Yao Li

essential information

Life of the characters

Yao Li, who enjoys the reputation of "silver voice", made her debut in the 1930s and quit singing in the 1960s. She has experienced more than 30 years of singing career and recorded hundreds of records. It's no exaggeration to introduce her on the record cover of EMI record company in the 1950s, saying that she has gone through the process of nearly 20 years, and has always been one-on-one in the singing world, and the latecomers are no better than others. Yao Li was only 13 years old when she started her career. At first, because she was interested, she occasionally went to the radio with her uncle to broadcast and perform. Unexpectedly, her singing became a blockbuster. Only then could she be appreciated by Zhou Xuan and Yan Hua and be introduced to EMI records. Her first record was "lovesickness", which was popular with another song "Qingliu yingmingyue" in the same record and became a pop star.

In the 1930s, the broadcasting industry in Shanghai developed. After Yao Li joined EMI, she also introduced her brother Yao Min to join. Yao Min is a talented composer. At the beginning, he was a singer and formed a brother and sister group with Yao Li. Later, he became a composer and wrote many songs for Yao Li. The brother and sister form a music club with their sister Yao Ying and often perform on the radio.

Yao Li is indifferent by nature and filial to her mother. She also has a close relationship with her brother and sister. After marriage, he stopped performing in public and concentrated on teaching his husband and children. However, because of his love of music, he continued to record. In more than ten years, she imitated Zhou Xuan's singing in the early stage. Her lively girl voice developed into a steady and honest mature voice. After a long time of exploration. "Singing with tears" mixed with the singing of black blues, which is a turning point for her to change her singing style.

After immigrating to Hong Kong in 1950, it still belonged to EMI. During this period, I came into contact with the records of American pop singer Patti Page, and I yearned for them very much, so my singing style changed again.

In the 1950s, Yao Li recorded many records of Xiqu and began to sing behind the scenes. Since the 1956's movie stars love to sing the episode of the movie "Peach Blossom River", they have become the best partners in front of and behind the scenes. Yao Li's name is often bigger than the star in the title.

Since 1959, Yao Li has rarely been a backstage singer.

When Yao Min died in 1967, Yao Li lost her elder brother and decided to quit singing.

In 1969, at the invitation of EMI, he became a record producer and retired seven years later.

He died on the morning of July 19, 2019 at the age of 96.

Personal life

Yao Li once sang in Shanghai Yangtze dance hall for five years. During that time, she fell in love with Paul Huang, the son of Huang Zhijian, deputy manager of the hotel, and married her husband. She had two sons.

Music Album

In his early years in Shanghai, he recorded many songs, such as "love can not be obtained", "Rose I love you", "Symphony of wind and rain", "miss of autumn" and "which is not affectionate", which are still popular today. "Rose, rose, rose, I love you" has become more popular in the world. It has been changed into an English song, which was recorded by American male singer Frankie Laine.

Among the records recorded in Hong Kong in the 1950s, "the spring breeze kisses my face", "the snowman is gone", "the match under the moon", "the beginning of love" and the Chinese Western songs "the river goes East" and "the shadow of my partner's tears" were selected and sung many times by later generation singers. Yao Li has also tried to write songs, such as "you give me an answer" is her own work.

The following are some genuine CDs published by record companies for Yao Li in recent ten years:

"A selection of unforgettable Chinese Western songs" Vol.27

Movie Songs Collection Vol.48

Song of the forest Vol.57

Baidai Centennial Series Vol.3 Rose I love you

Baidai Centennial Series Vol.31 "yuetaohua"

Yao Li, an out of print collection of Shanghai old songs

Chinese PinYin : Yao Li