I'm re-posting this official Olympic anthem 'cause I'm SOOOOooooo excited to watch the Opening Ceremony tonight, and anyhow, I can't get this song out of my head, so why even try? The first time I posted this song, it was edited down and didn't have any subtitles. The first version below is full and is fully translated. After seeing the meaning behind the song, I definitely think that the lyrics are both inspiring and extremely poetic, which is very much in line with how Chinese poetry flows. It is a very patriotic song, but how can you blame China? - they are a very patriotic nation.
Anyhow, enjoy the song. I wonder if it will be performed at the ceremony. Also, I listed two versions because the 2nd version has a different ending, where they actually show the athletes in action. I think this will be one of the best Summer Olympics yet!
Showing posts with label Olympics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Olympics. Show all posts
Friday, August 8, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Zhang Ziyi vs. Lucy Liu
With the Beijing Olympics upon us in a matter of weeks, there was bound to be additional coverage, as was the case for the August issues of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.
In terms of coverage, who wins? On this side of the ring, Zhang Ziyi 章子怡 had a glowing article about her rise to stardom, starting with her humble beginnings to her now international fame and new engagement to international tycoon and venture capitalist Aviv "Vivi" Nevo. Her photo shoot wasn't too bad, although the styles they paired her with were rather harsh, mostly in terms of the make-up and hair (feels like they were trying to claim the '80s?). I don't have scans of the pics, but you can see her video below as she talks about the photo shoot. And of course, she was featured in Vogue, the mother of all fashion mags. However, other than the fact that she is Beijing-born, nothing in the article or photos link her at all to the Olympics (ok, she was one of the Olympic torchbearers, but that was hardly emphasized).
On the other side of the ring, Lucy Liu had a more Olympic-inspired photo shoot, which was fairly creative, and her pictorial spread was much larger. However, there was not a word about her, not even a blurb on anything she was potentially promoting, so it looked like they borrowed her to model for the mere fact that she is Chinese-American (and thus, she's really Team USA). Her photos were in Harper's Bazaar, which as of late has been more inspiring for me to pick through than Vogue has been, so it's not THE best, but pretty up there in my mind.
So who wins? I say.....NEITHER! Assuming that the fashion world is embracing all things from China, and the Beijing Olympics being such a platform (note that a lot of design houses even created special, limited-edition pieces for the Asian market BECAUSE of the Olympics), I find it terribly defeating that neither could make the covers.
For Vogue, Kate Moss was on the cover, which makes sense seeing that she is 1) a supermodel, and 2) promoting her fashion empire, but her photos weren't even that great (see article and photos here). They could've put her on the cover of the September issue, since that's when the new Topshop will debut in the US (she being one of the coveted lines in the brand, it would have made sense in that case). Zhang Ziyi could easily have been on the cover, and no one would have thought it strange. She's been seen on the red carpet very frequently, wearing all the new designers, so she is already known for embracing fashion. I would have loved to see a beautiful spread of her in China, w/ maybe the Olympic stadiums or ye ole' temples or modern skyscrapers in the backdrop. How lush would it have been to see her in gorgeous gowns and showing the beauty of Beijing behind her? I don't particularly think that Ziyi is a great actress either, but she is def. on the A-list, and Americans do recognize that she is a "star," so why not the cover?
For Harper's Bazaar, there was a boring article about Jessica Biel (who has never done anything great except a GQ cover and dating Justin Timberlake, IMHO), and some lame photos of her "dancing" with designers like Vera Wang and Zac Posen. The photo qualities were mediocre, and if you were to compare her to Lucy Liu, she didn't have anything in particular to promote either, so how'd she make the cover? Lucy had some cool photos, and while they weren't shot in Beijing, they were cute in trying to blend fashion with athleticism. I don't know if Lucy is still big enough to land a cover, but isn't it a little sad if she was only able to land the photo shoot 'cause she was Chinese-American, and for no other reason? Like, some editor in some glossy magazine cubicle sat there and said, "Beijing Olympics are coming up, we need to put a Chinese person in this shoot, quick, how many well-known Chinese actresses are there that we can land for this? They don't even need to be promoting anything, or talk, 'cause we're not going to bother interviewing them. Just make sure they're Chinese."
Anyhow, maybe I should be happy any Asians get their own coverage, but it pains me that no Asian one can land the cover yet. One would have thought that this time, this would have been a great opportunity to do more than just the norms. Do you have any thoughts?
In terms of coverage, who wins? On this side of the ring, Zhang Ziyi 章子怡 had a glowing article about her rise to stardom, starting with her humble beginnings to her now international fame and new engagement to international tycoon and venture capitalist Aviv "Vivi" Nevo. Her photo shoot wasn't too bad, although the styles they paired her with were rather harsh, mostly in terms of the make-up and hair (feels like they were trying to claim the '80s?). I don't have scans of the pics, but you can see her video below as she talks about the photo shoot. And of course, she was featured in Vogue, the mother of all fashion mags. However, other than the fact that she is Beijing-born, nothing in the article or photos link her at all to the Olympics (ok, she was one of the Olympic torchbearers, but that was hardly emphasized).
