The famous singer Guo Song died: a song close to the people was gone

"The Ussuri River is long and long, and the blue waters of the river are wavy..." Whenever people hear this beautiful "Ussuri Boat Song", people will think of the famous singer Guo Song, whose simple and unique singing voice has been deeply imprinted in the minds of generations of music lovers. Songs such as "Ussuri Boat Song", "New Cargo Man", "Lost Ring", "Getting Brighter and Brighter", etc., carry the fragrance of rich earth.

Today, this beautiful song has remained in the world, and the famous singer Guo Song died at the age of 85 at the Beijing 305 Hospital at 5:45 a.m. yesterday morning due to ineffective medical treatment. Guo Song's son and composer Guo Xiaoliang told Beijing Youth Daily that the farewell ceremony for Guo Song's body will be held at 305 Hospital at 10 a.m. on May 21.

The first person to promote Northeast folk songs

Guo Song was born in Shenyang, Liaoning Province during the war and chaos era, although the family was poor, but his father liked to play the flute, his brother liked to sing, he grew up in such a family environment, and accepted the enlightenment of music. Guo Song's original name was Guo Zengfa, and he used his spare time to participate in literary and artistic activities when he was founded in New China, and his singing talent was discovered by Hong Jun, who later became his friend. In a "Yellow River Chorus" conducted by Hong Jun, Guo Song sang one of the songs "Ode to the Yellow River" and became famous. Later, Hong Jun suggested that he change his name to Guo Song.

Hong Jun also recommended Guo Song to his colleagues in music and led him on a professional path. In 1953, Guo Song, who had just been transferred to the Heilongjiang Cultural and Labor Troupe, began to rehearse and sing the Northeast folk song "Lost Ring", which won the affirmation of Li Haofu, a music expert in the northeast at that time, and others. In 1956, Guo Song took "Lost Ring" to the first National Music Week and caused a sensation. In the backstage of the performance, Guo Song met the famous singer Wang Kun, wang Kun said to him: "Your song is very distinctive, the audience has such a strong response, it is really not simple, you must take this road in the future..." This incident became a new starting point for Guo Song, and later when he talked about Wang Kun, he would always say: "This is my nobleman." ”

In the 1950s and 1960s, Guo Song composed and sang many songs in the style of Northeast folk songs, such as "Ussuri Boat Song", "New Cargo Lang", "More and More Bright Hall", "Door-knocking", etc., and also sang a number of Northeast folk songs such as "Look at love lang", "Big Dingzi Mountain Is High and Tall", "Crescent Five More", "Wang ErJie Sifu" and so on. Guo Song's creation always starts from the life of the most ordinary people, and acuras the changes of the times, such as "New Cargo Lang" telling the story of the salesman going to the countryside, "More and More Bright" singing the joy of the farmer's harvest, these songs were once loved by the people and were widely sung. And Guo Song's singing voice is also unique, his timbre has the simple charm of Northeast folk songs, and at the same time draws on some Western vocal principles, therefore, his voice is high-pitched and translucent, and his singing pays attention to vocal sentiment, forming his own unique style of bright hall.

Guo Song's artistic life has been bumpy, but his optimism often infects those around him. Created and interpreted by Guo Song, "The Song of the Ussuri Boat" has not only been sung for decades, but has also been included in UNESCO's cultural textbooks. However, Guo Song, who was bent on promoting the art of the northern nationalities and expressing the original feelings of the Hezhe people, was sued in court, and although the court finally ruled that the copyright belonged to Guo Song and the other two authors, and indicated that the song was "adapted from the folk song of the Hezhe ethnic group", the copyright dispute still hit Guo Song very hard. Guo Song's son and composer Guo Xiaoliang said: "My father is getting a lot older, and this is his most popular thing. Guo Song believes that only a few subsections are similar, but it damages his life's reputation, and he feels that this is a regret in his life.

Guo Xiaoliang said that Guo Song was hospitalized five years ago for fever of unknown reasons, coupled with geriatric disease, two years ago, there was no consciousness, until his death, he has been living in the 305 Hospital.

Inheriting folk songs he is an epoch-making figure

In the 50s and 60s of the last century, no matter what song You heard Guo Song sing, you would quickly react "This is Guo Song singing". Guo Song's singing voice is highly recognizable, and his dedication to art and the promotion of Northeast folk songs are very admirable.

