Zhao Yan, born in 1951 in Beijing, is a famous cross-talk performance artist. Ma Ji's disciples and partners, representative works such as "Pink Eye Disease", "Four-Character Song", "Hundred Blowing Figures", "Five Senses Struggle for Merit", "Toponymy", "Disciple", etc., won the title of National Top Ten Laughing Stars in 1985.
From left to right: Jiang Kun, Zhao Yan, Ma Ji
From art for 50 years
Keep up to the pulse of the times
On the evening of November 30th, the China Broadcasting Art Troupe will hold the "Celebration Party for the 50th Anniversary of The Famous Cross-Talk Artist Zhao Yan's Art" at the Grand Theater of the Nationalities Palace in Beijing, where Jiang Kun, Feng Gong, Liu Wei and other teachers, Zhao Yan's disciples, re-transmission disciples and famous artists in the literary and art circles will present a wonderful program. It is not so much a party as a wonderful movement showing Zhao Yan's 50 years of artistic life.
In his 50-year career as an artist, Zhao Yan has adhered to the belief that "cross-talk laughter should not be shallow funny, but should pursue elegant humorous forms", telling his joys and sorrows. With his free and steady typhoon and loud and rounded voice, he interpreted each work beautifully, which was loved by the audience and was even more valued by his master, Mr. Ma Ji.
My first meeting with Zhao Yan was in 1986, the Baodi Film Theater was completed, Mr. Ma Ji took Zhao Yan and organized a group to come to his hometown to help perform, and he said "Bragging" with cross-talk, and the scene effect was very hot. In 2007, Zhao Yan came to Baodi for the second time, and at the literary and art party commemorating Mr. Ma Ji's 50th year of art, "Laughing in Hometown", he and Zhou Wei and Sun Chen said "Brotherhood is Ruthless", which pushed Mr. Ma Ji's "Five Senses Striving for Merit" a step further.
I once went to the CCTV Film and Television Home to interview Zhao Yan and ask him to recall the bits and pieces with Mr. Ma Ji. He always smiled, and told me the little-known story of him and Mr. Ma Ji with the speed of speech, the clear and pleasant tone, the super memory, and the meticulous logical thinking of the computer.
In March 2011, after the publication of my book "Ma Ji's Life and Death", a press conference was held in Beijing, and I had the honor of inviting Zhao Yan to host it, so that I could feel his talent again. Without hesitation, he exported into a chapter: "There is a person with a heart in Mr. Ma Ji's hometown, who uses his spare time to be touched by Mr. Ma Ji's artistic charm and personality charm, interviews dozens or even hundreds of parties, takes hundreds of photos, and compiles such a book. He wanted to record Mr. Ma Ji's life, family affairs, official affairs, art affairs, interesting events, and of course, also recorded mr. Ma Ji's aftermath, and he used this book to express the love of his hometown for this artist. ”
Especially after the establishment of the Ma Ji Art Research Association, my contact with Zhao Yan has increased, and I have become more and more deeply aware of the valuable qualities he has. Behind his big ears and dignified appearance, there is wisdom in stability, wit in humor and agility, and like his master, Mr. Ma Ji, he has always been close to the pulse of the times and full of positive energy.
Born into a family of workers in Beijing
In the corps and crosstalk
Zhao Yansheng was born in An ordinary worker family in Beijing, when he was a child, his family lived in Cotton Hutong, his father was a salesman in a motorcycle factory, he loved calligraphy and also liked to play harmonica, his mother was a worker, he loved to listen to Peking Opera, he always turned on the radio to listen to plays after work, or took Zhao Yan to the theater to watch plays. Zhao Yan is talented and intelligent, good at imitation, listening to the drama back, opening his throat to learn a few words, and really has a little taste.
Zhao Yan's literary and artistic specialties came to the fore in kindergarten, when he was in elementary school, he scored a perfect score in the cultural class, became a squadron leader, was responsible for drawing the blackboard newspaper, and the school organized literary and artistic activities. The Famous Fuxue Hutong Primary School in Beijing, where he attended, was originally the Ancestral Hall of Wen Cheng Xiang, who was imprisoned and righteous when Wen Tianxiang was in distress, and it was here that the popular "Song of Righteous Qi" was written. Legend has it that Wen Tianxiang's determination to recover the mountains and rivers touched the trees, and every tree here grows southward. These small stories subtly affected Zhao Yan.
Zhao Yan also likes sports, diving, horizontal bar, double pole, flip, gymnastics can play, love to play football, like bicycle skills, especially famous in school. The Shichahai Sports School and the Bayi Junior Gymnastics Team all came to the door to admit him, but her mother would not let her, and she hoped that Zhao Yan would go to college. Unexpectedly, junior high school had not yet graduated, and at the age of 17, Zhao Yan went to the Heilongjiang Production and Construction Corps to join the team.