On the other side of the ring, Lucy Liu had a more Olympic-inspired photo shoot, which was fairly creative, and her pictorial spread was much larger. However, there was not a word about her, not even a blurb on anything she was potentially promoting, so it looked like they borrowed her to model for the mere fact that she is Chinese-American (and thus, she's really Team USA). Her photos were in Harper's Bazaar, which as of late has been more inspiring for me to pick through than Vogue has been, so it's not THE best, but pretty up there in my mind.
So who wins? I say.....NEITHER! Assuming that the fashion world is embracing all things from China, and the Beijing Olympics being such a platform (note that a lot of design houses even created special, limited-edition pieces for the Asian market BECAUSE of the Olympics), I find it terribly defeating that neither could make the covers.
For Vogue, Kate Moss was on the cover, which makes sense seeing that she is 1) a supermodel, and 2) promoting her fashion empire, but her photos weren't even that great (see article and photos here). They could've put her on the cover of the September issue, since that's when the new Topshop will debut in the US (she being one of the coveted lines in the brand, it would have made sense in that case). Zhang Ziyi could easily have been on the cover, and no one would have thought it strange. She's been seen on the red carpet very frequently, wearing all the new designers, so she is already known for embracing fashion. I would have loved to see a beautiful spread of her in China, w/ maybe the Olympic stadiums or ye ole' temples or modern skyscrapers in the backdrop. How lush would it have been to see her in gorgeous gowns and showing the beauty of Beijing behind her? I don't particularly think that Ziyi is a great actress either, but she is def. on the A-list, and Americans do recognize that she is a "star," so why not the cover?
For Harper's Bazaar, there was a boring article about Jessica Biel (who has never done anything great except a GQ cover and dating Justin Timberlake, IMHO), and some lame photos of her "dancing" with designers like Vera Wang and Zac Posen. The photo qualities were mediocre, and if you were to compare her to Lucy Liu, she didn't have anything in particular to promote either, so how'd she make the cover? Lucy had some cool photos, and while they weren't shot in Beijing, they were cute in trying to blend fashion with athleticism. I don't know if Lucy is still big enough to land a cover, but isn't it a little sad if she was only able to land the photo shoot 'cause she was Chinese-American, and for no other reason? Like, some editor in some glossy magazine cubicle sat there and said, "Beijing Olympics are coming up, we need to put a Chinese person in this shoot, quick, how many well-known Chinese actresses are there that we can land for this? They don't even need to be promoting anything, or talk, 'cause we're not going to bother interviewing them. Just make sure they're Chinese."
Anyhow, maybe I should be happy any Asians get their own coverage, but it pains me that no Asian one can land the cover yet. One would have thought that this time, this would have been a great opportunity to do more than just the norms. Do you have any thoughts?
Monday, June 30, 2008
luxury sounds for your ears
While I am anticipating the arrival of the Chanel mobile museum, another French fashion house worked on some cutting edge, unexpected marketing of their own. Louis Vuitton is working in collaboration with Soundwalk to bring to you 3 urban soundtracks designed for self-guided tours through three cities in China.
The soundtracks are an hour long, and each city is narrated by a different Chinese actress: Gong Li 鞏俐 for Beijing, Shu Qi 舒淇 for Hong Kong, and Joan Chen 陳冲 for Shanghai.
In Beijing, Gong Li re-visits the Central Academy of Drama while telling an old love story between two young students.
Shu Qi narrates the sights and sounds along the tour path starting at Luk Yu Tea House, along Stanley Street in Central, Hong Kong.
Chinese-American actress and director Joan Chen takes travelers through the quaint French Concession area in Shanghai.
Original soundtracks composed by Kubert Leung and Albert Yu. Shan Sa (”The Girl Who Played Go”) and Mei Feng (up-and-coming young Chinese author), have written these journeys much like film scripts — subtly blending reality and fiction to offer a cinematic experience in the heart of the city.
Stylish travelers can download Louis Vuitton Soundwalk for iPod, mp3 players and mobile phones on www.louisvuittonsoundwalk.com or www.louisvuitton.com. It is available in six languages, English, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese and Korean. Each audio guide costs $17 and comes with a map.
While these were obviously designed to run in conjunction with the upcoming Beijing Olympics, I find this project intriguing and refreshing. Even if I can't go to Asia, to be able to listen to the soundtracks themselves sounds like a lovely blend of art, music, and travel, and because it's a product of Vuitton, there is almost a guaranteed level of sophistication in terms of the final product.
In viewing the trailers, I'm actually surprised by how well Shu Qi speaks in English; there is almost a slight British lilt in her pronunciation. Gong Li is new to English, and her voice is very harsh, so I don't know if I would enjoy listening to her. Joan Chen speaks with an American accent; no surprise there. I wonder what the other languages sound like, since the trailers are only in English; do these ladies narrate in all 6 languages?
View all three trailers below. The soundtracks sound really beautiful; I wonder if they will be available for sale outside of the Soundwalk guides?
