This Chinese girl croons like Lata Saibal Dasgupta [ Thursday, February 16, 2006 12:55:56 amTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
BEIJING: Long after Raj Kapoor's Awaara hoon faded from public memory and the Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai generation aged into oblivion, a young crooner is bringing back Indian melodies to Chinese audiences.
Meet Hou Xin Jie, an attractive 24-year-old Chinese singer, who is quite a rage in social circles of Beijing for her Indian songs.
Audiences are often surprised to hear lyrics like Churi jo khanki haato mein in social gatherings and marriage functions. And, they seem to like it, judging by the demand for Hou among event organisers.
"My dream is to make Indian music popular in China. I want Chinese people to appreciate and understand Indian songs," says Hou.
Daughter of a husband-wife team of Chinese opera singer-actors, Hou has mastered dozens of songs and ghazals in Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali and Urdu.
She has sung Hindi songs in a variety of settings: Chinese social functions, events organised by embassies and at cultural evenings organised to regale visiting businessmen.
She has also rendered Indian songs on the local television channel, BTV.
"I tell organisers that I can sing in Chinese and in Indian languages. They usually ask me to sing Indian songs. The Chinese audience is very curious about Indian music," she said.
"Some people in the audience think I am Indian. I have to start talking in Chinese to explain that I am really a Chinese girl," Hou giggles.
Hou's tryst with Indian music began when her father brought home a tape of Bollywood film, Caravan .
Though barely six at the time, Hou was enchanted by Lata-Rafi duet, Chadati jawani meri .
When she was 13, Hou picked up a tape of Awaara from a shop. This time, it was Lata's Aa jao tadapte hain armaan that enamoured her.
Her father Hou Lian Ying encouraged her to know more about Indian music.
Hou earned a degree in music from Capital Norman University in Beijing, and trained herself on the piano and Chinese and English singing.
But her affair with Indian music went on. She has now set out to find a teacher for Indian music. She is coming to India this month-end and will visit Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata.