'All we had was our voice'

Mao Amin releases her latest album, Tune of Voice, after an eight-year gap

Mao Amin receives the 2001 Outstanding Achievement award at the Top Billboard of 2000 Chinese Pop Music ceremony.

The mainland's queen of pop of the 1980s, Mao Amin, proves her vocals still have the magic of her first solo concert. Chen Nan reports.

The 1980s and 1990s were decades when mainland pop stars were nothing short of divas. They appeared at every kind of gala, and their tapes were everywhere. Of these, the most famous was Mao Amin, who was as much sought after for her silky smooth voice as her gorgeous on-stage presence. So it came as quite a surprise to discover she seems utterly devoid of celebrity pretensions or airs, face to face. She still has the same friends as before she became famous and sees being a pop star as just another job, one that she says she is incredibly lucky to have.

She even credits the tax scandal of 1990, which broke out when she was at the peak of her career, and all but destroyed her reputation, with helping her become more musical.

When she returned to the stage in January 2010, for her first solo concert in a three-decade-long career, she proved her genius is still intact, a sentiment acknowledged by the rapturous applause of the full house.

The success of that concert led to the release of her latest album, Tune of Voice, after an eight-year gap.

"I was ready to stay at home, take care of my kids and be a full-time mother," says the 48-year-old singer, who put her career ambitions on the back burner for marriage and family after releasing the 2003 album, Perfect.

The new album's songs, written by veteran musicians, including San Bao and Lao Zai, capture the defining moments of her life, Mao says.

"I don't know if young audiences will understand the songs because some of the lyrics are poetic. But those who have grown up with me will," she says. "I just present a real me here."

Tune of Voice is packaged along with a remake of her 1986 classic album, Songs from Echo, in memory of the late Taiwan writer, Sanmao.

"During the days of my absence from the music circuit, I liked listening to this album again and again. It speaks to my youth, and I believe those songs have touched people my age."

Mao's early hits not only made her a regular at grand galas, such as the Spring Festival Gala, but also a popular voice of many mainland TV series, such as Yearning (1990), one of the most watched shows in the history of Chinese television.

Her big success came in 1987, when she walked away with the top honors at the Yugoslavian International Musical Eisteddfod for one of her biggest hits, Green Leaf and the Root. It paved the way for more Chinese pop singers to participate in international competitions.

Referring to the 1980s, Mao says, "Everyone watched the same TV series and listened to the same songs then. I would say singers of my time were so lucky. We are still remembered by audiences because they miss the old days."

Mao was discovered by renowned songwriter Gu Jianfen when she was 20 and working at a Shanghai chemical plant.

"Her voice was so flexible, very soft and low, but could also be strong and high-pitched. That's the voice I was looking for," recalls the 76-year-old musician, mentor to nearly all the pop stars then, including Na Ying, Xie Xiaodong and Sun Nan.

Mao soon became a household name and enjoyed unparalleled fame until accusations of defaulting on tax payments emerged in the 1990s. She was fined nearly 600,000 yuan ($95,300) and desperation pushed her to the brink of collapse.

Although it was her agent, also her then boyfriend, who dealt with all the financial issues, she fled overseas.

"I travelled to many countries. I was confused about everything. I couldn't decide if I should come back and had no idea of how I should continue my life," she recalls. "But over time, I found my inner peace again."

Meeting her husband and starting a family were essential parts of this recovery. "My life used to be endless rounds of running from one gala or recording studio to another. But now I have a normal life - getting up early, cooking for my family and playing with my kids," she says.

She was in no hurry to return to the stage, as she was also unsure of the feedback.

Mao recalls being nervous when she appeared on-stage during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. But the warm response she received gave her back her confidence.

She says she can see how dramatically different today's music world is from that of the 1980s.

"When I turn on the TV and see so many talented young singers, who can sing, write, play instruments, and dance, I am so surprised," she says.

"For singers of my generation, all we had was our voice."