TEN years is a long time to record an album, but Huang Can hasn't exactly been lazy.
Since 1997, she has taught music, performed at pubs and helped produce albums with Dao Lang. Meanwhile, she collected ideas for her first album, Yellow Roses, which was released earlier this month.
The effort proves the 31-year-old from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has finally begun to make her mark in the music world.
The album is a set of melancholy love songs with local flavor. The title song encourages women to press on through even their most heartbreaking moments.
"I don't want to be 'love counselor' or 'healer'," she said. "I'm just singing from my own past experiences."
Growing up with a single mom, Huang found courage in songs. She said she and her mom sang folk songs together whenever they felt low: "Music brightened even the darkest of days."
Because of her love for singing, she enrolled at the age of 16 as a music education major at a normal college in Xinjiang. As a student, she participated in various school performances.
After graduating, she became a music teacher at a Xinjiang primary school. She enjoyed the job, but, deep in her heart, she knew she wanted to be a professional singer.
To get closer to her dream, she began performing at pubs and concerts to improve her stage presence. Gradually she won recognition and her name grew among Xinjiang musicians.
Her first time in concert, however, was "painful".
"It was in 2000 in Xinjiang. I was a newcomer. The audience made fun of me by making loud noises and rude comments. But I held back my tears and finished the song," she recalled. "I had to hold on tight to what I believed in."
Since then, her performance has improved, and she has an album to show for it.
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enrol: 入学
melancholy: 忧郁
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