Influenced by his father's profession, Zhao Yan liked motorcycles, and when he arrived at the corps, he became interested in the "iron bull", became a tractor driver, drove the "Camaiyin" tractor to gallop on the vast fields, aimed at Qiankun, stretched his chest, his eyes were golden wheat waves, the air was wafting with the fragrance of the sea of beans, he reveled in this, to deeply turn over the black soil, harvest more grain for his life goal.
Heavy physical labor could not hide his literary and artistic expertise, the regiment propaganda section wanted to transfer him to the literary and artistic propaganda team, the master was reluctant to let him go, he said to the master: "You can rest assured, I do not go to the propaganda team, I just want to drive the 'iron bull' in the vast world to make a great achievement!" ”
However, the director of the regiment's political department moved his mind and went down to make a private visit to inspect Zhao Yan. Coincidentally, halfway through, I happened to meet Zhao Yan, and Zhao Yan said a lot of bad things to himself: "This person usually does not behave well, it is not appropriate for him to go to the propaganda team, you still let the right person go!" "The director of the political department is not dead hearted, and he has no choice but to meet this man. As a result, as soon as Zhao Yan entered the door, he revealed his stuffing, "It turns out that it is you, who dares to fool me and report with me!" Zhao Yan looked embarrassed and had to obey the organizational arrangements.
Leaving behind his beloved "Iron Bull", Zhao Yan found his childhood self. Just arrived at the literary and art propaganda team, the regiment is worried about who to play Li Yuhe in "Red Lantern". Zhao Yanliang opened his throat and sang: "Carrying baskets and selling cinders, carrying water and chopping firewood also depends on it, inside and outside a hand, poor children have long been in charge..." The voice is high-pitched and loud, the look is calm and self-assured, this figure, this appearance, conquered all the people present, the director was overjoyed, and clapped on the spot: "Li Yu and he are none other!" ”
"Red Lantern" was a hit, and then the regiment rowed "Wise Tiger Mountain", Zhao Yan played the flower face Li Yongqi, this role is more for his way, the taste of Qiu Shengrong learned as a child was used, surprising the audience. In the group, "Sha Jiabang" was arranged again, and Zhao Yan played the male number one Guo Jianguang, which was difficult, and he had a martial arts field, and he had practiced gymnastics in school and once again achieved success. In addition to the people of the Corps, the spectators of the surrounding counties, communes, villages, and factories also came from afar to see him. In addition to Peking Opera, there are also solo singing, dance, drama, performance singing, Zhao Yan will do anything. In 1972, the Third Division Literary and Art Show, he starred in the "Happy Delivery Man" won the award, and sang all over the corps.
Zhao Yan really got acquainted with cross-talk because he sprained his ribs in a sack of "general battle", stayed in the hospital for more than two months, and recovered for more than half a year. After Ma Ji's "Ode to Friendship" was broadcast, Zhao Yanru won the treasure, he changed the counterpart to stand-up, and in 1975 he participated in the Heilongjiang Provincial Quyi Tuning Performance, and since then, he has been unable to receive anything, from the regiment propaganda team, the division propaganda team, to the corps propaganda team, and was also seconded to the province and the Shenyang Military Region to perform, and became famous in the local area.
Mr. Ma Ji has a discerning eye
Transferred Zhao Yan back to Beijing
In 1975, the China Radio Rap Company recruited people, and Ma Ji came to Beidahuang with the "Red Head Document". The strength of the radio rap group is cross-talk, and Hou Baolin, Liu Baorui, Guo Qiru, and Guo Quanbao are all in the rap group. At that time, the talent was not picked up, Ma Ji and Tang Jiezhong were already middle-aged, and the youngest cross-talk actor Hao Aimin was also in his thirties, so Ma Ji was eager to find a new cross-talk person.
Before that, many places had to transfer Zhao Yan to the past, and the literary and art groups in Harbin City and Heilongjiang Province, as well as the Bayi Film Studio and CCTV, did not release anyone. Ma Ji also wanted to transfer Zhao Yan and Jiang Kun, and of course the corps still did not let go. Ma Ji and Tang Jiezhong performed in the local area for a while, sometimes several times a day, and their voices were dumb, and the leaders of the corps were very touched, invited them to dinner, and asked: "Do you have anything that the corps needs to do?" Ma Ji said: "We need to transfer two people, one Jiang Kun and one Zhao Yan." "The four leaders could not refuse, but could only release people.
