朱桦

As one of the best acclaimed pop divas in mainland China, her personal experience is full of legends. We can say that her life is just the epitome of the development history of Chinese pop music.Her career of music was full of applaud and honors. She once said she inspired herself of an actor performing for the audiences to reflect various aspects of lives. And she explores the themes of love from the standpoint of a young woman.Her voice, just like her, is clear, attracted, warm, elegant, uniquely modern and classical, strong and light, eclectic.

Zhu Hua(朱樺,朱桦) was born in an artist family from Wuhan, Hubei Province. Her mother was a dancer and her father was a musician. At seven years of age, her pure and loud voice was unexpectedly found by principal when she quarreled with her classmate. By then, she began singing during elementary school and was always praised for her unique voice and original songs, which was the reason she was in love of singing at stage and started her career as a pop artist ever since.

In 1988,Zhu Hua graduated from the National vocal department of Wuhan Conservatory of music. Though,as a major of national vocal, she didn't choose fomula national route, say, styles like famous artist Song zuying, but decided to choose pop genre. She was able to sing in various vocal styles, and wide range techniques which made her get discovered by famous musicians. Before she was twenty, she had already pubilished three individual records. She participated in two rounds of milestone Concert "Let the World Full of Love" in 1986 and 1987. She also finished hundreds of TV theme songs and finales of the film and TV dramas. She also appeared in various TV shows and parties as well as galas.

At this time, she began to explore her passion for art and soul songs, and developed her vocal compositon together with famous art musicians. Her repertoires seemed to be very subtley and dramatic, but distinguished from both the pop and serious classical ones. These works brought us a radical change. Though offered her little practical benefit, and not very popular at that time, she was still strongly recognized by many famous musicians and public critics. Her album Phoenix and Butterfly was definitely the representitive one.

In 1992, Zhu Hua made a contract with Chai Tai Ice Music Production Ltd. That was the beginning of her to become one of the earliest pop singers to make a formal contract with record company in mainland China. In 1994, she published her first personal album "Phoenix and Butterfly" produced by Chirs Barbida in totally fresh style. Chris Babida has been considered to be one of the most senior music directors, producers, composers, arrangers and performing artists in S.E Asia. Because of his versatile ability in music, he was sometimes called the ¨Godfather of Pop and Cross-over Music〃. He has been performing in a wide variety of musical situations ranging from pop, jazz, classical, alternative, new age, oriental cross-over, Chinese instrumental etc. In this album, their attempts that go beyond the art and pop astonished the people in the music circle.

The title track of the album"Phoenix and butterfly" is considered the spirit of love. Her voice is crystal clear and the song's romantic melody brings us to a dreamland of love. It expesses a young woman's longing for love. The lyrics were written by Chen Tao and music was composed by Chris Babida. There are two versions called "a capella" and "without acaplla" of the song both performed by Zhu Hua. Zhu Hua says the song has a wide range and requires skillful technique to sing it well. She never imagined that she would later sing it without accompaniment. "At the very beginning, we didn't think of singing the song without accompaniment for it requires impromptu performance as the singer feels the music and I thought it was really too difficult for me. But some musicians including Huang Xiaomao, Bian Liunian and Xie Chengqiang happened to hear the song, so they suggested making another version without the accompaniment. To tell the truth, I was not quite confident at the very beginning. Encouraged by my colleagues, I agreed to try. After several trial performances, we had a new version which both the company and I were satisfied with. I'm really glad to have done it. I challenged myself."

In 1997, Zhu Hua's singles 'Be With You Day and Night' and 'What's happend to me' brought her both the Special Jury Award and the Performance Silver Medal Award in the second round Asian Music Festival in Hong Kong . Ever since then, she was regarded as pop diva who has one of the most perfect singing skills in China In 1996, Zhu Hua was received the Personal Accomplishment Award, by "China Pop Music Circle''.

The same year, the album 'So Intensive', which is produced by Taiwan senior musician Tan Jianchang, is a bestseller special album praised by both the audiences and critics. She looks like just the girl next door unlike the former image. It brought Zhu Hua great success and popularity in both art and commerce. Zhu Hua thus consolidated the position as the first-rate singer in China. Every song contains beautiful lyrics and and melodized by famous composers including Tan Jianchang, Guo Liang, Wang tongyu,etc. A few like 'In love of your shadow', 'What's happened to me' were released commercially and become popular hits These songs bring you to a indie, sentimental and relaxing mood. The album brought Zhu Hua the title of the Most Welcome Female Singer and many awards throughout all the music rolls, including one of the best-seller's in 1997.

At the end of 1998, she released the new album, Wings of Dream, which started the R&B music style in China and showed her aptitude of internationalization. Musicicans in pop circle regarded it as the most important album in 1998. Her singing voice is mordern, powerful and technique is superb and amazing. The purpose of this album is to establish a woman's mood of how to chase love and happiness She was noted for another radical change in music styles compared to most earlier works like Phoenix and Butterfly or So intensive. In context of tunes, several voices talking to us throughout the album to express a woman's longings. The single 'Winds of straits' was followed in 2000. In 2001, the release of 'Goes back after dawn breaks' marked the end of her relationship with Chia Tai Ice Music Production Ltd.

From then on, Zhu Hua has concentrated on recording new singles. She further broadened her singing career by performing New classical songs like awarded Best Film Theme Song for "Soldier, Where Are You?" , and Broadway musical pieces like "The phantom of the Opera","All I ask of you"with Kris Phillips. She managed to keep the quality of softness in her voice through all the high pitches. She also acted as a VJ in some music shows. Though, she didn't sign to any Music Company, she never took a hiatus from the music industry. After 3 and half years to straighten her crooked teeth with braces, she changed her look by keeping long hair that served more styles.

In the spring of 2003, Zhu Hua recorded her famous single entitled Kaa. It was produced by legendary artist, Kris Phillips, and was recorded at Oasis Studio in Beijing, and mixed by famous music engineering, Tim Young, in London. 'Starry night' is her newly-released single, likely to be one of the most refreshing single that stands out this year. A fresh style and the range of vocals intrigues.

Starry night reminds people of the famous painting by Vincent Van Gogh. And It's not Don Mclean's version. But the video, directed by Dai Rui, has a stronge heartfelt tribute to the greatest painter ever lived. The song brings us to a dreamful and lonelyfelt land. it reflects the lost to new phase of future in tortured thoughts and loneliness of a woman…What a night, what a starry night,I can feel my heartbreak and cry… "it brought me to tears to hear." The depth of the lyrics astound. The harmony the music and voice connects is so perfect. .Her remarkable and warm vocal helps the single reach the top of the pop charts in China mainland.

She also used to be the featured vocalist for various musicians crossed to different styles including art, pop, rock, adult, opera, bel canto, new age, world,etc. She won both critical praise and popularity. She is on recordings for famous musican Guo Feng ("The Only"), henrik launbjerg(on "See together") and Gao Ming Chun(on "Winds of the strait"), (on "Grace" from "Of heaven and earth"), Zhang wei-liang, etc. She never stops giving her listeners surprise with fresh vocal feelings and styles in music. Zhu hua,today,as Chinese pop diva, has been recently a jury member of various televised singing shows, including the most famous "Mongolian Cow Sour Yogurt Super Girl's Voice" and “2007 Happy boy” as known of Chinese Ver.of "American idol".