Taiwan jazz singer Joanna Wang performs at her first show in Beijing at Yugong Yishan on Monday, April 7, 2008. [Photo: ent.sina.com.cn]
Critics have been calling her "a marvelous jazz vocalist who has finally arrived." When Joanna Wang showcased her voice for the first time in Beijing, she only got more people to marvel at her voice.
The Taiwan singer impressed fans, critics, entertainers and media members Monday night at Beijing's Yugong Yishan bar, where she sang songs from her debut album, "Start from Here."
Stars including Zhou Xun, Kwai Lun-Mei and Cheng Fangyuan were among the audience members, according to news Web site Sina.com.cn, which broadcast the show live.
Fans were excited to find a Chinese equivalent of Norah Jones. "The only thing I didn't enjoy was that the show was so short," Sina.com.cn quoted a fan as saying.
"Start from Here" was released on January 11, and sold more than 10,000 copies in the first ten days of its release.
In three months, Joanna Wang has conquered almost every critic, and the usually picky music writers all seem to agree that 19-year-old Wang is the new hope for the Chinese jazz scene. Musician Steve Chow called her "the best voice in a decade."
Joanna Wang will meet with fans in Shanghai this Thursday. Local newspapers have already devoted headlines to her arrival.