May 3, 2020, was the saddest day for famous tenor singer Hu Songhua. In the early hours of this day, his partner Zhang Manru, who has been with him for 60 years through thick and thin, unfortunately passed away in Beijing due to illness.
The old partner has gone, Hu Songhua pushed into the abyss of grief. How did he come through these two years? And now what is the situation of Hu Songhua's old age?
Hu Songhua became famous in the 1950s, he sang the first "hymn", "the grasslands rising Sun", "horse ah fast run", "harvest song", "Sengi Dema" and other songs, affecting several generations.
He also recorded all the songs of "Ah Hei" for the movie "Ashima", which also brought him great fame.
Hu Songhua was born in Beijing in December 1930 to an old Chinese doctor and a housewife. Hu Songhua had one brother and two sisters below him.
The younger brother is the famous baritone singer Hu Baoshan of the Hai Zheng Song and Dance Troupe, and his nephew Hu Jun is a big-name actor.
As a child, Hu Songhua attended private school for four and a half years, and then finished elementary school in Beijing's Xiangbait Hutong.
Hu Songhua began to study Chinese painting at the age of 7. He studied painting under Mr. Zhao Mengzhu and Mr. Yiyuan, and Hu's paintings from elementary school to secondary school won many awards in the country.
After graduating from Beijing No. 5 High School, Hu Songhua was admitted to North China University (the predecessor of Renmin University of China).
At that time, Hu Songhua's ideal was to be a painter. In 1949, he graduated from North China University and was assigned to the Third Literary Troupe of North China University as an artist.
In 1950, when the Central Committee's visiting delegation began to conduct literary and artistic research and performances for border ethnic minorities, Hu Songhua was selected as a member of the delegation, which changed the fate of his life.
As a result of his exposure to the songs and dances of many ethnic minorities, Hu Songhua became interested in music and began to study vocal music with professors such as Guo Shuzhen, Lou Qiangui and Yang Bide.
In 1952, Hu also studied Italian American voice with Dr. Lin Junqing of the Shanghai Vocal Institute, which laid a solid foundation for him to embark on the path of music. Afterwards, Hu was transferred to the Central Minority Song and Dance Troupe as a soloist.
In the 1950s, Hu began to gain national fame for his singing of Senjidema and Harvest Song.
In 1963, Hu Songhua recorded all the singing parts for "Ah Hei" in China's first musical feature film, "Ashima", which further opened up his popularity.
Hu Songhua's singing in "Asima", such as "Horse Bells Ringing to Jade Birds Singing", "Asima, Where Are You", and "A Fresh Flower, Fresh and Fresh", are still very much loved by his fans today.
But what really made Hu Songhua a big hit was his song "Hymn" in the dance epic "The East is Red".
At the time, Hu Songhua was scheduled to sing "On the Songhua River" in the fourth scene of "The East is Red". Because of the lack of a magnificent song as a transition between the fifth and sixth scenes, the relevant leaders transferred Hu Songhua from the fourth scene to the sixth scene.
At that time, there was no specific song, let Hu Songhua prepare a song.
Hu Songhua rushed home from the theater troupe, composed the lyrics overnight, and created the song "Song of Praise". The next day, he handed over the song, the relevant leaders reviewed the unanimous opinion that good, let Hu Songhua in the sixth scene to sing the song.
"Hymn" in front of a program, is the Peking Opera water flag show, hundreds of actors waving the flag is very powerful, and then the beautiful song will be drowned out.
So Hu Songhua added four Mongolian long tunes to the front of the Song of Praise, so that the high-pitched, long-distance song, the audience was immediately attracted.
And now 58 years later, "Song of Praise" still has extraordinary vitality and is often sung at large and small parties.
In 2019, "Hymn" was also selected by the Central Propaganda Department as one of the "100 Excellent Songs to Celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China*** and the State".
As early as 1960, Hu Songhua married his colleague Zhang Manru. Ancestrally from Xingcheng, Liaoning, Zhang Manru was born in Wuchang, Hubei in 1936, grew up in Sichuan and graduated from Nankai Middle School in Tianjin.
In 1949, Zhang Manru was admitted to the Music and Dance Troupe of the Central Conservatory of Music, and was later transferred to the Central Minority Song and Dance Troupe as a soloist.
Hu Songhua was six years older than Zhang Manru, and they met in 1953 when they performed in the Great Southwest.
At that time, Zhang Manru was slim, bright-eyed and white-toothed, and her performance of "Miao Fist" was y engraved in Hu Songhua's heart. Hu Songhua affectionately called her "little kid", this call on the call for decades.
