Boyle in the bag
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Global Times, July 13, 2011
After a 47-year-old Susan Boyle captivated global audiences by belying her unremarkable looks with a show-stopping rendition of "I Dream a Dream" on Britain's Got Talent in 2009, her name became synonymous with undiscovered talent.
In recent years, China's numerous copycat shows have produced various "Susan Boyles," who shared the Scottish diva's obscure background, singing dream and powerful voice.
The most popular now is Cai Hongping, a 55-year vegetable seller whose voice won her second place in this year's China's Got Talent, which finished Sunday.
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"Auntie Sweet" Cai Hongping performing on stage Sunday. [CFP] |
"Auntie Sweet," as she is known, performed Nessun Dorma just as Boyle did in 2009, though with one vital difference.
Cai, unable to decipher Roman numerals, used to substitute the words to the Puccini aria with her own, which she sang in the Shanghai wet market where she worked .
"Chicken leg, chicken wing/Duck leg, duck wing/Carrots, tomatoes and green onions…/Come and buy and you will get (free) green onions/You will get (free) green onions," went the Anhui native's China's Got Talent performances.
Song ni cong, "You will get (free) green onions," became an Internet meme as Cai's fame rose. "Her voice and humor are beyond comparison," TV anchor Yang Lan commented.
Like Boyle, Cai faced bemusement when she first appeared on stage, dressed in pink apron and gloves.
"No one will be moved by vegetable names," scorned judge Shuchun Huang before Cai opened her mouth. Huang later admitted he was so touched at what he heard that "my whole body felt electrical shock."
Cai's skill remained hidden for half a century under her plain looks and humble origins; Boyle had been singing in the dark for 35 years.
"None of my relatives supported me, including my parents and my daughter. They did not believe I could make a success of myself. Even I myself dared not think about dreams, since none of my dreams, even the smallest one, had ever come true," Cai told the Global Times, adding she had once hoped to go to a music academy but gave it up to support her family, ending up with only a middle-school education.
But she never gave up singing. "It became part of my life," she said. Last year, a video clip of Cai singing in the market posted online by a netizen, reached 10 million hits within 10 days. "That encouraged me to sing in front of a big audience," Cai admitted.
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Cai and Susan Boyle (right) met Saturday in Shanghai. |
Though now a household name, Cai is not yet used to the media attention. "I want to retain a simple life," Cai said. "The most meaningful part of this show is that I'm happy to see so many people loved my singing. That's enough. I don't want to just sing for money. I don't want to be a different person."
In Shanghai Saturday herself to help promote the Chinese program, Susan Boyle gave a similar answer when asked about life after overnight fame.
Nonetheless, Boyle is no longer a middle-aged small-town cat owner. A global superstar, her hair dyed, she wears designer clothes and is accompanied by bodyguards. Her three albums have made her a much sought-after interviewee and guest performer.
But reports of erratic behavior by the media, caused by pressure and an unstable mental condition, mean efforts must be made to ensure that Cai is able to better weather her newfound fame - and the incalculable attention it will bring.
China's other Susan Boyles
First Susan - Wu Baiwei, 81, sang a patriotic song about the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) on Happy Girls in 2009. The Wall Street Journal called it China's "own Susan Boyle moment." The senior apparently joined the show accidentally, and knew nothing about the contest even afterward.
Taiwan's Susan - Lin Yu Qun, 25, known as "Little Fatty," was dubbed "China's Susan Boyle" by netizens after he successfully sang "I Will Always Love You" on talent show One Million Star. Both Lin's parents were against him singing and he had to pay for lessons from part-time jobs.
Uncle Susan - Zhu Zhiwen, a 42-year-old peasant from rural Shandong Province amazed audiences after appearing in a shabby outfit to sing, "I'm a Big Star." After the video was put online, he was called "Uncle Susan" (Boyle was dubbed "Auntie Susan" in China).
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