Music festivals, contests grace district this fall
Print Edition
MUSIC is in the air in Putuo in the golden autumn season as activities encouraging mass entertainment are staged around the district. Some are contests proceeding to the final stages, and the highly anticipated results will be revealed later in the year. Li Anlan reports.Singing competition
The New Shanghainese Singer Competition, started in 2006 in Changfeng community, is jointly organized by the Shanghai International Arts Festival committee, Putuo District government and Shanghai Musician Association.
For eight years, the competition has provided an opportunity for people new to Shanghai to express themselves in music. The competition helps pass down the culture and tradition of China.
It is a stepping stone for many who love music and wish to start professional careers as singers. Over the years, there were waiters and waitresses who became signed singers, vendors who have hosted concerts, and people who got job offers after performing at the competition.
This year, a total of 259 people signed up for the competition. They came from different countries, provinces and professions as well as different ages and backgrounds. A passion for singing and residency in the city are what had in common.
Any non-professional singers living, studying or working in the city and older than 18 can sign up.
This year, there are 21 overseas singers from 12 countries, the highest since 2006. All are international students studying in Shanghai.
The theme of this contest is “Sing in Shanghai, Dream Fulfilled in Shanghai.”
The selection started at the end of September at Putuo District Changfeng Cultural Center. After the quarterfinals on October 10-12 and the semifinal on October 25, the singers who stood out will be competing at the final event on November 7.
The jury panel is composed of professionals, experts and celebrities in the field, and for the final contest, a public jury will also participate.
The preliminary qualification rounds were hosted at Changfeng Community Cultural Activity Center on September 24 and 25. The three quarterfinals hosted at Guosheng Plaza were attended by 192 singers.
For the first time in this year’s competition, all songs performed all songs are being performed in Chinese. The final this year will also be different. There will be two rounds, and those who stood out in the first round will proceed to the second and compete for gold and silver prizes, while the other finalists will receive bronze.
In previous years, the public could watch the final live or on TV. This year, Changfeng Cup worked with online media, and the performances from the qualification can be watched on the special page for the event on Tudou.com (http://zone.tudou.com/xshr).
Traditional opera
Yichuan Cup is a new traditional opera competition in Putuo that’s hosted by Yichuan Community Cultural Activity Center.
Four rounds take place throughout September and October. The two qualification sessions went on September 14 and 21, the semifinal on October 11, and the final will take place October 18. The award presentation and gala is set for October 25.
The competitions are hosted in Yichuan community while the gala will take place at Century Square on Nanjing Rd E. at 1:30pm.
Yichuan Cup is open to all non-professional traditional opera enthusiasts who work, study or live in Putuo.
The three jury members for the qualifications were Xu Jianzhong from Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe, Lu Xianli from Shanghai Huju Opera Troupe and Wang Bei from Putuo Bureau of Cultural Affairs.
Xu is a top Beijing Opera actor and has been performing laosheng roles (a type of role in traditional opera) at Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe since 1984. His repertoire includes “Si Lang Tan Mu” (the story of the fourth son in the family of Yang), “Wang Baochuan” (the daughter of Prime Minister Wang Yun in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD)), “Wen Zhao Guan” (the story of Wu Zixu in Autumn Spring Period(770-256 BC)) and many more.
Lu is a leading Shanghainese Huju Opera actress of Shanghai Huju Troupe, who has been performing since graduating from the troupe’s art school in 1979. She has performed in “Blue Eyes,” “Home,” “Sisters” and other classic Shanghai operas.
A total of 160 opera lovers competed this year; the youngest is only 3 years old and the oldest is 70.
To encourage more participation, anyone walking by the community center during the qualification could sign up on site. There was no limit in style and genre, and about 60 entered the semifinal. At the semifinal, judges represented all five main traditional opera genres (Peking, Huju, Yueju, Huaiju and Kunqu operas).
Citizen’s Art
Meanwhile, the Putuo edition of the 2014 Shanghai Citizen’s Art Festival is ongoing across the district and will run through the end of the year.
Included are touring exhibitions featuring the 19 cultural heritage projects of Putuo. It entered Bailian Zhonghuan shopping mall for the first time, displaying art, crafts and texts to the public.
Mall officials hope people will learn more about the culture and folk traditions that are almost extinct, and at the same time attract more shoppers with cultural elements.
Community festival
To celebrate the National Day, Shiquan community in Putuo kicked off a cultural and art festival for the fifth consecutive years.
From dance and choir performances to football and tug of war, the residents in the community will have the opportunity to participate in more than 30 cultural and sports activities during the two months of the festival.
The opening ceremony gala were performed by more than 200 people and attracted about 500 audiences from the community.
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