Wei Wei (singer)

Professor
Wei Wei
韦唯
Standing Committee Member of the All-China Youth Federation
In office
2005–2010
PresidentZhao Yong
Vice PresidentPeng Liyuan
Ambassador of the Chinese Football Association
In office
2008–2009
PresidentYuan Weimin
Ambassador of Forestry of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration
In office
2009–2010
MinisterJia Zhibang
Personal details
Born (1963-09-28) 28 September 1963 (age 61)
Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
CitizenshipChina People's Republic of China
SpouseMichael Joseph Smith (1995–2004)
ChildrenSymington W. Smith, Remington W. Smith, Vinson W. Smith
ResidenceBeijing
Alma materCentral Conservatory of Music
OccupationSinger, Mezzo-soprano, professor
Awards24th Sopot International Song Festival Winner & Miss Photo Category Winner (1987)
Honorary Doctorate, East China University of Political Science and Law (2009)
Golden Phoenix Award (2008)
1st Level National Professional Qualification Certificate (1986)
In this Chinese name, the family name is Wei.

Wei Wei (simplified Chinese: 韦唯; traditional Chinese: 韋唯; pinyin: Wéi Wéi; born 28 September 1963) is a Chinese mandopop singer, actress, philanthropist and professor. Nicknamed "The Empress of Pop",[1][2][3] she has been widely recognized for her artistry and vocal performances. She has been regarded as one of the greatest Chinese entertainers of her generation, and her contributions to music and visual media have made her a prominent and influential Chinese pop culture figure during the 1990's and early 2000s.

Wei started performing in various state-sponsored singing and dancing competitions as a child, singing state-sanctioned revolutionary music. Her breakthrough came alongside the Chinese economic reform in 1986 when she won both the National Young Singers contest in China, and the 24th Sopot International Song Festival in Poland. Four years later, she performed a duet with Spanish singer Julio Iglesias at the 1993 East Asian Games in Shanghai.

Largely associated with sports culture and the Olympics, Wei has been an Olympic Cultural Ambassador for China since 1993, a role she assumed when the Chinese Olympic Committee submitted its initial application to host the Olympic Games. Wei was the sole cultural representative for Asia at the 1996 Summer Olympics,[4] and has performed at several major events, including the opening ceremony of Expo 2010,[5] the closing ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics,[6][7] and the opening and closing ceremonies of the 11th National Games of China.[8]

Wei's songs have been used as the official theme songs for many major sporting events in China. Her single "I Want to Fly" was chosen by the Chinese Olympic Committee as the official theme song for the 2008 Olympic Sailing events.[9][10] In 2007, The All-China Women's Federation recognized Wei's contributions to Chinese sports culture by designating her the "Queen of Sports".[11]

Having sold an estimated 100-200 million records worldwide,[12][13] Wei is one of Asia's best-selling recording artists. Considered a "national treasure" in China,[14][15] Wei is the first Mainland Chinese pop singer to have competed abroad representing the People's Republic of China,[16] the first Zhuang ethnic minority artist to represent China internationally, the first woman to be selected as China's Olympic Cultural Ambassador, and one of China's earliest artists to use the internet for the digital release of music.[17] The haute-couture dress designed for Wei by Lars Wallin for the '08 Olympics is on permanent display at the Nordic Museum in Sweden.[18][19]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference :11 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "韦唯" [Wei Wei]. Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China (in Chinese). 19 April 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2023. 著名歌手韦唯从14岁出道演艺界和歌坛，先是靠一首《爱的奉献》唱红了全国，再是以《亚洲雄风》唱红了半个世界。接下来是铺天盖地的邀约和荣誉，使她成为中国流行歌坛上天后级的重磅人物。
  3. ^ "4大歌坛天后现状：张惠妹，韦唯" [The Four Empresses of Song: Zhang Huimei, Wei Wei]. Sydney Today (in Chinese). 12 February 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "上海世博会举行开园仪式". China Daily. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  6. ^ "Pop Superstar Wei Wei is First to Make Music Downloads Available Directly to Consumers via .mobi Web". circleid.com. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  7. ^ "韦唯：2008，"雄风"再起（全球知名华人寄语北京奥运）". People's Daily. People's Daily. 2007. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  8. ^ "中华之光 让时代为我们喝彩--全运会会歌回顾_综合体育_新浪竞技风暴_新浪网". Sina News. Sina. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  9. ^ "韦唯受聘青岛环球形象大使，奥帆赛宣传歌曲首发". Sina News (in Chinese). Sina. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  10. ^ "韦唯受聘青岛环球形象大使，奥帆赛宣传歌曲首发". Sohu News (in Chinese). Sina. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  11. ^ "Go Girl Go – All China Women's Federation". Women of China. All-China Women's Association. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference :12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :10 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference :13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference :14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference :15 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ "Evening gown, Lars Wallin for the artist Wei Wei, 2008". KulturPunkt (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 18 June 2023. Wei Wei ordered the dress from fashion designer Lars Wallin for her appearances at major venues and television galas prior to the Olympic Games in Beijing. The 'Guldknappen' design, described below, was proposed – but in bright colours like cerise and orange. A pair of tall orange leather boots were custom-made for the look (not in Nordiska museet's collections).
  19. ^ "Klänning av Lars Wallin i rosa tyll, inv nr NM.0331120 märkt "Larsa Wallin Couture"" [Dress by Lars Wallin in pink tulle, inv. no. NM.0331120 marked "Larsa Wallin Couture"]. Nordic Museum (in Swedish). 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2023.