Vitas, one of Russia's top pop stars, says he will sing in Chinese when he makes his third tour to China.

The star will sing "Qing Zang Gao Yuan," or the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, in Chinese, along with his hits such as "Star," "Mama" and "Opera" when he performs at the Shanghai Grand Stage on May 3.

Vitas had his first hit in Russian in 2000 and first performed in China in 2007. Last year he was the only foreign artist to perform at the aquatic sports opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics.

His ability to hit the high notes has led some to question whether he performs live but he has answered his critics by throwing down his microphone during performances so the audience can hear the strength of his voice. Tickets for the forthcoming Shanghai date are priced from 180 yuan (US$26) to 2,800 yuan.

(Shanghai Daily April 20, 2009)