深圳中美混血儿获得央视节目明星大奖

Li Peixia, Wang Yuanyuan

cheekywang@hotmail.com

A 7-year-old student of Shenzhen Xuefu Primary School in Nanshan District won a Star Award at a popular China Central Television (CCTV) program which was broadcast? on Monday.

Tianyuan, a half-Chinese, half-American, impressed the judges and audiences with a Chinese folk song featuring American rap on the popular talent show, Fei Chang Liu Jia Yi.

"It is a great feeling to win the award. I really like being on stage, that's the reason I participated in the show," she said.

Born in America, Tianyuan moved to Shenzhen with her parents and sister when she was 1 year old.

Pretty and outgoing, Tianyuan loves to perform. "Chinese opera is my favorite. I can sing Beijing opera and Huangmei opera. Sometimes, I even sing them in English to amuse my parents," she said.

Tianyuan showed musical talent at a very early age. At the age of 2, she shot her first advertisement and has since participated in the shooting of several local television programs and dramas.

A big fan of Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, she liked to combine rap music with Chinese folk. At the CCTV show, she won the judges' favor by singing an adapted Chinese folk song "Spicy Girl," a popular folk song by Song Zuying. She added some rap verses to the beginning of the song, setting her apart form other competitors. "I think they are very special and interesting. I was a bit nervous before the show, but after the host announced my name, I felt an adrenaline rush," she said.

Unlike many children of her age, Tianyuan is seldom forced by her parents to do things she does not like. "We have never forced her to do any extracurricular activities she does not want to do. She is now learning to sing, play the piano and do calligraphy, but she has never been forced to do any of these," said her mother, Zhang Xiaoxu.

According to Zhang, her daughter also has other ambitions. "She always wants to be the best, such as getting full marks in exams. But to me, she is a charming girl whether she gets good results or not," Zhang said.

"Sino-US" is what Tianyuan calls herself. "Being mixed race makes life strange. Everyone keeps looking at me on the street. I feel embarrassed. My blonde hair is eye-catching, so teachers and classmates often stare," she said.

Her next goal is to participate in the CCTV's annual Spring Festival Gala, the biggest and most important gala in the country. "I want to be a superstar when I grow up, going from place to place, standing on the stage and singing," she said.