Frances Yip Lai-yee (born 1947) is a Hong Kong English pop and C… Read Full Bio ↴葉麗儀
Frances Yip Lai-yee (born 1947) is a Hong Kong English pop and Cantopop singer. She is best known for performing many of the theme songs for television series produced by TVB in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Born in 1947, Yip is of Hakka ancestry, and is the youngest of 5 siblings. She grew up in a rural area in Hong Kong, and studied in St. Clare's Girls' School, an English Catholic school.
Her first singing job was in 1969 when she won a talent contest called Sharp's Night Four Lights Competition on Hong Kong television where she met the composer, Joseph Koo. Koo used Yip to sing commercial jingles while she was working as a secretary in HSBC, one was the jingles was a song about savings account for HSBC. Her first record, Bu Liao Qing (Love Without End) was recorded in the same year. She recorded predominantly English covers of Mandarin songs and Mandarin songs then.
In 1972, Yip and Joseph Koo went to Japan's World Singing gathering in Nippon Budokan. In 1973, Yip was working for Cathay Pacific as an Ambassador of Hong Kong under Hong Kong Tourism Board for a year, and her album, Discovery, was based on her experiences travelling. Discovery was sung in nine different languages to represent the 9 major destinations for Cathay Pacific then, and the album inspired a London talent agent to find her. She signed onto EMI records and lived in London for two years.[3]It was a worldwide contract, meaning she can have one English album released in 6 different languages in different areas of the world. Since then, she had renewed her two-year contract until now.
Yip hit international fame with her signature tune, The Bund from the TVB drama of the same title.[4] After she recorded The Bund, she returned to Hong Kong.
In her 45-year career, Yip has released more than 80 albums, mostly of songs in American English, Indonesian, Thai, Malay, Mexican Spanish, Japanese, Tagalog, Hong Kong Cantonese, and Taiwanese Mandarin. She has performed on television, and in films, concerts and cabarets in more than 30 countries on five continents. Her linguistic skills, with unique interpretations of lyrics in English, Cantonese and Mandarin, as well as several other Asian languages, have led to a fan base across a wide range of cultures and countries.
Yip has worked with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the Macau Chinese Orchestra, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, the Youth Orchestra from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Thammasat University Philharmonic Orchestra in Bangkok as well as large orchestras in Kuala Lumpur.
Yip achieved worldwide recognition when she was selected by the Hong Kong government to be a co-presenter at the British Farewell Ceremony to mark the transfer of sovereignty in Hong Kong. The event on June 30, 1997, was watched by a television audience estimated at 120 million, in more than 80 countries worldwide.
In 2012, Yip recorded her first Christian album, Grace and Glory Psalm 84.
Yip is fluent in Chinese (Hong Kong Cantonese and Taiwanese Mandarin) and English. She often spends time in Sydney where her son and grandchildren live.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996, but was considered free of cancer in 2002. To celebrate eight years of being cancer-free, in 2010, she held a charity concert in Kuala Lumpur to benefit cancer research and treatment.
Since 2013, she and her husband have lived in the rural suburbs of Sydney, Australia with their son and grandson. They have Australian citizenship, and also own rental properties in England. She occasionally returns to Hong Kong to perform and make TV appearances.
Nu Hei Xia Mu Lan Hua
Frances Yip Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
唱：葉麗儀
曲：顧嘉輝
詞：鄭國江
木蘭花 美麗豪放惡賊聞聲膽喪走遠方
木蘭花 正直豪爽 普濟孤苦似活慈航
神勇勝女金剛千秋仰望
有木蘭花 惡賊難安 好比星光燦爛耀四方
木蘭花 美麗豪放惡賊聞聲膽喪走遠方
木蘭花 正直豪爽普濟孤苦似活慈航
論身手何硬朗還鑄有鐵膽肝
神勇勝女金剛千秋仰望
有木蘭花 惡賊難安好比星光燦爛耀四方
The song "Nu Hei Xia Mu Lan Hua" by Frances Yip paints a vivid portrait of a bold and fearless heroine, likened to the magnificence of a magnolia flower. Through the lyrics, the singer exalts the beauty and courage of this character, who strikes fear into the hearts of wrongdoers. The imagery of the magnolia flower symbolizes both strength and elegance, suggesting that this heroine possesses a unique blend of power and grace that commands respect and admiration.
The character of Mu Lan Hua is described as upright and generous, extending her benevolence to those in need like a compassionate guardian angel. Her hands are strong and resolute, her heart as unyielding as iron. This portrayal emphasizes her unwavering commitment to justice and her unwavering determination to protect the vulnerable and fight against injustice. The comparison to a female version of the legendary figure of Jin Gang, known for their invincible might, further underscores Mu Lan Hua's formidable presence and impact on those around her.
The song continues to reinforce the idea that Mu Lan Hua's presence alone is enough to strike fear in the hearts of evildoers, causing them to recoil in terror and retreat to distant horizons. The repetition of her attributes – beauty, boldness, integrity, and generosity – serves to underscore the multidimensional nature of her character and the profound impact she has on the world around her. Through her actions and demeanor, she shines brightly like a radiant star, illuminating the path for those in need of guidance and protection.
In conclusion, "Nu Hei Xia Mu Lan Hua" celebrates the spirit of a fierce and noble heroine who embodies the virtues of courage, righteousness, and compassion. The lyrics pay homage to her strength and resilience, portraying her as a beacon of hope and a force to be reckoned with. Through the character of Mu Lan Hua, the song conveys a message of empowerment and inspires listeners to embrace their inner strength and stand up against injustice, much like the fearless magnolia flower that blooms proudly in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
木蘭花 美麗豪放惡賊聞聲膽喪走遠方
Mulan flower, beautiful and bold, evil doers hear her name and flee in fear
木蘭花 正直豪爽 普濟孤苦似活慈航
Mulan flower, upright and generous, helping the needy like a living bodhisattva
論身手何硬朗 還鑄有鐵膽肝
Skills as strong as iron, with a heart as fearless as steel
神勇勝女金剛千秋仰望
A brave woman admired like a diamond for eternity
有木蘭花 惡賊難安 好比星光燦爛耀四方
With Mulan flower around, villains find no peace, shining like radiant starlight in all directions
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Joseph Koo, Kwok Kong Cheng
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
NW
on Shang Hai Tan
I assume this "translation" was a joke. OP literally just made everything up. Not a single line is even REMOTELY right. I got a good laugh out of it though.
Kek Joo
on Shang Hai Tan
I just happened to see your translated lyrics. I am afraid they are absolutely incorrect. The song speaks of the rise and ebbing of the tides and likens the experiences of love and hate/revenge to the changing tides. There is no mention of buildings (long pang long lau means the tide/current rises and ebbs). Shi hei shi sau is not it’s black, it’s majestic but whether it is joy or whether it is sorrow. Etc etc. This is very in line with the themes of the drama and movie versions which has this song as its theme song. This is a melancholic song and not one prompting SH as a tourist attraction toon
Janet Lim Swee Kim
on Bengawan Solo (Indonesia)
Very beautiful , you , love to listen to your song, thank you Mdm. Yip.
Janet Lim Swee Kim
on Bengawan Solo (Indonesia)
Many thanks Yip Lai Yee mdm.