Wen Hsia | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Wen Hsia in 2006 | |
| Born | 20 May 1928 Matō, Sobun, Tainan, Taiwan, Empire of Japan |
| Died | 6 April 2022 (aged 93) |
Wen Hsia (Chinese: 文夏; 20 May 1928 – 6 April 2022) was a Taiwanese singer and actor.
Wen Hsia | |
|---|---|
Wen Hsia in 2006 | |
| Born | 20 May 1928 Matō, Sobun, Tainan, Taiwan, Empire of Japan |
| Died | 6 April 2022 (aged 93) |
Wen Hsia (Chinese: 文夏; 20 May 1928 – 6 April 2022) was a Taiwanese singer and actor.
Wen Hsia was born Wang Jui-ho[1] in 1928,[2][3] in present-day Madou District, Tainan,[4] and studied music in Japan.[3] He was married to Wen Hsiang,[5] who was also a singer.[6] Wen Hsia died in his sleep on 6 April 2022, aged 93.[7]
From the 1950s to the 1960s, Wen Hsia was known for his covers of Japanese melodies featuring Taiwanese Hokkien lyrics,[8] a practice that began in the 1930s.[9] These works were known as mixed-blood songs.[10] He also sang in Japanese.[2] Over the course of his career, Wen Hsia wrote more than 2,000 songs.[3] During martial law in Taiwan, Hokkien pop was heavily censored and Wen Hsia became known as the "king of banned songs."[11] Wen Hsia recorded over 1,200 songs, of which 99 were banned by Kuomintang authorities.[10] His 1961 work, "Mama, I’m Brave" was banned for thirty years, setting a record for the longest period a Hokkien pop song was prohibited.[10] Wen Hsia's songs became regarded as classics.[6][12] At the 23rd Golden Melody Awards in 2012, Wen Hsia received the Golden Melody Lifetime Contribution Award.[2][13]
As an actor, Wen Hsia starred in Joseph Kuo's remakes of the Japanese Wataridori film series, in which the protagonist was originally portrayed by Akira Kobayashi.[14]
