Wang Luobin
Encyclopedia
Wang Luobin was a renowned Han Chinese
songwriter. He specialized in composing Mandarin-language songs based on the music of various ethnic minorities in western China
.
Wang was born in Beijing
on 28 December 1913. He graduated from the Music Department of Beijing Normal University
in 1934 and actively participated in the Second Sino-Japanese War
on China's behalf beginning in 1937 in Shanxi
Province. In 1938, in Lanzhou
in Gansu
Province, Wang composed his first Xinjiang
-inspired song, "The Girl from Dabancheng
". He took up residence in northwestern China for more than 50 years since then, and devoted his time there to composing, collecting and revising western Chinese folk songs. In all, Wang wrote seven operas and published six songbooks, and wrote some 700 western-style songs, the most famous of which include "Alamuhan" (阿拉木汉, inspired by a Xinjiang Uyghur
song), "Awariguli" (also supposedly an Uyghur song), "Flowers and Youth" (pinyin
: Hua'er Yu Shaonian, a Hui
Muslim
folk song), "In that place wholly faraway
" (a song from Qinghai
Province), "Lift Your Veil" (掀起你的盖头来), "Duldal and Maria" (a Kazakh
folk song), "Mayila", and "The Crescent Moon Rises" (半个月亮爬上来; pinyin
: Ban Ge Yueliang Pa Shang Lai).
Wang began to win accolades for his work towards the end of his life. In 1993, "At a Faraway Place" and "The Crescent Moon Rises" were selected as the Chinese music classics of the 20th century. A year later, in July 1994, Wang received the Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Exchange of Western and Eastern Cultures from UNESCO
. Wang was made the honorary town head of Dabancheng in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region by the local government in December of that year.
Wang married Huang Yulan in Lanzhou in 1945 and had three sons, Wang Haiyan, Wang Haixing and Wang Haicheng. Huang died in 1951 as a result of tuberculosis
. Wang had lived in Australia
for a period of time with his son Haiyan who immigrated in 1981, and stated that some of his later work was inspired by the Australian landscape and natural flora and fauna.
Wang died of cancer
on 14 March 1996 at the age of 83. His songs continue to be popular today, and modern adaptations of them have been recorded by the Beijing Angelic Choir
, a Chinese children's choir that has earned recognition both at home and abroad; by China's popular Twelve Girls Band
; and by the famous Chinese rock singer Dao Lang
, who is known for his western China-themed pop music.
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
songwriter. He specialized in composing Mandarin-language songs based on the music of various ethnic minorities in western China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Wang was born in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
on 28 December 1913. He graduated from the Music Department of Beijing Normal University
Beijing Normal University
Beijing Normal University , colloqiually known as 北师大 or Beishida, is a public research university located in Beijing with strong emphasis on basic disciplines of humanities and sciences...
in 1934 and actively participated in the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
on China's behalf beginning in 1937 in Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
Province. In 1938, in Lanzhou
Lanzhou
Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country....
in Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
Province, Wang composed his first Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
-inspired song, "The Girl from Dabancheng
The Girl from Dabancheng
The Girl from Dabancheng is a well known folk song with Chinese lyric translated by Wang Luobin, and adapted from the Uyghur folksong Qamberxan. One of the early recordings of the song Qamberxan was done by a German ethnomusicologist on the singing of a Turpan Taranchi farmer's 16-year-old daughter...
". He took up residence in northwestern China for more than 50 years since then, and devoted his time there to composing, collecting and revising western Chinese folk songs. In all, Wang wrote seven operas and published six songbooks, and wrote some 700 western-style songs, the most famous of which include "Alamuhan" (阿拉木汉, inspired by a Xinjiang Uyghur
Uyghur people
The Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
song), "Awariguli" (also supposedly an Uyghur song), "Flowers and Youth" (pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Hua'er Yu Shaonian, a Hui
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
folk song), "In that place wholly faraway
In that place wholly faraway
"In that place wholly farway" is the first line and title of the popular Chinese song that Wang Luobin, the song writer and ethnic music researcher, wrote in 1938, inspired by a Kazakh folk song that he had collected in the area now called Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region...
" (a song from Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
Province), "Lift Your Veil" (掀起你的盖头来), "Duldal and Maria" (a Kazakh
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
folk song), "Mayila", and "The Crescent Moon Rises" (半个月亮爬上来; pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Ban Ge Yueliang Pa Shang Lai).
Wang began to win accolades for his work towards the end of his life. In 1993, "At a Faraway Place" and "The Crescent Moon Rises" were selected as the Chinese music classics of the 20th century. A year later, in July 1994, Wang received the Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Exchange of Western and Eastern Cultures from UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. Wang was made the honorary town head of Dabancheng in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region by the local government in December of that year.
Wang married Huang Yulan in Lanzhou in 1945 and had three sons, Wang Haiyan, Wang Haixing and Wang Haicheng. Huang died in 1951 as a result of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. Wang had lived in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
for a period of time with his son Haiyan who immigrated in 1981, and stated that some of his later work was inspired by the Australian landscape and natural flora and fauna.
Wang died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on 14 March 1996 at the age of 83. His songs continue to be popular today, and modern adaptations of them have been recorded by the Beijing Angelic Choir
Beijing Angelic Choir
The Beijing Angelic Choir is a children's choir based in Beijing, China. Since its establishment, it has toured extensively in the world as well as in China....
, a Chinese children's choir that has earned recognition both at home and abroad; by China's popular Twelve Girls Band
Twelve Girls Band
Twelve Girls Band are an all female Chinese musical group that initially consisted of twelve members before the addition of a thirteenth. Twelve Girls Band use traditional Chinese instruments to play both traditional Chinese and Western music. Formed on June 18, 2001, the women were selected by...
; and by the famous Chinese rock singer Dao Lang
Dao Lang
Dao Lang is the pseudonym of Luo Lin, 2002 Niande Diyi Chang Xue in pinyin, released in 2003, made him an instant star in China. He sang with Alan Tam on the debut "Can't Say Goodbye"...
, who is known for his western China-themed pop music.