潮人潮事：中国好声音

《中国好声音》热力不减——谁是乐坛最强音？

[w]Captivate[/w] Your Ears动人的音乐

With so many talent shows on television, how does The Voice of China differentiate itself?

The Voice of China is an authorized reproduction of the [w]Netherlands[/w]’ The Voice of Holland. It has now become Zhejiang [w]Satellite[/w] TV’s most watched entertainment program so far, dwarfing (使……黯然失色) almost all the other talent shows currently available on China’s satellite TV channels.

So, what’s the show’s secret? Most importantly, it’s the so-called blind choice, where judges sit with their backs to the performers, ensuring that the contestants are judged based on their voices alone. The show also claims an unprecedented (前所未有的) group of judges, including mainland singers Na Ying (那英), Liu Huan (刘欢), Yang Kun (杨坤) and Taiwanese pop star Herlem Yu (庾澄庆). The top-notch (顶级的) sound system is supported by Jin Shaogang (金少刚), who was responsible for the audio effects at the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony, to ensure the best display of the performers’ voices. A total of 26 cameras, a high number for a live TV program, are on standby to capture the facial expressions of the judges, the singers as well as their families.

Unlike other talent shows that open doors to the [w]grassroots[/w], contestants at The Voice of China are hand-picked or in Liu’s words, “semi-professionals.” As many as 40 staff travelled to all the [w]provincial[/w] capitals where local industry professionals were ready to offer their list of recommended talents. They also visited music schools and pubs to scout (探寻) for qualified singers. Their voices are recorded and these potential contestants are then put through auditions (试镜) and finally, short-listed to appear on television.

In recent years, there have been a growing number of talent competitions in China. Besides Super Girls, none has attained equal success. When the bustle is over, many young dreamers are again left in the cold. The Voice of China hopes to change that. Lu Wei (陆伟), publicity director of the show, said that they plan to follow in the footsteps of their foreign [w]counterparts[/w] where contestants’ live songs are recorded into albums and sold in app stores. They will also make their contestants’ live performance into paid [w]ringtone[/w] music.