The famous tenor Liu Hegang learned art from Guo Song as early as 1997, and when he heard the news of Guo Song's death, Liu Hegang could not hide his inner grief, he said: "Before he fell, he also instructed me, 'You must pass on the northeast folk songs, and your new generation of folk singers must have their own understanding, use new arrangement methods, and let the wider audience accept them.'" 'The old man is very serious about art. I've been in regular classes with him since 1997, and he taught me how to sing in a coherent way of singing, which I still benefit from, and he told me at the time, 'It's like how we feel about the northeast and the noodles.' ’”

Liu Hegang said: "Teacher Guo Song's dedication to art is also reflected in his seriousness. He used to go back and forth with us on shows like 'Heart to Heart', and every time he went back and forth alone, and once I said to him, 'You should come with your family and have a care.' The old man said, 'Although I am older than you, my heart is very young.' At the Young Singers Grand Prix I attended, the old man was the judge and gave me the lowest score. Later I jokingly asked him why he gave me the lowest score? He said: 'You say backstage that I'm your daddy, can I give you a high score?' I said, 'I've never said anything like that, it's their rumors.' Believe it or not, who really loves you? Sincerely, whether it is a dry dad or not, I will often go to see you after the game. 'A few years later. The old man said, 'You're right, you're the only one who comes to see me now.' ’”

Liu Hegang believes that for the promotion of Northeast folk songs, Lao Ye is an epoch-making figure, he sang many Northeast folk songs on the concert stage, and at the same time, he also adapted and created many Northeast folk song style songs. "'Ussuri Boat Song' is a classic, but it is not a song that is finished, but every time it is sung, there is a lot of things that can be excavated in it. I feel that the old man has built a platform for us, and I will definitely pass on his artistic wealth from him and pass it on to me. ”

The famous singer Gong Linna was the first to publish the news of Guo Song's death on WeChat. In an interview with the Beiqing Daily reporter, she said: "I have great respect for Teacher Guo Song, his Northeast folk songs are really singing, until now, there is no voice like Teacher Guo Song. I wonder if he's gone, but can his singing still be passed on to young people? He is a very good tenor singer with a very unique voice. Is this unique stream of people gone, and the sound disappears? I actually didn't have much contact with Mr. Guo Song, and when I participated in the Grand Prix, Mr. Guo Song was a judge, and he also encouraged me to stick to the foundation of the people. The masters who have recently left us are very talented and have their own unique art, and it is difficult to find their unique voice on the stage now. How to pass on China's culture and voice? I think that's what they worried about before they left. ”

"Never thought he would leave us"

Guo Song's artistic experience is bumpy, but he has a cheerful and optimistic personality. The famous soprano Chen Junhua, who has had a lot of contact with Guo Song in previous performances, said in an interview with the Beiqing Daily reporter: "I am sad to learn the news of Guo Song's departure, I always feel that this is not true, I did not expect him to leave us. Teacher Guo Song and I have cooperated many times, especially in the CCTV 4 Spring Festival Gala together to perform sketches, I played his girlfriend. His rehearsals were always meticulous, and after every rehearsal and performance he would tell me, 'Girl, this place should be played this way.' ’”

"I toured the United States with Mr. Wang Kun and Mr. Guo Song that time, and traveled to several cities such as Boston and Philadelphia, all for the children in the local Chinese school and their parents. The 20-day journey was icy and snowy, and we were traveling from city to city in a minibus, and our group was together every day, like a family. Chen Junhua recalled: "He was a kind, optimistic old man, never a little demanding, without any pendulum. He strives for excellence in his art, always practices the difficulties of songs backstage, and after putting on his makeup, he asks me, 'Girl, how is your hair?' I said, 'Handsome old man!' He was particularly cheerful and gave a warm feeling. ”

The famous musician Li Jie, because of his particularly good relationship with Guo Xiaoliang and a northeasterner, also has great respect for Guo Song and worships Guo Song as his father. Li Jie said in an interview with the Beiqing Daily reporter: "I have great respect for him. He was popular all over the country before I came to Beijing, his singing voice is very good, his artistic style is unique, his voice is very natural, and the Northeast folk songs he sings are particularly well handled artistically. ”

Li Jie remembers such a scene: "At the end of the 90s of the last century, we went to perform together in other places, and the old man was so old that he got on and off the train by himself, but he still insisted on practicing his voice every day. He was my teacher in art, he often encouraged me, and I felt that what he gave me was something for the soul, because his own singing voice had a heartfelt sincerity. The old man is a very cheerful person, always smiling, as if there is no trouble. As long as he is around you, you will feel very warm, and you will laugh wherever you go. ”

His voice is the most recognizable

For Guo Song, middle-aged people over the age of forty or fifty will have an impression on him, especially his singing with the northeast vernacular style, which makes people feel extremely kind. To this day, if you don't look at people, as long as his singing voice sounds, many people know that this song is sung by Guo Song.

Banda song contests

Civil Engineering Section became the "Victorious General"

Born in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, just in time for the Japanese invasion of China, Guo Song was threatened with poverty and invaders during his childhood. When I was a child, I was influenced by my father and brother who liked music at home, and I also liked music myself. When he was in elementary school, the teacher began to teach students music knowledge, which made Guo Song deeply obsessed with music and affected the study of other subjects such as mathematics. At that time, his family was very poor, and he relied on his father to sell tofu to make ends meet. His father named him Guo Zengfa, hoping that the family would become rich soon. With the same wish, my father firmly opposed him from singing. In 1949, Guo Song was admitted to the Civil Engineering and Architecture Department of Hegang Engineering Senior Vocational School. Soon after he enrolled in school, he taught his classmates many new songs. In various bands and songs, the Civil Engineering Section became the "General of Constant Victory".

