Yao Qian (right) has been the producer of Elva Hsiao (left) for many years. Yao Qian did not allow the company's singers to apply for the Golden Melody Award, which resulted in Elva Hsiao not being eligible to participate in the 2001 Newcomer Award. The four Newcomer Award nomine

Yao Qian (right) is the producer of Elva Hsiao (left) for many years. Yao Qian did not allow the company's singers to apply for the Golden Melody Award, which resulted in Elva Hsiao not being eligible to participate in the 2001 Newcomer Award. The four Newcomer Award nominees that year all went on to have their own achievements in the music industry. (Visual China/Picture)

"Our biggest pain is to find that most of the content is garbage, and there are not many things of real value." Li Zongsheng "sweared" without saying a few words.

This is a forum at the Golden Melody International Music Festival on June 22, 2016. The theme is "Artists' Self-Management". Musician Yao Qian served as host. Before speaking, Li Zongsheng first asked about the "composition" of the audience. Yao Qian told him that about a quarter were from the media and three-quarters were from the music industry, mostly record company executives. Li Zongsheng said: "Well, all the people who have shaped this industry into this are here." The audience laughed and applauded.

Yao Qian thinks Li Zongsheng is a smart man, "In a roundabout way, it also allows everyone to discuss music again." "Without "I Am a Singer", no one would have discussed music in mainland China and Taiwan for a long time." Yao Qian said.

used to be a producer at a record company, but Yao Qian did not allow his singers to apply for the Golden Melody Awards; now he is the senior vice president of LeTV Music, but on the eve of the 27th Golden Melody Awards, he carefully reviewed the materials and images of the past 26 Golden Melody Awards, and made The three-episode feature film "Golden Melody Questions" was broadcast on LeTV.

checked these 26 awards, and it is easy to find some "gossip": whose family has the most trophies, and who is the "little plum" in the Golden Melody Award; some "relics" are shocking: Coco Lee has never won a golden song Award; Zhang Yusheng won the Best Vocal Recording Award only after his death. His father came on stage to accept the award for him. Feng Feifei also won the Golden Melody Award Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously. Yao Qian is a senior creator and producer, and has never won a Golden Melody Award.

In the 2001 Golden Melody Awards, four singers were shortlisted for Best Newcomer: Stefanie Sun , Weiqi Fan , Penny Dai and Jay Chou , who appeared on stage together during the awards ceremony. Host Wu Zongxian teased them: Whoever is confident of winning the prize should take a step forward. The three female singers were all experienced and took a step back. Jay Chou's reaction was half a beat too slow. The winner was Stefanie Sun. Jay Chou won the best pop vocal album for his debut album "Jay". There were actually six newcomers to the Golden Melody Awards that year. The other two were Elva Hsiao and Jolin Tsai , both of whom later became famous.

has three feature films, each episode recommends a song. The first is "Hill" by Li Zongsheng. Yao Qian believes that this is the work that best integrates business and creation in recent years. Then came "Don't Give Up", which won the Golden Horse Award for Best Original Film Song in 2015. The American singer Shu Mien composed and sang it in her native language. Finally, Lin Qiang's Taiwanese song " Go Forward " won the Golden Melody Award for Best Song of the Year in 1992.

Lin Qiang later became a world-renowned film music producer, often collaborating with Hou Hsiao-hsien and Jia Zhangke . In the late 1980s, Yao Qian was the first-line producer of Dianjiang Records, and Lin Qiang was the company's small salesman. In 1990, Lin Qiang released his first album "Moving Forward" on Rolling Stone Records and became famous immediately. The fat water went to outsiders, and the boss asked Yao Qian angrily: He sang on stage at the company's annual meeting, don't you think he can sing?

"I said that I was sent by you to entertain the distinguished guests at the door, and I was not there." Yao Qian recalled the old events with a smile. The environment in the music industry was not good at that time, but everyone was energetic. The singer of "Moving Forward" In the MV, the Taipei Railway Station has just been built and looks very simple. Lin Qiang and the dancers are singing and dancing in the hall. Passengers are looking around. "I feel very touched."

singers are not as popular as

Southern Weekend: Why did resist the Golden Melody Award in the first place?

Yao Qian: The Golden Melody Award is basically a transparent award without commercial intervention. I stopped participating in 2000 because we always used record companies that were good in our market to support independent music.That was the best time for singers such as Yu Chengqing and Zhang Huimei . They had been shortlisted for five consecutive years. At least one album would be shortlisted every year, so they would cooperate with the promotion, sit at the venue, and the ratings were high... But all the awards were given It's independent music.

