SEVERAL singing competitions are airing on channels across China, but after the first two episodes of the second season of the popular singing show “Voice of China” aired, the hit topped all challengers and again reached the top of ratings charts. Hosted by Zhejiang Satellite TV, the show is part of “The Voice” franchise and is based on the Dutch program “The Voice of Holland.” The second season premiered July 12 and featured four famous singers as coaches: Na Ying, Harlem Yu, A-mei and Wang Feng. In the first two episodes, four contestants who grew up or have lived in Shenzhen — Su Mengmei, Kan Liwen, Yao Beina and Liu Yating — gained increasing popularity with their outstanding performances and skills. Kan Liwen, a native of Inner Mongolia, and Yao Beina, from Hubei Province, already are well-known singers in Shenzhen. Su Mengmei: Following her feelings Su is a sophomore at Virginia Commonwealth University in the United States and flew to Shanghai right after summer vacation started. “I liked singing English songs. It was the first time that I rearranged a Chinese song by Yu, but it sounded good,” Su said of the season’s start. “Many people didn’t believe that I would like the blues at such a young age. But this is who I am. I was impressed upon first hearing the blues and I just followed my feelings.” To Su’s surprise, she and Liu attended the same primary school in Shenzhen. “We were both in the student choir, but we didn’t know each other back then. I’m glad to find a schoolmate through the program,” she said. Kan Liwen: Singing from the heart Kan already is a well-known singer in Shenzhen. He’s appeared on SZTV’s Golden Bell Music Awards and even opened a music-oriented bar with friends in the city. After pursuing his dream in Shenzhen for 20 years, Kan now owns a tea house in Inner Mongolia. “I hardly worked on my music at all after returning to Inner Mongolia, but I decided to get back on stage after watching ‘Voice of China.’ I had great fun here,” he said. As a big fan of Na, Kan chose Na as his coach. “She is my favorite singer. I like the way she sings emotionally, from her heart. Before the contest, I thought if she turned around for me, I would choose her, and she did. I hope we can work together more in the future,” Kan said. Liu Yating: Always on stage The 18-year-old girl-next-door Liu got her ticket to stardom with a powerful rock and roll song, “I Wanna Rock.” Liu was born to a family of civil servants in Shenzhen. Her parents didn’t approve of her career choice. “I’ve tried my best to find myself a stage since I was 12. As long as there was a stage for me, I would sing for free. My father always thought I sang badly, but this show has given me a chance to prove myself,” Liu said. Liu is one of the most talked-about figures on the show, as many netizens have found pictures of her dressing wildly in the past, quite different from her sweet image on the show. “I am a fashionable girl who likes pretty, trendy things. In the past, I often sang in bars, so I needed to dress in some relatively wild costumes. But this is a TV show, so I don’t want to dress like that and mislead children,” she said. Yao Beina: An exciting dream Yao has received the most attention among contestants due to her beautiful voice and remarkable talent. Yao also is a popular singer in Shenzhen and sang several songs in the No. 1 TV drama, “Legend of Zhenhuan.” After revelations by the media, many audience members accused Yao of attending the contest as a professional singer, but Yao said she did not care about the accusations. “I was worried before coming onto the stage. However, after watching the first season, I thought this show was a stage just for good voices, so I decided to give it a try no matter how much pressure I would suffer,” she said. After being highly praised by the four coaches, Yao is becoming more confident about her musical dreams. “I like singing pop music and will be fully ready for the next round,” she said. (Wang Yuanyuan) | 