Wen Hsia (Chinese: 文夏; 20 May 1928 – 6 April 2022) was a Taiwanese singer and actor.
Wen Hsia | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Wen Hsia in 2006 | |
| Born | 20 May 1928 Matō, Sobun, Tainan, Taiwan, Empire of Japan |
| Died | 6 April 2022 (aged 93) |
Personal life
editWen Hsia was born Wang Jui-ho[1] in 1928,[2][3] in present-day Madou District, Tainan,[4] and studied music in Japan.[3] He was married to Wen Hsiang,[5] who was also a singer.[6] Wen Hsia died in his sleep on 6 April 2022, aged 93.[7]
Career
editFrom the 1950s to the 1960s, Wen Hsia was known for his covers of Japanese melodies featuring Taiwanese Hokkien lyrics,[8] a practice that began in the 1930s.[9] These works were known as mixed-blood songs.[10] He also sang in Japanese.[2] Over the course of his career, Wen Hsia wrote more than 2,000 songs.[3] During martial law in Taiwan, Hokkien pop was heavily censored and Wen Hsia became known as the "king of banned songs."[11] Wen Hsia recorded over 1,200 songs, of which 99 were banned by Kuomintang authorities.[10] His 1961 work, "Mama, I’m Brave" was banned for thirty years, setting a record for the longest period a Hokkien pop song was prohibited.[10] Wen Hsia's songs became regarded as classics.[6][12] At the 23rd Golden Melody Awards in 2012, Wen Hsia received the Golden Melody Lifetime Contribution Award.[2][13]
As an actor, Wen Hsia starred in Joseph Kuo's remakes of the Japanese Wataridori film series, in which the protagonist was originally portrayed by Akira Kobayashi.[14]
References
edit- ^ 謝, 佩玲 (9 October 2019). "「國寶歌王」文夏疑遭看護餵毒 家屬憤而提告！". Newtalk (in Chinese). Retrieved 13 May 2020.
- ^ a b c "GIO names Golden Melody Awards nominees". Taiwan Today. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ a b c Loa, Iok-sin (3 March 2011). "Singer calls for action, not words in music promotion". Taipei Times. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "「國寶歌王」文夏疑遭餵毒 警將傳喚男看護到案". Liberty Times (in Chinese). 9 October 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
- ^ Hsiao, Sherry (10 October 2019). "Caregiver says he did not give singer Wen Hsia drugs". Taipei Times. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Green Island plans festival". Taipei Times. 15 September 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ Yeh, Kuan-yin; Lo, James. "Taiwan's 'king of banned songs' Wen Hsia dies at 93". Central News Agency. Retrieved 7 April 2022. Republished as: "'King of banned songs' Wen Hsia dies aged 93". Taipei Times. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ^ 張瑋芩 (2011). 當日語歌化身為台語歌—文夏翻唱歌曲詞曲配合的探討 The Texual [sic] and Melodic Arrangement in Wen-hsia's Taiwanese Cover Songs (Thesis). doi:10.6342/NTU.2011.00350.
- ^ Tsai, Eva; Ho, Tung-Hung; Jian, Miaoju (2019). Made in Taiwan: Studies in Popular Music. Routledge. p. 184. ISBN 9781351119122.
- ^ a b c Han Cheung (17 April 2022). "Taiwan in Time: The man with the banned songs". Taipei Times. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
- ^ Ko, Shu-ling (15 July 2007). "20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF MARTIAL LAW:Taiwanese society under martial law remembered". Taipei Times. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "Events and entertainment listings". Taipei Times. 7 October 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ Chen, Christie (23 June 2012). "Mayday biggest winner at Golden Melody Awards". Central News Agency. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ Lee, Daw-Ming (2012). Historical Dictionary of Taiwan Cinema. Scarecrow Press. p. 223. ISBN 9780810879225.