Even though we make a lot of money, we care about the (Golden Melody Award) in our hearts. We are willing to adjust ourselves and work hard to try the possibilities of music, but they just don’t give me the award. The last time, almost 80% of the Golden Melody Awards were given to independent musicians. I said I won’t play with you anymore. The next year all "Viking Records" singers are not required to sign up. Lin Yilian Elva Hsiao Meiqi Jiang fans came to scold me. Around the third year, I asked my supervisor to decide that I would not participate.

In the past few years, I have helped many mainland artists use my company, or recommended them to Taiwanese record companies to sign up. Records must be distributed in mainland China to make money, but in order to be eligible for the Golden Melody Award, Taiwan must be released worldwide.

Southern Weekend: How helpful is the Golden Melody Award to the music industry? Can the newcomers who won the Golden Melody Award become a mainstay in the future?

Yao Qian: After many people won the Newcomer Award, they were unable to succeed, including JJ Lin and Tao Zhe. After winning the Newcomer Award, they only won the award after seven or eight years.

A newcomer becomes popular in a movie, and will soon have a new movie shot, and will receive a lot of advertisements. After the Golden Melody Awards, because you are a singer, advertisements may not come to you. Singers are definitely at the bottom, not even as good as Internet celebrities. But that’s okay, let’s get back to our original duties. Do you have a way to produce good works?

The Newcomer Award this time is quite special. Although there are people as strong as Su Yunying , a little boy still won the award. His name is Xie Zhenting. He participated in "Super Avenue of Stars" in 2007. He was 12 years old. He sang a very popular Zhang Yu love song and ranked eighth. But he passed away long ago. Coming out again, it can be seen that there have been a lot of setbacks in the past ten years, and he is a trembling literary young man. But the work is very good - he described his life as a light, you can turn it off when you feel it is not needed. This is quite touching. There was no Golden Melody Award, I didn’t see him, and the media didn’t appear.

When she realized that she was a star, it was murder.

Southern Weekend: It seems that there are very few Internet celebrities who became famous all at once through music.

Yao Qian: became famous through music, which is the most strenuous and has the lowest success rate in this era. I also thought that, like Papi Jiang, after the listing and the funds are in place, at least the work will not be as interesting. When a person realizes she is a star, that realization is often murder. If you look at her recent photos, you will find that her eyes are no longer fearless and filled with some kind of self-pity.

Southern Weekend: What exactly has the TV talent show brought to pop music?

Yao Qian: Musicians are working more and more, especially in mainland China. When they have a job, they consult me ​​- they all know that I have lived in Beijing for the past ten years. The most typical example is Coco Lee. After recording almost every episode of "I Am a Singer", she would call and ask for my opinion. She disappeared for a while and was suddenly invited to compete on "I Am a Singer". Faced with the requirements of the entire shooting method and aesthetics, she was full of panic.

This time Li Zongsheng talked about "I Am a Singer" on the forum, he also wanted to tell people in Taiwan: Don't think that releasing records and doing music work now means sending singers to "I Am a Singer". Music has to rely on itself, and ultimately it comes back to the work.

Southern Weekend: Li Zongsheng said that "most of the content of popular music nowadays is garbage". Can it be understood as a statement of elite art facing popular popular art?

Yao Qian: This is a very good idea. The success of films like "Little Apple" and "The Most Dazzling National Style" is definitely not only brought about by the works, but also by the works discovering the entire business interest chain and successfully establishing a business model.

Thirty years ago, lyrics were popular literature. At that time, philosophy and religion were the mainstream noble values. The sense of loss after middle age in "The Hills". These personal feelings are from popular culture, but now we think of them as high-end and elite culture. It is our values ​​that are changing.

Southern Weekend: In your opinion, what should pop music do most right now?

Yao Qian: I recently watched a Japanese TV series " Loose Generation ". Those born after 1990 are called the "relaxed generation". Their growth process is not endless and there is no urgency, but they have been growing up with the hint of an unoptimistic future.

As this generation grows up, what will their values ​​and aesthetics look like when they are 30 years old? We and they are all living in this era. Which song will feel comfortable and moving when we listen together? I think if pop music is here to stay, this is something worth working on.