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Faye's special
talent has then discovered by her father's friend, who introduced her
to a singing teacher in Hong Kong. Faye received an opportunity to sign
her first contract with a record company, Cinepoly. Faye's musical life
then began. Her mom didn't seem to reject too much on this deal, probably
because she thought Hong
Kong has much more opportunities then in Beijing. So here she came from
her hometown Beijing to a totally different place, Hongkong in 1987. She
remembered that it was a horrible time in her life. After she came to
Hong Kong, she lost all her friends, all the familiar faces were gone.
She didn't know Cantonese, and being a girl from mainland China, she felt
she was an outsider and she tried so hard to understand people in Hong
Kong. "I harbored the usual expectation of Hong Kong as a glamorous and
exciting place, but I was trapped with boredom and loneness."
Faye
was completely under her company's control. She was told how to dress,
how to talk, how to sing and how to deal with the media. The company gave
her a stage name, Shirley Wong, and a parcel of songs. Her first CD, Shirley
Wong Ching Man, was released in November 1989, and two more followed over
the next 12 months. All three were big sellers. However, Faye was not
satisfied with the result. She felt she has lost her own personality.
She looked at the mirror and saw the reflection of a puppet. She did not
like the way she was moulded. 
She needed
to change(especially her look!), therefore, she decided to stop her singing
career and leave for New York to refresh herself. Although she intended
to study music there, the real goal of the pilgrimage abroad was to learn
something about herself. "I wandered around, visited museums and sat at
cafes," she recalled. "There were so many strange, confident-looking people.
They didn't care what other people thought of them. I felt I was originally
like that too, independent and a little rebellious. But in Hong Kong I
lost myself. I was shaped by others and became like a machine, a dress
hanger. I had no personality and no sense of direction."
After
half a year living in New York, Faye decided to return Hong Kong and continue
her career. With the confidence she gained, she regenerated her own style
and a new direction of life. She released a big selling album "Coming
Home" included a hit song "A woman who easily got hurt,"
which made her become a superstar. People seemed to love her new image
and teenagers were crazy for her. She releasing many albums with high
quality. Her popularity expand across the border of Hong Kong and reached
Taiwan and other parts of Asia. Her big hit Mandarine song "I am
willing" proved her as an evocative singer who could master a wide
musical range.

However,
fame brought by singing Canton-pop songs did not win her. Faye quest for
a higher achievement. She wanted to put herself into making better music.
She started with listening to songs by foreign artists. She tested and
improve her
skill by adding the ingredient of other singers and generated her own
style. Her influences included the Cranberries, Tori Amos, and Couteau
Twins. Although the media labeled her as a copycat of other singers, Faye
believed it was a stage to learn and explore music. Her albums proved
she was right, "Wandering Thought"
and "Didar" were awarded the best album
of the year. Faye introduced new elements of music into this small undeveloped
Hong Kong music industry and became the revolutionist of
Canton-pop. Faye returned to her real name "Wong Fei" in Wandering
Thought, which has a cover with only black Chinese characters and a white
background. Faye demonstrated that she is endowed with her talent, not
only her appearance.
With the
skill she learned from listening to others, Faye is able to create her
own music. She released a self-composed alternative album called "Impatient"
in 1996. Faye composed 7 songs arranged by her ex-husband, Dou
Wei, and her brother in law, Zhang Ya Dong, collaborated with two songs
composed by Couteau Twins special for Faye. Faye was the only singer who
was dare enough to release such a non-commercial type of album. Faye was
the first time satisfied with her music even though Impatient was not
the public's favorite.
In
1997, Faye married Dou Wei, and gave birth to Dou
Jing Tong who
shared the names of both parents. The beloved Beijing-born Jing Tong is
full of joy and energy. She is a very independent and lovely child just
like her her mom. Faye's mom took care of her and little Ching Tong at
the hospital in Beijing. Looking at her own daughter, she remembered how
she was raised and felt grateful for her mom even though she did not agree
with her mom for many aspects. (Unfortunately, Faye's mom died in 1998
while Tong was only one. Faye felt tremendous pain and regretted that
she was not with her when she exhaled the last breath in her life. Her
mom's death gave her new insight of life, and made her to love Tong even
more.)
After
return to Hong Kong from Beijing. Faye signed a contract with the new
record company EMI which promised to give Faye more freedom and support
of making her own music. Faye released the long waited album "Wong
Fei" in 1997, and "Sing and Play"
in 1998, followed by her second world tour "Sing and Play Scenic
Tour." All tickets of the concerts in this tour series were sold
out at an unexpectedly speed. Faye once again used her voice to touch
every audience in the concert.

In 1999,
bad news happened to Faye, her marriage with Dou Wei had come to the end.
However, Dou Wei's betrayal of love had not affected Faye's marriage with
music. Without the help of Dou Wei, Faye bloomed the flower of paradise
with her faith to music. With the help of her all time partner Zhang Ya
Dong, She released her 3rd album "Only Love Strangers."
Faye showed that she can only do better without Dou's help. His existence
to her is not such a big deal.
Year 2000
is a year of retrospection. The end of love, the beginning of love,
the memory of departed, and the love to the beloved. Faye released a sophisticated
album "Fable" with five compositions
of hers creating a story of love. They included "The Cambrian Period,"
"New Tenant," "Chanel," "Asura," and "Flower
of paradise." This album is debated as the best album of the year
and even the best of Faye's. Without any shadow of other singers' songs.
Faye created her own music with a strong but fluid voice. Undoubtedly
Faye has succeeded in being the pop Diva of Asia and her over-whelming
popularity has reached every corner in the world.
The story
of Faye Wong might be a fairy tale came true, but what made her successful
was not her princess-looking face, but her insistence on being herself
and following the direction of making good music. She has become a soaring
star in the sky which sheds light on everyone's heart. Her songs will
always be remembered and her story will always be told.

Reference:
TIME International Magazine October 14, 1996 Volume 148, No. 16 (Asia
Edition)
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