1. Born in an ordinary place, but with great dreams in his heart, he bravely pursues the dream of art and moves forward bravely
Yang Weilinghua, a beautiful woman who grew up in the vast grasslands of Inner Mongolia, has shown extraordinary musical talent since she was a child. Whenever she is in the Mongolian compound, her melodious singing voice always attracts countless people to stop and listen and praise.
Linghua's name was chosen by her parents themselves. The name "Yang Wei" is derived from the Mongolian word and symbolizes "clouds". Her parents had high hopes for her, expecting her to shine like a cloud in the vast world of art.
However, after graduating from junior high school, although Linghua was admitted to an art school for in-depth study, after graduation, she could only work as an ordinary salesperson in her hometown of Ordos, which was far from her ideals.
However, with the passion to pursue her dreams surging deep in her heart, Linghua did not hesitate to leave her hometown and came to Guangzhou, a bustling city full of opportunities, alone to find development opportunities.
Also having a similar experience with Linghua is Zeng Yi. Born into poverty, he began to wander alone at a young age. His love for music and dance led him to give up his craft job and work as a music director in a cabaret.
The wonderful arrangement of fate made the two meet on the same stage. When he first met Linghua, Zeng Yi didn't have much affection for her. Linghua, dressed in gorgeous costumes, is standing on a small temporary stage and dancing, beautiful.
However, Zeng Yi only paid attention to her Northeast characteristic face that was covered by heavy makeup, and his first impression of her was "ugly".
Despite this, among many job seekers, Zeng Yi still firmly chose Linghua. Perhaps it was her sincere love and dedication to music. This decision also kicked off their musical life of supporting each other and growing together for more than 20 years.
2. We have known each other for more than 20 years, worked together to tide over the ups and downs, and jointly wrote a brilliant chapter
In 2001, after the days of hardships on the stage of the dance hall, Zeng Yi decided to set up his own band. He invited another girl and named the team "FSJ".
Unfortunately, the girl chose to quit soon after, leaving only Zeng Yi and Linghua to hold their ground.
In the face of the predicament, Zeng Yi was not discouraged, but more determined to include Linghua in the team, and changed the name of the group to "Cool Fire". Since then, they have relied on each other like relatives to work together on an artistic journey.
Faced with the heavy pressure of life, their performance remuneration is insignificant. In order to survive the difficult situation, they performed as best they could in the dance hall, and their clothes were soaked with sweat. As music director, Zeng Yi shoulders the responsibility of choreographing dances and sketches, and often works without sleep or food.
When income is scarce, he will borrow money to make ends meet, and then divide the proceeds equally among Reihua to help her tide over the difficulties.
In 2003, Linghua inadvertently helped He Muyang complete the recording of a song. In return, He Muyang gave her an affectionate song "The One Who Misses You" written by himself.
Linghua was deeply fond of it after listening to it, but she also admitted that she was not singing alone, and she also had a male companion, Zeng Yi. As a result, He Muyang adjusted the style and arrangement, and finally presented the version of "On the Moon" that we are familiar with now.
In 2004, Zeng Yi took Linghua and "On the Moon" to participate in the "Youth Song Competition". However, during the live performance session, Reika's nervousness led to snapping two beats at the opening.
Although they quickly adjusted their form, they still failed to win the favor of the judges and missed out on the championship.
After this setback, Reika fell into a deep depression. Zeng Yi saw it in his eyes and decided to come forward and suggested changing the name of the group to "Phoenix Legend" as a new starting point.
Shortly after the name change, they were fortunate enough to meet Chen Rentai, the CEO of Peacock Records, and Boss Chen was so impressed with their talent that he offered to sign a recording contract with them.
However, the condition was that he would only sign a contract with Linghua, and Zeng Yi would be excluded. After careful consideration, Linghua firmly rejected the contract on the grounds that "we are a team, either sign all or none".
Boss Chen didn't understand why Linghua insisted so much on advancing and retreating with Zeng Yi at that time. Years later, it dawned on him that this is the power of friendship, which is more precious than affection, love and interests.
3. Folk singing is widely sung, but the mainstream music industry turns a blind eye
In 2006, an exciting news came -- China Mobile selected "On the Moon" as the mobile phone ringtone track! In an instant, this song was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and became a classic melody in the ringtones of countless people's mobile phones.
Subsequently, Phoenix Legend was invited to participate in the Spring Festival Gala. Zeng Yi and Linghua were so excited that they were careful and striving for perfection during the backstage rehearsal, lest there be any small mistakes.
However, just as they were about to debut on stage, a sudden bad news came - someone accused "Over the Moon" of plagiarism.
Although it was confirmed that there was no plagiarism after rigorous expert appraisal, the organizing committee of the Spring Festival Gala weighed it again and again, worried that the risk was too high, and finally decided to cut off the song and remove the song from the list of selected songs.
Undoubtedly, this was a heavy punch that sent chills down the spine of the two original authors and was unbearable.
All of a sudden, doubts and bad comments rushed at them like a rolling torrent, making their situation even more difficult. Like people who fall into a predicament, they seem to have reached a dead end.
