Fukien Language

The female musician Teresa Teng (1953-1995) was an immensely popular Chinese pop singer from Taiwan. Her voice and music are a cross between Joni Mitchell and Celine Dion! Her voice and songs are instantly recognized throughout East Asia. She was known for her folk songs and romantic ballads, many of which became standards in her lifetime. Born in 1953 to Chinese parents, Teresa Teng was the only girl in her family with four brothers. She won awards for her singing at talent competitions. Her first major prize was in 1964 when she sang 'Visiting Yingtzi' from the opera movie 'The Love Eterne'. She was soon able to support her family with her singing, quitting high school to pursue a professional career in music. A professor of Cultural Theory at the University of Southern California, Yeh Yueh-Yu said 'It was the sweetness in her voice that made her famous. She had a perfect voice for folk songs and ballads, and she added traditional folk song styling's into Western-style compositions.' Songwriter Tsuo Hung-yun said Teng's voice was 'seven parts sweetness, three parts tears'. Gunther Mende, Mary Susan Applegate and Candy de Rouge wrote a song entitled The Power of Love for Jennifer Rush. Teresa Teng covered it and made it notable in Asian regions. She originally sang it in her Last Concert in Tokyo - 8 years before being sung and released by Celine Dion.