Wen Hsia Explained
Wen Hsia (; 20 May 1928 – 6 April 2022) was a Taiwanese singer and actor.
Personal life
Wen Hsia was born Wang Jui-ho[1] in 1928, in present-day Madou District, Tainan,[2] and studied music in Japan.[3] He was married to Wen Hsiang,[4] who was also a singer.[5] Wen Hsia died in his sleep on 6 April 2022, aged 93.[6]
Career
From the 1950s to the 1960s, Wen Hsia was known for his covers of Japanese melodies featuring Taiwanese Hokkien lyrics,[7] a practice that began in the 1930s.[8] These works were known as . He also sang in Japanese. Over the course of his career, Wen Hsia wrote more than 2,000 songs.[3] During martial law in Taiwan, Hokkien pop was heavily censored and Wen Hsia became known as the "king of banned songs."[9] Wen Hsia recorded over 1,200 songs, of which 99 were banned by Kuomintang authorities. His 1961 work, "Mama, I’m Brave" was banned for thirty years, setting a record for the longest period a Hokkien pop song was prohibited.[10] Wen Hsia's songs became regarded as classics.[5] [11] At the 23rd Golden Melody Awards in 2012, Wen Hsia received the Golden Melody Lifetime Contribution Award.[12] [13]
As an actor, Wen Hsia starred in Joseph Kuo's remakes of the Japanese Wataridori film series, in which the protagonist was originally portrayed by Akira Kobayashi.[14]
Notes and References
- News: 謝 . 佩玲 . 「國寶歌王」文夏疑遭看護餵毒 家屬憤而提告！ . 13 May 2020 . Newtalk . 9 October 2019 . zh.
- News: 「國寶歌王」文夏疑遭餵毒 警將傳喚男看護到案 . 13 May 2020 . Liberty Times . 9 October 2019 . zh.
- News: Loa . Iok-sin . Singer calls for action, not words in music promotion . 12 May 2020 . Taipei Times . 3 March 2011.
- News: Hsiao . Sherry . Caregiver says he did not give singer Wen Hsia drugs . 12 May 2020 . Taipei Times . 10 October 2019.
- News: Green Island plans festival . 12 May 2020 . Taipei Times . 15 September 2007.
- News: Yeh . Kuan-yin . Lo . James . Taiwan's 'king of banned songs' Wen Hsia dies at 93 . 7 April 2022 . Central News Agency. Republished as: News: 'King of banned songs' Wen Hsia dies aged 93 . 8 April 2022 . Taipei Times . 8 April 2022.
- 張瑋芩 . 當日語歌化身為台語歌—文夏翻唱歌曲詞曲配合的探討 The Texual [sic] and Melodic Arrangement in Wen-hsia's Taiwanese Cover Songs ]. 2011 . 10.6342/NTU.2011.00350 .
- Book: Tsai . Eva . Ho . Tung-Hung . Jian . Miaoju . Made in Taiwan: Studies in Popular Music . 2019 . Routledge . 9781351119122 . 184 .
- News: Ko . Shu-ling . 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF MARTIAL LAW:Taiwanese society under martial law remembered . 12 May 2020 . Taipei Times . 15 July 2007.
- News: Han Cheung . Taiwan in Time: The man with the banned songs . 17 April 2022 . Taipei Times . 17 April 2022.
- News: Events and entertainment listings . 12 May 2020 . Taipei Times . 7 October 2011.
- News: GIO names Golden Melody Awards nominees . 12 May 2020 . Taiwan Today . 16 May 2012.
- News: Chen . Christie . Mayday biggest winner at Golden Melody Awards . 12 May 2020 . Central News Agency . 23 June 2012.
- Book: Lee . Daw-Ming . Historical Dictionary of Taiwan Cinema . 2012 . Scarecrow Press . 9780810879225 . 223 .