Jiang Kun was in Beijing at the time, and soon went to the radio rap group to report, but Zhao Yan's transfer was somewhat twisted. At that time, he had already arrived in Langfang to repair the batteries in the electrician class of the overhaul workshop of the Transportation Automobile Repair Plant of the Petroleum Pipeline Bureau. Ma Ji made a long-distance phone call back to the radio rap group in Beidahuang and asked the group to send someone to Langfang to adjust Zhao Yan. The people in the group did not understand, and went directly to Langfang Toutiao and Langfang Ertiao Hutong in the front gate of Beijing to find someone, thinking that Zhao Yan lived there. After looking for two days, I didn't find it, and I asked the police station if I didn't know this person. After calling the Corps to ask Ma Ji, he learned that Zhao Yan was going to the Langfang in the middle of Tianjin and Beijing. Ma Ji and Tang Jiezhong simply took the train to Langfang by themselves and asked the leaders of the Pipeline Bureau for personnel. In this way, Zhao Yan finally returned to Beijing smoothly.
The heavens and the earth are all fates, and the red face confidant is looking for the sycamore. At that time, there was a female deputy company commander named Gao Hongyan in the corps, who once carried one hundred and sixty or seventy pounds of grain bags and filled a cart, and also played Xi'er in "White Haired Girl", which can be described as "both literature and martial arts". Gao Hongyan watched Zhao Yan's "Red Lantern" and commented: "Li Yuhe acted awesomely, almost no less than Li Yuhe in the movie. The two met and fell in love.
On the eve of national day in 1977, Zhao Yan and Gao Hongyan married. At this time, Zhao Yan had been transferred to the radio rap group, and on the day of the wedding, Ma Ji, Tang Jiezhong, Guo Quanbao, Li Wenhua, Zhao Lianjia, Hao Aimin, Jiang Kun, and others all came to hexi, and many comrades-in-arms of the corps also came. The guests improvised the program, Ma Ji said a stand-up comedy "Tooth Extraction", and Zhao Lianjia sang a Shandong Express Book. The joy and laughter left Zhao Yan with an unforgettable wedding.
He partnered Ma Ji for the first time in 1976
Ranked among the top ten comedians in the country
Zhao Yan's real name is Zhao Dian xie, this name is not pleasing to the actor, it is not clear that it is "His Highness Zhao", and people who do not know it will pronounce it as "Zhao Dian change". Ma Ji asked him to change his name, and his wife had a clever move and suggested that he change it to "Zhao Yan", Ma Ji thought it could be better, simply left two fires, and became "Zhao Yan".
The first cross-talk that Zhao Yan gave Ma Ji a praise was "The Appearance of White Bone Essence", and when it was premiered, Zhao Yan was particularly nervous, his heart beat faster, and he was afraid that the performance would be smashed. Ma Ji said to him, "Don't be afraid, I'm in my pocket!" It was 1976, and since then, the two have worked together for 27 years, leaving behind classic voices such as "Pink Eye Disease", "Four-Character Song", "Hundred Blowing Figures", "Five Senses Striving for Merit", "Toponymy", "Disciple" and so on.
In the 1980s, Mr. Ma Ji realized that the cross-talk industry was in a slump, and a considerable part of the programs on the stage belonged to "vulgar and rough", that is, low style, vulgarity, poor quality, and rough performance. In order to better inherit the art of cross-talk, the Ma Ji Cross-Talk Squad was established, with Zhao Yan as the captain, to assist Ma Ji in running a "Ma Ji Cross-Talk Works Evening" and launching a number of new works. Together with his master and brothers, he went deep into all parts of the country, performed for half a year, and spread his laughter throughout the industrial and mining enterprises, mountains and fields. Once performing in Hubei, the other disciples' cars broke down in the middle of the road, in order not to be cold, Zhao Yan and Ma Ji performed continuously for more than an hour.
Ma Ji and Zhao Yan love the audience, and they act wherever they go. Once, on the train to Yantai, the passengers invited them to perform, but the radio room equipment failed, and the two of them sent the drama to the door one by one.
At that time, Ma Ji participated in the creation of many movies, and Zhao Yan still cooperated with Ma Ji and starred in movies such as "Nanyang Rich Man" and "Laughing and Breaking the Love Network". In the "Top Ten Laughing Stars Selection" in 1985, Zhao Yan ranked fifth. He is also an outstanding host in the cross-talk industry, and he has presided over Ma Ji's disciple Xie Shihui and Ma Ji's large-scale literary and artistic activities for 50 years.
