedication of Love became a huge national hit. This song really launched her career. She became a symbol for charity work. Her performance helped raise money for a rural worker to get spinal surgery.
That same year, her song Today is Your Birthday won a Gold Medal. It won at the Jian Brand Cup and Beijing Radio Song Competition. This song is now often used to celebrate China's National Day. In 1990, her new song Asian Mighty Winds was chosen. It became the theme song for the 1990 Asian Games. She performed it with Chinese singer Liu Huan. The song quickly became another national hit. Wei Wei was then called the "Queen of Sports" by the government of Guangxi.
In 1990, she also acted in the film The Story of A Songstress. She performed at the Miss Asia Pageant show in Hong Kong in 1992. She also became the main singer for the first concert tour in major American cities. This tour was organized by the China Central Song and Dance Group.
1993–2000: Global Recognition
In 1993, Wei Wei was the main singer at the 1993 East Asian Games. She performed at both the opening and closing ceremonies with Spanish singer Julio Iglesias. She then sang Asian Mighty Winds again at the 1994 Asian Games opening show in Hiroshima, Japan. The words of her songs were even studied in Japan.
Later that year, Wei Wei was one of only two singers chosen for a special Olympic group. This group visited Monaco to help Beijing's bid to host the Summer Olympic Games. A year later, in 1994, she was named Star of the Night. This was after she sang Dedication of Love at the CCTV New Year's Gala in Carnegie Hall, New York. That same year, the song Wind Coming From the East became popular. It was used as the theme song for Shanghai Oriental TV. Her first English album, The Twilight, was also released.
After her performance at Carnegie Hall, she started her "Wei Wei and the World" concert tour. She visited and performed in major Chinese cities. These included Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Kunming.
In 1996, Wei Wei was confirmed as Asia's only cultural representative for the Olympics. She performed for 60,000 people at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. She sang alongside famous artists like James Brown. Because she was Asia's only cultural representative, CNN did a special fifteen-minute interview about her. In 1997, Wei Wei became a product ambassador for Nioxin, an American hair care company. In 1999, her album Wei Wei's Devotion was very popular in China. She also held a concert at Caesar's Palace in Paris, France. In 2000, she joined the Chinese Olympic Committee. She helped campaign for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. She also performed with the Sydney Opera and Shanghai Opera. Her song The Same Song won her a Golden Phoenix Prize.
2000–2014: Olympics and TV Shows
In 2003, Wei Wei was a special guest at events in Beijing. These events honored healthcare workers after the SARS outbreak. She also started an international management company in Stockholm. This company was called Wei Wei International Management. Its goal was to help her career grow worldwide. In 2004, she continued to perform at Olympic and sports events. She also helped start the building of the new Beijing National Stadium. During this time, she was also the main performer at the opening ceremony for the Formula 1 Racetrack in Shanghai. She sang Andrew Lloyd Webber's song Love Changes Everything. This was at a show for China's Olympic slogan, "One World, One Dream." In a 2004 online survey, Wei Wei was voted the most popular choice to sing the theme song for the Chinese Olympics.
From 2005 to 2010, Wei Wei was a Standing Committee Member of the All-China Youth Federation.
In 2006, she celebrated 20 years on stage. She released her biography The New Wei, My New Way. It was written by Swedish author Catarina Lilliehöök. She also re-recorded 20 of her greatest hits. The first one was a mix of five of her biggest songs. It was released on May 8. She also released her music worldwide on iTunes Music Store. She started an international tour for the Chinese New Year. This tour included performances in Los Angeles, Vienna, and Toronto. In Toronto, she was welcomed by China's Ambassador to Canada. During this time, she was also a judge on China's biggest singing competition. It was called The National Young Singers Grand Awards. She also sang the Olympic theme song One World, One Dream at the Great Wall with Olympic athletes.
In 2007, she became an Ambassador for the Chinese Football Association. Her song Go, Girl Go! became the official theme song for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup. Famous FC Barcelona players like Lionel Messi joined Wei Wei in the Go, Girl Go! music video. This was to honor women's football players.
In 2008, she performed in the Chinese New Year All Star Show 2008. This show was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It included a duet with classical singer Giorgia Fumanti. Wei Wei also performed at the Swedish show Allsång på Skansen. As the year ended, she worked with other international artists. They remixed her hit song Dedication of Love in English.
At the closing ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics, Wei Wei sang Surpass with Chinese singer Sun Nan. From 2009 to 2010, she was China's Forestry Ambassador to the United Nations. This was for the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
In 2014, Wei Wei competed in the TV show I Am a Singer (Chinese season 2). She was on the show with other singers like G.E.M. and Han Lei.
2022–2024: Recent Activities
In 2022, Wei Wei returned to the public eye after eight years. She was one of the main singers for the 2022 Winter Olympics' theme song, "Together for the Future." On February 18, 2022, Wei Wei encouraged her oldest son, Symington, to "learn from" Olympic skier Eileen Gu. This became a popular topic on Weibo and was in Chinese news. That same year, she became a Visiting Professor of Music. She also became a doctoral advisor in vocal music at Shinawatra University in Thailand.