However, the 2008 Spring Festival Gala invited them again, and the news was like the dawn of dawn, reversing the previous decline. Immediately afterwards, a well-known domestic mobile phone brand reached a cooperation agreement with them, and a series of mobile phones with "Moonlight on the Lotus Pond" as the main song came into being, and this song was widely known throughout the country.
In addition, square dance repertoire such as "The Most Dazzling Folk Style" was also very popular, and no matter where you were in the world, you could always hear or see someone dancing happily to the song.
The songs of the Phoenix Legend have gradually become deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and have become representatives of folk pop, and their melodies are being sung in every household.
However, it is puzzling that despite the praise of their work by the general public, there has always been an inexplicable resistance to the Phoenix Legend group itself.
Some people prefer to enjoy it silently behind their backs rather than openly admit their affection.
There are even some so-called "elegant musicians" who maliciously belittle and abuse the Phoenix Legend, calling it an "Internet singer", "saliva song", and "no connotation".
Fourth, forge ahead in the midst of doubts and defend dignity with strength
Faced with the dense questioning and humiliation like raindrops, Zeng Yi and Linghua had mixed feelings in their hearts. On the one hand, they are glad that their songs are recognized by the public, but on the other hand, they are humiliated by the existence of being seen as "vulgar" and "lacking class".
While they have been accustomed to skepticism and cynicism over the years, this time the blow has been particularly severe. It is intolerable that they have spent decades of their youth and sweat just to be able to stand on the stage and realize their dreams, but they are degraded as "inferior" artists.
Zeng Yi held her hand tightly, patted her shoulder hard, and comforted her calmly: "Don't cry, we are not lacking in so-called elegance and connotation. Our songs are just concise and clear, which meets the aesthetic needs of the public.
As a result, the two of them devoted themselves more fully to creation. In 2021, they covered the classic "Under the Sea" by the fun tango band, showing the tenacity and hope of "pushing you out of hell" in a new way.
The original singer pours out endless loneliness and despair with his deep and moving voice, while the version of the Phoenix Legend shows the yearning for a better life, touching the hearts of every listener with a heart-warming singing.
This time, the song "Under the Sea" has undoubtedly become popular on the Internet, causing enthusiastic responses from the majority of netizens, who have left messages expressing that they were deeply touched by Zeng Yi and Linghua's sincere and deep singing.
Even those who consider themselves to be biased against them cannot resist this powerful musical force and begin to re-examine them, no longer one-sidedly seeing them as representatives of "lack of depth".
However, the Phoenix Legend didn't rest on its laurels. In 2022, they once again gave a new life to the classic Chinese style song "Mountains and Rivers". The soulful performances of the two singers make people feel a strong emotional resonance and go to the depths of the soul.
This time, even the official jury couldn't help but speak highly of Zeng Yi's outstanding lyric writing talent, thus powerfully refuting all kinds of doubts about them in the past.
Part 5: After all, his strength has been recognized by the mainstream and he stands proudly at the pinnacle of the Chinese music scene
After years of hard work and unremitting efforts, Phoenix Legend has finally earned the status and respect it deserves in the mainstream music industry. They defended their dignity with their own strength and proudly stood at the pinnacle of the Chinese music scene.
Over the years, the songs of the Phoenix Legend have been widely disseminated, and both men and women of all ages can easily hum them. But when asked who these songs are, very few people really know.
Although the public loves their works, there are many misunderstandings and prejudices about the singers themselves, and they often turn a blind eye.
It wasn't until the popularity of the two songs "Under the Sea" and "Mountains and Rivers" that people finally realized the strength and value of Zeng Yi and Linghua. In the domestic music scene, there are only a handful of singers who can have such a high reputation and popularity.
With masterpieces such as "The Most Dazzling National Style" and "Moonlight on the Lotus Pond", the legend of the phoenix has long become an indispensable and important force, but due to the influence of some narrow aesthetic concepts in the past, their light has not been fully revealed.
Those so-called "musicians" who were once pretentious and cynical about the Phoenix Legend are now hiding in their shells like turtles and are ridiculed by everyone. They disparaged Phoenix Legend as an "internet singer", a "saliva song", and a "lack of depth", which now seems ridiculous and ignorant!
In fact, when we talk about creative talent and singing ability, Phoenix Legend is undoubtedly the most commendable musician! Although their works are simple and unpretentious, they perfectly meet the aesthetic needs of a wide range of listeners, and can be called the essence of pop music.
Take the songs "Under the Sea" and "Mountains and Rivers" for example, which bring people a spiritual shock far beyond the reach of those musical works that are advertised as "elegant".
Today is undoubtedly a moment of great joy for those who were unable to openly express their love for the Phoenix Legend's music because it was labeled as "vulgar" and "tasteless"! We don't need to feel ashamed or uncomfortable, it is a matter of course to appreciate the Phoenix Legend's music, and they deserve to occupy their place in the music field and become the best in the music world.
In the face of all kinds of doubts and humiliation, Zeng Yi and Linghua have always been firm in their beliefs and have not flinched. They have shown the world what real music is and what it means to be a real singer.
Today, no one dares to take the golden pair of music industry lightly, and the suspicion, ridicule and sarcasm of the past have disappeared without a trace.