Yao Zan-fu
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Yao Zan-fu | |
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| Born | 1908 Qingshui District, Taichung City |
| Died | 1967 |
| Alma mater | Taipei Theological College and Seminary |
| Occupation | Composer |
Yao Zan-fu (Chinese: 姚讚福; pe̍h-ōe-jī: Iâu Chán-hok; pinyin: Yáo Zànfú; 1908 – 1967) was a composer. Born in Qingshui District, Taichung City, he composed songs including “Brokenhearted” (心酸酸), “Heartbroken Wine Glass” (悲戀的酒杯), “My Youth” (我的青春) and “Midnight at Dadaocheng” (夜半大稻埕).
Biography
Yao Zan-fu was born in 1908 in Taichung to a Christian family. He lived in various places with his father, including Yilan and Taipei. In 1931, he graduated from Taipei Theological College and Seminary. After graduation, he was sent to Taitung as a missionary, but he gave up his missionary work in 1933 to become a popular songwriter. He joined the Taiwan Columbia Record as its exclusive songwriter.[1]
In 1936, Yao joined Victor Records and formed a long-standing partnership with his songwriting partner, Chen Da-ru. Chen's lyrics were a perfect match for Yao's music, making him a popular choice. During this period, Yao wrote masterpieces such as "Brokenhearted," "Heartbroken Wine Glass," and "My Youth." "Brokenhearted" sold 80,000 records to 6 million people in Taiwan and the Chinese community in Southeast Asia, making it the biggest seller of Taiwanese Hokkien songs in history.[2][3]
During the Second World War, Yao Zan-fu stopped composing and moved to Hong Kong to make a living. He worked as a translator for the Governor's Department of the Japanese Occupied Territories and met his wife, Ma Chi-kin. However, soon after their marriage, the Japanese Empire surrendered, and they were repatriated to Taiwan. The post-war economic depression made it impossible for Yao to make a living by composing pop songs, so he worked as a bookkeeper at a mine and performed at a restaurant with his accordion to sing Nakasi. However, when he contracted asthma, he heeded the advice of his doctor and left his home in rainy Taipei's Songshan district and moved his family to sunny Taichung.[4]
In August 1966, WU-FOO AUDIO & VIDEO INC., a record label based in Taichung, released an album featuring the song "Twilight Complaint" written and composed by Yao Zan-fu. On January 1, 1967, WU-FOO AUDIO & VIDEO INC. released another album of Taiwanese Hokkien songwriting, featuring two songs composed by Yao Zan-fu: "Sunset on the Western Hills"(日落西山, written by Lin Qiqing and sung by You Ya) and "Sigh of Youth"(青春嘆, written by Yao Zan-fu and sung by You Feng). Unfortunately, he died on April 12, 1967, at the age of 60, in Taipei's Mackay Memorial Hospital.[5]
References
- ↑ "台語流行歌壇的傳道師──姚讚福 - 林良哲 - 新使者雜誌 The New Messenger 158期 家". newmsgr.pct.org.tw. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
- ↑ 人間福報. "台語老歌〈心酸酸〉作曲家 姚讚福如其歌 一生辛酸 | 藝文". 人間福報 (in 中文). Retrieved 2023-05-10.
- ↑ 林, 翠鳳 (September 15, 2019). "臺灣歌謠賞析：作弄音樂家的歌讖——心酸酸" (PDF). Tunghai University Library Journal 東海大學圖書館館刊. 45.
- ↑ 林, 良哲 (2016). 悲戀之歌: 聆賞姚讚福 (in Chinese). Taiwan: 臺中市政府文化局. ISBN 9789860507713.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ 中華民國文化部. "姚讚福-文化部國家文化記憶庫". memory.culture.tw (in 中文（台灣）). Retrieved 2023-05-10.
External links
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