Diana Wang, a Dutch-born Chinese singer rookie, is 28 years old, but she has published five albums, won eight awards and performed in hundreds of commercial performances in Asia. In Asia, Wang Shi'an realized her dream.
Unexpectedly, the Dutch town of Gorinchem produced such a talent.
On the website of the Dutch RTL4 TV station, there is a video of her interview, and Wang Shi'an's childhood friend and journalist Nina Jansen conducted a special interview with Wang Shi'an.
The reporter wrote: Taking photos on Monday, rehearsing in the studio on Tuesday, learning the lyrics of new songs on Wednesdays, going to Taiwan on Thursday to participate in charity performances: People who see Wang Shi'an's itinerary find it difficult to find space to talk to her for interviews. Twenty years ago, Wang Shi'an and I played a game of "acting" together in a living room in Amsterdam. Nowadays, interviews can only be scheduled through her manager in Hong Kong. After consultation, I was able to be present during the photo shoot for her new album, but there was no time for an interview that day. The next day, I met her in her music studio and had a conversation.
At a party in Shanghai
Wang Shi'an's story began in Shanghai in 1988.
A Dutch friend meets at a party in Shanghai, China, where Zhu Jun (Wang Shi'an's father) and Wang Lei (Wang's mother) meet. Jun studies modern theatre and Lei is studying opera singing. Through that Dutch friend, they went to the Netherlands together to continue their studies. Two years later, Wang was born in Gorinchem, the Netherlands.
Soon, the family moved to Amsterdam. Jun has worked with Dutch artists, including journalist father Rob Duijker, who wrote operas, and Lei also became an opera singer in the Netherlands. Both brought Chinese art to the West (Wang's parents later did business in the Netherlands). Years later, Wang Shi'an worked in the opposite direction.
"Asian Dream"
Wang Shi'an wants to become a star in Asia, which was her wish when she was a child. She said: "When I was three years old, I sat on the couch with my dad. He had a map of the world and Dad asked, 'Do you know where we are now?' I pointed to Holland. Do you know where Dad came from? I pointed to Shanghai. I said I wanted to go there when I grew up. ”
Wang Shi'an grew up with Chinese theater, but also with Michael Jackson and Marco Borsato. "My father was a fan of them." Wang Shi'an said that she discovered other idols at a young age. "I fell completely in love with The R&B (aka Blues) Alicia Keys and when I was younger, the girl group Destiny's Child." She learned piano at the age of four, and soon after in the R&B and Gospel Choirs, wrote her own songs at the age of twelve, and recorded her first song sample at the age of fourteen. "I have only one goal, no other choice, nothing else I can do." Wang Shi'an said.
It was a coincidence that she was finally able to step onto the Asian stage. Her father's accountant sent her singing samples to various record labels in Hong Kong, which eventually led to a record contract with Warner Music in Taiwan. "My first success was that I could go to Asia and develop. This is just the beginning of my whole story, but the beginning of this story is not easy. She said.
Culture shock
After studying R&B in Boston for three months, Wang moved to Taiwan at the age of eighteen. "The cultural differences and shocks are very bad for me. In the Netherlands you can say anything you want, and that's okay. But in Taiwan, people are very polite. I don't understand what I can or can't say, and I have to get used to this culture. ”
Wang also found the transition from student to artist difficult: "As a student, you have a schedule, but in the world of music, no one can tell you what to do to be successful. Two plus two is four, and if you take four points, you're a celebrity? That's not the case. I had to get used to the situation and had to take the initiative. ”
Double-sided Montana
It took Her three years to adjust to her new culture and new life, which made her very busy. She performs in soap operas, has concerts every day, and performs on various TV shows. "In Taiwan, there are high school or university concerts every day, and I am busy from morning to night. I learned to sleep everywhere and even stand. But she didn't always feel happy.
"I can't be exactly who I am, I feel like a Taiwanese double-faced Montana (a character in a children's sitcom who lives a normal life during the day and performs in a wig at night, and is a famous singer). She felt that this life was not for her, and she felt that it was time for her to live her life on her own terms and make her voice heard. Ten years later, she resolutely left her record label.
However, she continues to live as a freelancer. She never dared to imagine that it would mean a major breakthrough for her.
Dreams come true
In 2016, shortly after she left the record label, she played her first English-language song "Home" on YouTube. From makeup to editing video clips, she did it all with the help of a group of friends. The video has garnered millions of views in a short period of time, a breakthrough that definitely means Wang's career in Taiwan.
While at Warner Records, Ms. Wang became friends with her childhood idol, Khalil Fong. After releasing Home, he asked her to sign with his new Hong Kong brand, FU MUSIC. "It's a dream come true for me, and Fang Datong is an Asian superstar. By the time I was 15 or 16 years old, I had already heard his albums in the Netherlands. When he asked me, I was calm on the outside, but very excited on the inside. ”
Her ultimate dream is to become an artist. "In Taiwan, I often appear in the media, and in Hong Kong, I spend a lot of time in the studio. I'm introverted now, I can create, I can finally make R&B. ”
"It's an art"
Wang Shi'an sang R&B in Mandarin. She's trying something new. "It's common for R&B to sing in English, and there's even Korean, but not Mandarin," she said. Each word in Mandarin has only one syllable, so it's hard to sing a smooth sentence. Therefore, singing R&B in Mandarin is really an art, which was brought by me and Fang Datong. “
Mixed culture and mixed style
Wang's story blends cultures and styles. On her first album, Poem, published by FU MUSIC, Western R&B and ancient Chinese poetry come together, and her mother sings Chinese opera on the album. "My music is a hybrid, just like me. Because of my Dutch open-mindedness, I dare to fight for it, I am open to all kinds of possibilities, and at the same time I have Chinese hard work spirit and a fighting mentality, these two elements have brought me here. ”
Career in the Netherlands
Asked if she had started her career in the Netherlands, she replied: "Who knows. Maybe one day I'll make a song with a Dutch artist and stay there for a while. You never know, I'm always open to good ideas. “
She admits that singing is rarely sung in Dutch.
When Ms. Wang worked, it was hard to believe she was born and raised in Gorinchem, the Netherlands.
It took Wang Shi'an a long time to adapt to Asia.
This is exactly the message that Wang Shi'an wants to convey: "I feel that all people in this world are a big family, and they have helped me. So no matter what it is or where it is, the most important thing is that you have to achieve what you want. Life only lives once. If you have that passion, if you want to get something, do it. I think that's my message to the world. (Compiled by Huang Jinhong)
Wang Shi'an Profile:
Diana Wang (born November 14, 1990) is a Dutch-born singer and actress.
Attending the Dutch Academy of Pop Music, he began writing songs at the age of 16 and went to Boston Berklee College of Music in the United States to study R&B vocal.
In 2017, he joined Fu Music, and in November of the same year, he released his second new digital album "Poetry", which merged Chinese and Western to show his creative talents. "One Step into Poetry" is a song tailored for Fang Datong and Zhou Yaohui, which incorporates ancient Chinese poetry. "Poetry" also collaborated with the creative queen Ruolin, singapore's creative talent Charlie Lim and her mother Wang Lei, which was highly acclaimed.
Wang Shi'an has a family background of three generations of Chinese Beijing-Kunming opera and drama, and her grandmother is the well-known Kunqu opera performance artist Ms. Wang Zhiquan.