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Zhang Lu (singer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Zhang Lu (Chinese: 張露; January 21, 1932 – January 26, 2009), often written Chang Loo, was a Chinese singer and actress, known as a pioneer in Chinese pop beginning in the 1940s.

Biography

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She was born Zhang Xiuying (张秀英) in Suzhou in 1932.[1][2][3] Her family moved to Shanghai when she was a young child.[1]

Zhang was discovered in the mid-1940s by her neighbor, a broadcaster, who recommended her to sing at a local radio station. She started out singing covers of popular Zhou Xuan songs. By the late 1940s, she had signed with EMI.[1]

She released a series of hits songs, becoming popular in both Shanghai and Hong Kong.[1][4] "给我一个吻" ("Give Me a Kiss"), a Mandarin cover of "Seven Lonely Days," became one of her best-known songs.[1][3] Other hits included "小小羊儿要回家," "不许他回家," and "迎春花" ("Little Lamb is Going Home," "Don't Let Him Go Home," and "Winter Jasmine," respectively).[5]

She was considered a pioneer of Chinese pop music in this period, singing in both Chinese and English and incorporating jazz styles.[1][2][6] Zhang also worked as an actress, including in the films Prisoner of Love in 1951 and The Lark in 1965.[4][7]

In 1952, she moved to Hong Kong.[1][2] She married the Filipino musician Ollie Delfino, whom she had met while performing in Singapore, in the late 1950s. The couple had two sons, Orlando and Alex To.[1][4][8]

Zhang retired in 1975 and moved to Canada in the following decade.[1][2] She returned to Hong Kong when her son Alex became a successful performer, and she occasionally returned to the public eye to perform with him.[1] She died in Hong Kong in 2009, at age 76.[1][8][9]

Her music saw a revival in popularity in 2003, when her songs "All the Stars in the Sky" and "The Plough Song" were remixed for the compilation The Original Shanghai Divas.[6] In 2019, her song "Tiao Yi Ge Man Bo" appeared in Season 3 of the American show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Chow, Vivienne (2009-01-29). "Late diva Chang Loo to be buried in Shanghai grave she chose". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  2. ^ a b c d "Chang Loo Best Selection". Far Side Music. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  3. ^ a b "一代歌后张露病逝 杜德伟故居守夜念亡母(图)_影音娱乐_新浪网". Sina Entertainment (in Chinese). 2009-01-30. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  4. ^ a b c "Alex To's mother dies at 76". AsiaOne. 2009-01-29. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  5. ^ "送别一代歌后张露杜德伟含泪忆亡母(组图)_影音娱乐_新浪网". Sina Entertainment (in Chinese). 2009-02-17. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  6. ^ a b Birchmeier, Jason. "Chang Loo | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  7. ^ "Chang Loo". Hkmdb. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  8. ^ a b Yumul, Jan (2019-11-30). "Nueva Ecija's forgotten son: Lobing Samson, Shanghai's 'King of Clarinet' in Hong Kong". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  9. ^ Wong, Adele (2009-01-30). "Fans to mourn 'China's Song Queen'". The Standard.
  10. ^ Bundel, Ani (2019-12-09). "The 'Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' Season 3 Soundtrack Is Perfection". Elite Daily. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
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