Wei Wei returned to China in 2023. She made her first appearance in musical theatre. She was a lead actress in the musical Ghetto. This show premiered in Harbin city. On November 24, 2023, Wei Wei attended Elle China's 35th Anniversary Gala. She received the 2023 Elle Style Award. In 2024, Wei Wei led the 2024 Yale Sinovation Forum in Beijing. She talked about the role of women in business. She also performed at China's Strawberry Music Festival.
Charity Work
Wei Wei has performed at many charity shows throughout her career. In 1991, she sang Dedication of Love at a charity event. This event raised money for victims of the 1998 China floods. It was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. In 2004, she sang Dedication of Love with Yang Haito. He is a blind Chinese artist. This was at a charity ball for people with disabilities. In 2005, she performed at "The Happiness Project" charity show. This show was for mothers in Shenzhen, China.
In 2012, she attended a charity auction in Beijing with her three children. They auctioned off a dress she wore at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It sold for a record ¥300,000 Chinese Yuan (about US$42,800). All the money went to charity. That same year, she was named China's Oceanic Goodwill Ambassador. This was by the China's Ministry of Natural Resources.
In 2013, she performed Dedication of Love at the 15th Beijing Hope Run & Dash. This event raised money for cancer research. Over 5,585 people attended in Chaoyang Park, Beijing. She was given a world record for "the most number of people who sang Dedication of Love using sign language at the same time in the world." This award was from the World Record Association of Hong Kong.
Personal Life
Wei Wei married American composer Michael Joseph Smith in 1995. They had three sons: Symington W. Smith, Remington W. Smith, and Vinson W. Smith. They divorced in 2005. After that, she moved with her children from Stockholm, Sweden, back to Beijing, China.
Wei Wei has been a long-time friend of Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan. He appeared with her and her children at a charity event in Beijing. She is also friends with Chinese-Singaporean actress Gong Li. Pictures released in 2014 showed Gong Li hugging Wei Wei's oldest son, Symington, at Wei Wei's home in Beijing.
In December 2009, Swedish tax authorities made accusations about Wei Wei owing taxes. However, Swedish courts later rejected these accusations. They found there were no clear facts to support them.
Legacy and Impact
Wei Wei is widely seen as a national treasure in China. She is one of the country's most famous singers. She was the first pop singer from mainland China to officially represent the People's Republic of China abroad. She was also the first artist from the Zhuang ethnic group to represent China internationally. Wei Wei was the first woman chosen as China's Olympic Ambassador. She was also one of the first Chinese artists to release music online.
Winne Chung wrote for the South China Morning Post: "Wei Wei is China's biggest pop star and its most attractive ambassador." Kristoger Stenneberg wrote for DiEgo, a Swedish magazine: "Wei has a dark, almost masculine voice when speaking which suddenly becomes absent when singing. Her voice is a blend between Kylie Minogue and Ann Sofie von Otter." He also noted that "In China, the military stands double file to hold back her screaming fans."
Hong Kong journalist Huang Baolian wrote for Open Magazine: "This unpretentious woman is China's radiant superstar, and everyone in China knows it. She's rightly regarded by her government as a national treasure.” Swedish journalist Per Nillson wrote in Expressen about Wei Wei's duet with Julio Iglesias: "The high point for the jubilant masses was when Iglesias tried to sing in Chinese - a language he learnt from Wei, who also credits him with being a great student." Adam Svanell, a journalist for Svenska Dagbladet, called her an "unwilling superstar who never dreamed of being a popstar" and a "most secret world artist."
In the Swedish media, Wei has been routinely referred to as "China's Madonna". Musically, not so much but career-wise, yes. Both broke through in the 80s, have managed to maintain their popularity and sold a total of over 200 million full-length records. When she compares herself to Michael Jackson during our interview, I laugh a little, until it strikes me that it's a perfectly reasonable parallel. — Adam Svanell, Motvillig Stjärna, Svenska Dagbladet
In 2015, she received an honorary doctorate from the East China University of Political Science and Law. She was also named Honorary Dean. She holds a world record for the largest number of people to sing along using sign language. She has sold an estimated 100-200 million records. This makes her one of the best-selling artists from mainland China in the 1990s. Because of this, she has been called "China's Whitney Houston" and "China's Madonna."
Music Albums
- The Album (1986)
- Bright Eyes (1987)
- The Four Points of Love (1988)
- Endless Love 无限的爱 (1989)
- I Love My Motherland 我爱我的祖国 (1990)
- Famous Songs (1992)
- The Twilight (1994)
- Wei Wei 韦唯 (1998)
- Wei Wei's Devotion (1999)
- Dedication of Love 爱的奉献 (2001)
- Myths of China 中国的神话 (2005)
- Yang Chin (2006)
- 20x20 (2008)
Movies
- The Story of a Star 女歌星的故事 (1991)
Images for kids
-
Wei Wei with first-responders during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake
-
Wei Wei with Yang Lan, 2011
See also
In Spanish: Wei Wei (cantante) para niños