At that time, he filled in the lyrics with the rhythm of the Northeast drum and created "Cheering and Singing New China was Born". Wang Fan of the Hegang Cultural and Labor Troupe played three strings for him and performed more than a dozen performances in various mines with the propaganda team. Then he wrote and acted in "Wang Laohan Hi Praise Beijing City", which first appeared sharp.

Later, he entered the literary troupe, and because he successfully sang "Ode to the Yellow River", he was renamed "Guo Song" by friends who admired his talent. He gradually became a master of local folk songs. However, some people in the literary troupe looked down on him and thought that the Northeast folk songs he sang were minor in the minor key, however, he persistently sang Northeast folk songs, and finally came to the fore at the National Music Week in 1956. Because his singing comes from among the people, the Northeast folk songs such as "Throw Away the Ring" and "Watching the Rice Song" that he sings describe the scenes of life, singing the stories around the people, with strong affinity.

Pushing a trolley with the salesman to deliver the goods

Listening to the works sung by Guo Song, many people have such a feeling and have a strong atmosphere of life. Many of the songs Guo Song sang later were composed by himself. Created in 1958, when the government called on all walks of life to support agriculture, Guo Song and another creator, Li Xiutian, came to the backyard of Harbin No. 1 Department Store and saw the salesman loading sickles, pens, pencils, thermos bottles, autumn clothes, gloves and other production and daily necessities into the car. Together with the salesman, the two of them pushed carts to deliver deliveries to farmers on the outskirts of Harbin.

In the process of delivery, Guo Song and Li Xiutian saw the smile on the face of the farmers selecting the goods, and felt the service attitude of the salesman who was tireless and was very moved. At this time, I don't know who said: "This is the new cargo of the new era." A creative inspiration rose in the hearts of the two creators, so there was a "living" lyric that later spread around: "Play the drum to beat the gong, push the cart to deliver the goods..." The kind melody made many viewers hear this song, as if entering the lively scene of the delivery of the goods.

Another song created by Guo Song, "More and More Brightening", is also the result of the creator's in-depth life to absorb nutrition. "The big whip rattled and rattled, and seven big cars were laid off..." This song once resounded throughout the small loudspeakers of radio stations in rural China. In 1962, the famous poet Wang Shuhuai responded to the call of his superiors and settled down in Suihua with his family, experiencing life and engaging in creation, and Guo Song often followed him to the countryside. They work with their peasant friends to do farm work, nag at home, and experience their thoughts and feelings. Li Xiutian wrote a song "Xiyangyang", and Guo Song felt very good, so he composed and sang for it. After the singing, Premier Zhou Enlai heard it and said to Guo Song: "This song is very good, showing the joy of the peasants after the harvest, if only we could show the imagination of the future development of production." ”

Guo Song and Li Xiutian once again went to Suihua Baoshan Township to live in depth, and changed the lyrics to "chemical fertilizer new agricultural tools, full of cars, ready, seize a bumper harvest", praising the peasants' spirit of taking into account the overall situation and selfless dedication.

It is our mission to promote Northeastern folk songs

What is a Tohoku folk song? At that time, many people thought that the northeast folk song was a small love tune sung by the two people, and it was difficult to climb the elegant hall. And Guo Song did not believe in this evil, and the Northeast folk songs "Lost Ring", "Look at the Song", "Look at the Love Lang", and "Crescent Five More" adapted by his hand were staged in the Hall of Daya after his singing. There is also a saying that when folk songs enter the hall of elegance, they can be displayed in an "elegant" posture. Guo Song, on the other hand, disagrees, and the songs he sings from the creative style to the singing style do not have the slightest foreign flavor. Because Guo Song believes that these folk songs are the portrayal of the lives of the people, especially close to the people, and the singer's singing is to be close to the people, so that the audience can understand.

Although Guo Song's singing style is folk, he is not conformist. Among his vocal learning experiences, there is also the experience of learning from Russian vocal teachers. As a tenor, he also incorporated Western singing techniques into his singing, but did not lose the recognition of his unique singing voice. He takes the promotion of Northeast folk songs as his mission, and the Northeast folk songs he sings are not tacky, there is no shadow of the two people turning, and he is still loved by the audience.

Today, although Guo Song is far away from us, the singing he left behind will be a permanent memory, because his singing comes from the people, and his unique creative techniques and vivid singing skills should be learned in the music scene to this day.

This edition of the article / this newspaper reporter Lun Bing

Illustration / Zhang Nan

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