"My mother is an Indonesian overseas Chinese, she suffered there when she was young, she has always longed to return to the embrace of the motherland, it was she who taught me to sing in Mandarin from an early age, the first song that taught me to sing was 'Sing the Motherland", and the first lyricS I learned were 'Five-star Red Flag Fluttering in the Wind'!" Zhang Mingmin recalled in an exclusive interview with a reporter from Xinmin Evening News before the 2022 New Year bell rings. Subsequently, he sorted out his clothes and stepped onto the stage of Douyin's "Dream of the Orient • 2022 New Year's Eve Festival" and sang "My Chinese Heart" again: "The blood flowing in the heart, surging with the voice of China..."
Pictured: Zhang Mingmin recent photo
Always sign "Chinese Heart"
Zhang Mingmin, who is already 65 years old, has to write three words in front of his name every time he signs, a habit that has been adhered to for more than 30 years since the Spring Festival Gala in 1984. "Actually, the Chinese heart belongs to every Chinese, and I was just fortunate enough to sing this song." Zhang Mingmin said.
Referring to the spring festival gala singing "My Chinese Heart" that year, Zhang Mingmin said that it was because in Hong Kong that year, he was one of the few singers who liked to sing Mandarin. In 1979, Cheung Ming-min participated in the "Hong Kong Workers Singing Competition" and the "Hong Kong Amateur Singer singing Competition" hosted by the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and Radio Television Hong Kong, and achieved excellent results. But he likes to sing, he has little interest in Cantonese songs, and like his mother, he prefers to sing Mandarin songs, such as "Country Road". In 1980, Deng Bingheng, the owner of Zhang Mingmin's record company, asked Huang Xia to compose lyrics and Wang Fuling to compose music, and wrote a patriotic song called "My Chinese Heart" and gave it to Zhang Mingmin. In addition to this song, he has sung many Mandarin songs such as "I Am Chinese" and "We Have a Name Called China".
Photo: Zhang Mingmin sang "My Chinese Heart" at the Spring Festival Gala in 1984
In 1984, huang Yihe, the director of the Spring Festival Gala, heard a tape from Hong Kong in a taxi, and in this Cantonese compilation album, the only Mandarin song heard was "My Chinese Heart" sung by Zhang Mingmin. When he received the invitation to the Spring Festival Gala, the first person to support him to go to Beijing was his mother, "My mother told me that I must go!" Later, Zhang Mingmin and the song became household names, and since then, his signature has been three more words.
The first MV "Made in Shanghai"
"The Spring Festival Gala let everyone know me, in fact, from the perspective of being a singer, I was born in Beijing and grew up in Shanghai." Zhang Mingmin said, "In 1985, Shanghai Television filmed the MV for me. You know, the influence of Shanghai TV is very large, so since then, more and more people have known me, and I want to thank Shanghai. ”
Since the songs in Hong Kong and Taiwan had not yet fully entered the Chinese mainland, Zhang Mingmin sang a lot of songs, the most famous of which was "A Cut of Plum". Until Fei Yuqing came to the mainland later, people did not know that "A Cut of Plum" was his first song. "Fei Yuqing told me many times that he wanted to thank me for making his songs popular first." Zhang Mingmin said with a smile.
Picture said: Zhang Mingmin in Shanghai Data map Xinmin Evening News reporter Sun Zhongqin photo
Since then, Zhang Mingmin has continuously received invitations to perform in the mainland. In the mid-to-late 1980s, Zhang Mingmin held concerts in various places, of course, everywhere he went, he would sing "My Chinese Heart". "Every time I sing with a different audience, I have a new feeling, China is so big, the Chinese heart is the same surging !" Zhang Mingmin said, "What I am most proud of is that after the Chinese women's volleyball team won five consecutive championships, they also came to listen to me sing. ”
In 1986, when Zhang Mingmin learned that Beijing had obtained the right to host the Asian Games, he decided to perform for the Asian Games, he personally sold houses and cars, raised five or six million yuan, and transported the lights and sounds from Hong Kong, the charity performance lasted for more than a year, 154 concerts from the western border to the islands of the southern country, he sang almost all over the country. All the money he raised with a five-cent ticket was donated to the Beijing Asian Games.
Pictured: Charity performance poster
Patriotic heart "does not retire"
Today, Zhang Mingmin retires at home, and before retiring, he was the executive director of two listed companies, "one is doing the chemical industry, the other is doing culture." Zhang Mingmin said, "Many viewers thought that before the Spring Festival Gala in 1984, I was still an electrician, but in fact, I was already a small boss at that time, thanks to the spring breeze of reform and opening up." ”
Zhang Mingmin said: "I like sports, but the doctor does not let me do strenuous exercise, and I can only look at horse racing. In addition to watching horse racing, I also care about society and the development of small businesses. "His patriotism has never retired, and he has, as always, embraced patriotism – he called on Hong Kong youth to learn Mandarin and strengthen communication and exchanges with the mainland." In the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic in 2020, Zhang Mingmin accepted the invitation of CCTV to record a public welfare song "Firmly Believe that Love Will Win" for the new crown epidemic. During the special period, he couldn't find the recording studio, so he asked old friends to help, the time was tight, he even rotated the shaft, and practiced 4 solos for two days. In 2021, Zhang Mingmin was vaccinated against the new crown, and in the face of media interviews, he said gratefully: "There is salvation, thank the motherland!" ”
Pictured: Zhang Mingmin part of "Firmly Believe That Love Will Win"
Zhang Mingmin is most grateful that the motherland has never forgotten him. He named his son "Song Hua" and sang the praises of China! (Xinmin Evening News reporter Wu Xiang )