Among Ma Ji's nineteen disciples, Jiang Kun was the master brother and Zhao Yan was the second master brother, and he spent the longest time with the master. Ma Ji entrusted Zhao Yan with heavy responsibilities, consciously pressing the burden, tempering him, and cultivating him. Zhao Yan has also been constantly learning and inheriting his master's kung fu heritage, and actively developing Ma Ji's art and spirit.
From the beginning of becoming a cross-talk actor in a professional group, Zhao Yan spent most of his time in addition to performing stand-up comedy. His level of praise can be said to be retracted freely, the needle is hidden in the cotton, showing a certain cultural heritage, some people commented on him: "Witty and humorous performance style, constantly cultivating all aspects of skills, never sensational on the stage, so it is mysterious, offstage pay attention to connotation cultivation, free wielding." His cross-talk gives the listener to think and laugh, and also makes the audience feel the breadth and depth of the performing arts. ”
Zhao Yan recalled
Ma Ji Xiangsheng "Cosmic Brand Cigarette"
Promote skits to become the mainstream of the Spring Festival Gala
After Jiang Kun and I were transferred to the China Radio Rap Company, we were under Mr. Ma Ji, who was dedicated to helping us and creating opportunities for us. In 1984, the cross-talk "Cosmic Brand Cigarette" appeared on CCTV Spring Festival Gala, which caused a sensation across the country, and I participated in the whole process of creation.
Why create such a crosstalk? At that time, it was felt that some manufacturers started from profits, did not pay attention to integrity, and cheated customers by any means, this phenomenon was repeatedly prohibited, and Ma Ji decided to satirize this bad social atmosphere. At the beginning, it was not a stand-up comedy, but a cross-talk. There is a form of performance for cross-talk, called "one head sinks", that is, to tease the main, to recount the synopsis of the story, then the praise of it, it plays a role in bearing and turning, the main content is on the side of the comic. So instead of that, is it a try of the art form that everyone has been around for a long time: stand-up comedy? Because at that time, I had already cooperated with Teacher Ma Ji, and the cross-talk was said by me and Teacher Ma Ji, and after the stand-up comedy was fixed, it was said by Teacher Ma Ji alone.
In the process of creation, is it a cigarette, or some other daily necessities? I've changed it several times, and I've changed my matches! After fixing the "Universe Brand Cigarette", everyone is more concerned about whether there is this "Universe Card" in the end. Because this is a satirical theme, the Spring Festival Gala performance has such a big impact, it is inevitable that some people will be seated, you directly satirize people, no one will do it! Literary and artistic works originate from life, and are higher than life, after condensing many phenomena, put on a manufacturer, put on a salesman, you have to say which manufacturer, people can't stand it.
Teacher Ma Ji attaches great importance to it: "You should check the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce to see if there is this cosmic card." "I also followed to check, the result is indeed not, then we dare to say." After the Spring Festival Gala was broadcast, there was a cigarette factory in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, and the director of this factory had a very bright brain, so he seized this business opportunity and registered a "universe card".
This cross-talk also came to the stage after some tribulations, and some people asked whether the content was too sharp? General director Huang Yihe insisted: "Artistically, we must listen to the experts, listen to the insiders, listen to the artists, there is really a problem, my director is responsible." Otherwise, if you don't take me down, this show will have to be on. ”
That year's Spring Festival Gala was live, Teacher Ma Ji wore a work hat, wore blue overalls, temporarily borrowed the electrician's master's tool pocket in the rap group, and "fully armed" on the stage. The whole paragraph detonated the whole audience, laughter and applause one after another. This cross-talk form is novel, Ma Ji teacher did not stand in place like stand-up comedy, but closer to the sketch, it can also be said to promote the sketch art form, so that it gradually became the mainstream of the Spring Festival Gala.
After the performance, a worker on night duty called the scene and said that he did not hear it, which was a pity. Because at that time, I didn't know when to replay it. The party staff asked Huang Yihe what to do? Huang Yihe found Ma Ji's teacher. Teacher Ma Ji didn't say a word, picked up the phone, and said this crosstalk in its entirety, satisfying the worker's master's request. This story can be said to be a new version of "Calling".
The response to this cross-talk inside and outside the venue was too warm, I was responsible for mobilizing the audience on the spot, setting off the atmosphere, when I got married, my father-in-law gave me a plum blossom brand automatic watch, and when I listened to this cross-talk, the applause was broken. Director Huang Yihe said: "Our on-site conductor Zhao Yan, his watch is broken, I have to pay him a piece!" But he never lost money, and as soon as they met, he said to me: "Zhao Yan, I still owe you a watch!" "Later, he really paid for a new watch at the watch shop and gave it to me to fulfill his wish."
Source: Tianjin Daily