December 27 is the 80th birthday of composer and conductor Tu Bahai. A white-haired man wearing a red jacket, he was surrounded by young and old members of the Shanghai Light Music Troupe, full of smiles. Zhu Fengbo, an 84-year-old old friend, also came to the scene and cut cakes with Tu Bahai.
Tu Bahai took up the baton and led the orchestra to play songs such as "Happy Dai Xiang" and "Chinese Aspirations". In the witness of everyone, he made a wish for his 80th birthday: "I hope that the motherland will be prosperous, prosperous, prosperous and strong!" As long as my brain is clear, I hope to write more songs that the audience loves with the pen in my hand. ”
Tu Bahai, 80, raised his baton
Tu Bahai showed his musical talent from an early age, and at the age of 10, he entered the Shangyin Annex High School to study, not only excelling in cello, but also a musical "tide maker" who dared to eat crabs. While studying Western classical music, he also followed the folk artists and famous music artists who came to the school to teach carefully to learn folk minor keys, operas, and music, laying a solid foundation for Chinese music.
He dabbled in music composition at the age of 16, and the success of his debut film "Find the Trick" strengthened his music direction and confidence. After the reform and opening up, Tu Bahai and Zhu Fengbo jointly established the Shanghai Light Music Troupe, which created a new world for China's light music industry.
Tu Bahai donated his manuscript to the Shanghai Light Music Troupe
In the past 55 years, Tu Bahai has published nearly 100 records and albums, conducted more than 300 concerts, and composed nearly 100 songs, including the first East Asian Games song "Rising East Asia", the Shanghai Charity Foundation song "Love Under the Blue Sky", and the 2007 Special Olympics Awards music "Brilliant March".
In his old age, he still worked hard. In 2020, Tu Bahai created "Anti-epidemic Hero Praise". In 2021, he created a new song "China Ambition" to praise the motherland and the people. Just two months ago, he also wrote a special song "Love It Will Fly", which was sung by mezzo-soprano singer Wen Muya. "This song is dedicated to the lovers of the world, and also to those who have to be separated because of the epidemic, I hope that everyone will cherish the people in front of them, cherish the ordinary and happy life, and cherish the hard-won anti-epidemic achievements of the medical guards."
Zhu Fengbo and Tu Bahai
Tu Bahai, 80 years old, called himself the "post-80s", although older, but compared with Zhu Fengbo and other old artists, he is still a "small character". Looking back on his musical life, he said: "It was music that chose me, and I chose music, and music changed my life and changed my personality." My work, life and study are closely linked to the Shanghai Light Music Troupe. Through working with the orchestra, I have been artistically honed, grown and benefited for life. ”
At the birthday party, Tu Bahai donated the manuscript of his original works over the past 55 years to the Shanghai Light Music Troupe. The thick stack of manuscripts was somewhat yellowed, and the notes contained half a century of his painstaking efforts. He laughed and said that one of the reasons why he still insisted on writing songs at this age was that he was not used to writing songs poorly, "Instead of this, it is better for me to write."
Tu Bahai birthday party scene
At the invitation of Dong Deping, director of the Shanghai Light Music Troupe, Tu Bahai will continue to serve as the orchestra's artistic advisor, giving two courses in conducting art and music composition to the orchestra's young players. He hopes to continue to shine and focus his main energy on cultivating his descendants.
He sent a message to the young people of the orchestra: "It is not enough to engage in art, but also to consolidate the basic skills, strengthen the faith, and sink down to study." The road of art is not easy to walk, it is full of ups and downs and hardships, we must make decisions carefully, but once we think about it, we must take it as an ideal and do not easily waver. ”