Source & Source
Friday, May 2, 2008
2008 Beijing Summer Olympics Anthem
I haven't been following the news of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics all that much, but as one can imagine, this is THE event in China, and much has been done to promote both the Olympics and the country itself. Aside from all the protests happening around the world, Chinese people in general are still very proud of their heritage and stance in the world, and aside from the politics, every day people are moving about, living their normal lives.
May 1st began the 100 day countdown until the beginning of the Olympics, and China produced an anthem sang by many celebrities to launch the countdown. Titled "Beijing Welcomes You" (北京欢迎你), the song features many actors/actresses and singers. I must confess I don't know the mainland artists at all, but I spotted several Hong Kong and Taiwan pop idols and movie stars. Among them includes Jackie Chan 成龍, Joey Yung 容祖兒, Nicholas Tse 謝霆鋒,Gigi Leung 梁詠琪, Yumiko Cheng 鄭希怡, Jolin Tsai 蔡依林, Eason Chan 陳奕迅, Richie Jen 任賢齊, and Karen Mok 莫文蔚.
I can't understand Mandarin, but the song is a very traditional sounding song, with some nice shots of Beijing landmarks in warm, saturated colors, and obviously, the anthem is meant to create pride and comfort for the country. While it might have been nice to see more of modern Beijing, in both the sound of the song and the look of the video, obviously, this is destined to attract tourism, so they knew how to film this mini-ad.
I really like this song. After listening to it several times, I couldn't get the melody out of my head! Click below to hear it for yourself.
May 1st began the 100 day countdown until the beginning of the Olympics, and China produced an anthem sang by many celebrities to launch the countdown. Titled "Beijing Welcomes You" (北京欢迎你), the song features many actors/actresses and singers. I must confess I don't know the mainland artists at all, but I spotted several Hong Kong and Taiwan pop idols and movie stars. Among them includes Jackie Chan 成龍, Joey Yung 容祖兒, Nicholas Tse 謝霆鋒,Gigi Leung 梁詠琪, Yumiko Cheng 鄭希怡, Jolin Tsai 蔡依林, Eason Chan 陳奕迅, Richie Jen 任賢齊, and Karen Mok 莫文蔚.
I can't understand Mandarin, but the song is a very traditional sounding song, with some nice shots of Beijing landmarks in warm, saturated colors, and obviously, the anthem is meant to create pride and comfort for the country. While it might have been nice to see more of modern Beijing, in both the sound of the song and the look of the video, obviously, this is destined to attract tourism, so they knew how to film this mini-ad.
I really like this song. After listening to it several times, I couldn't get the melody out of my head! Click below to hear it for yourself.
Monday, April 7, 2008
auspicious branding
With all the drama and turmoil as of late surrounding the 2008 Beijing Olympics, one mustn't forget that while China is Communist, there are capitalists everywhere still, waiting to cash out on this event despite the debates on human rights, pollution, etc. I am always interested in seeing what the design houses are doing now to appeal to different cultures, esp. those who can afford their goods. Of what I've seen, Gucci is perhaps most shrewdly trying to jump into this cash cow, as well as widen their brand with the nouveaux riches. In comes the limited edition line called 8-8-2008.
To appeal to their Asian audience, in place of their signature teddy bear, Gucci is coming out with a signature leather panda ($6,880HKD), as well as a mahjong set covered in red Le Pelle Guccissima leather ($24,000HKD). Other products in this line also include a pair of red and gold runners, a red bicycle with leather accessories, dog tags, digital watch, etc.
I don't know about you, but as a Chinese-American who has been brought up with both eastern and western aesthetics, I feel like these products are a weak attempt to encapsulate an audience hungry for luxury goods. I feel like it's a condescending line of products that pretend to cater to the Chinese audience, when in actuality, it plays up to the most superstitious aspects of the culture to justify its allure. I look at this line and see nothing but "sucker" written all over it. The products' only tie-in with the Olympics is 2008 engraved on them (with the zeroes replaced by interlocking GGs, no doubt). The lucky color red, normally reserved for the new year's or weddings, is optimally utilized in the entire line, as if these products would also bring luck and wealth to its owner. I can't stand it, I just think that this is one of the worst ploys. Shameful, truly.
Source: TVBeauty Issue 001
To appeal to their Asian audience, in place of their signature teddy bear, Gucci is coming out with a signature leather panda ($6,880HKD), as well as a mahjong set covered in red Le Pelle Guccissima leather ($24,000HKD). Other products in this line also include a pair of red and gold runners, a red bicycle with leather accessories, dog tags, digital watch, etc.
I don't know about you, but as a Chinese-American who has been brought up with both eastern and western aesthetics, I feel like these products are a weak attempt to encapsulate an audience hungry for luxury goods. I feel like it's a condescending line of products that pretend to cater to the Chinese audience, when in actuality, it plays up to the most superstitious aspects of the culture to justify its allure. I look at this line and see nothing but "sucker" written all over it. The products' only tie-in with the Olympics is 2008 engraved on them (with the zeroes replaced by interlocking GGs, no doubt). The lucky color red, normally reserved for the new year's or weddings, is optimally utilized in the entire line, as if these products would also bring luck and wealth to its owner. I can't stand it, I just think that this is one of the worst ploys. Shameful, truly.
Source: TVBeauty Issue 001
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