In Shangri-La, Yunnan, Hu Songhua and Zhang Manru rode horses and oxen through the rugged mountains to Ganzi, Sichuan.
Because Hu Songhua used his voice excessively, the result was a hoarse, red and swollen voice. Zhang Manru kept the two cantaloupes issued to her by the regiment and secretly gave them to Hu Songhua.
Love in the 50s was subtle and deep. Once, Hu Songhua and Zhang Manru were talking in the guest house, and when they heard the footsteps of their colleagues in the corridor, the shy Zhang Manru jumped out of the window and ran away.
During a performance in Kangding, Sichuan, Zhang Manru had a bad appetite, and Hu Songhua quietly bought her a bowl of wontons, which warmed Zhang Manru for the rest of her life. She felt that the bowl of wontons was the most delicious flavor in the world.
A few months later, after the show, Hu Songhua and Zhang Manru established a relationship.
In 1954, Zhang Manru was sent by the state to Mongolia to study dance. Before leaving, Hu Songhua gave Zhang Manru a pair of riding boots. He asked Zhang Manru: "Will you change your heart later?"
Zhang Manru shook his head: "I only recognize you in my life, and I can't fit anyone else in my heart." Hu Songhua heart sweet.
Zhang Manru went to Mongolia for further study, and soon after, Hu Songhua was sent to perform in the Altai region of Xinjiang.
There is only one Altai Mountain between there and Mongolia, in order to express his longing, the romantic Hu Songhua wrote a prose poem, and then folded it into a small blue paper boat, and inserted a rose.
Hu Songhua put the small paper boat into the Altai River, let it flow east with the river, and then floated to Mongolia, hoping that Zhang Manru can see.
Later, when Hu Songhua was 80 years old, he and 74-year-old Zhang Manru were guests on Beijing TV's "Glorious Bloom" program.
Zhang Manru printed out her husband's prose poem, which Hu Songhua read out in front of a national audience: "I sing on the Altai grassland on the border of the motherland, and you dance for the herdsmen in the Altai pasture in the neighboring country. At the moment, you and I are only separated by a mountain, close to a stone's throw but can not meet ......"
This is Hu Songhua from the bottom of the heart voice, white hair Zhang Manru listened to the tears, the scene and the audience in front of the TV were also moved by their romantic love.
In 1962, Zhang Manru became pregnant. Soon after, she participated in a performance that required her to perform difficult dances. She planned to give up her baby for the sake of her career, but Premier Zhou found out and politely criticized the troupe's leadership.
In the end, the troupe leaders did not arrange for Zhang Manru to participate in any more performances, and allowed her to raise her baby.
In 1963, Hu Songhua and Zhang Manru had their first daughter, and a few years later they had their second daughter. As Hu and his wife were busy with work, his mother and mother-in-law took turns coming to the house to take care of the children.
At that time, Hu Songhua and his wife's performances were all part of their job, and they lived on a meager salary without extra pay.
The couple had to support both parents and their two daughters, and they were not well off. Zhang Manru made her daughters' clothes and shoes herself. When Hu Songhua went to perform overseas, he could have taken a sleeper, but he bought a hard seat and used the difference in price to buy some fruit for his daughter.
Zhang Manru was also an excellent dancer, and was known throughout the country as the lead dancer in the song "Hymn" in the large-scale epic "The East is Red".
In 1980, Mr. and Mrs. Hu Songhua organized the "Hu Songhua and Zhang Manru Solo Singing and Dancing Evening Party" in Beijing and Tianjin, which caused a huge sensation. Many mainstream media made a report, saying that the two were a couple of pearls in the art world.
Not only that, Hu Songhua also created and adapted a series of ethnic minority songs, mainly "Wish on Horseback", "Highland Drinking Song", "Joyful Miao Mountain", "My house wall is full of knives" and so on, which were very popular among fans.
In 1990, Hu Songhua retired and his two daughters settled in Zhuhai. The daughters did not follow in their parents' footsteps, but worked in arts education.
After their parents retired, the daughter brought them to Zhuhai to retire. At that time, the price of housing in Zhuhai was very cheap, and the daughter bought a three-bedroom apartment for Mr. and Mrs. Hu Songhua alone.
In 1992, Hu Songhua decided to make a multi-ethnic TV music movie, "Long Song Wanli Love", to give back to the ethnic minorities across the country for their artistic nourishment. He told his wife about the idea, and Zhang Manru was very supportive.
Because of the lack of funds, the couple sold their ancestral home in Beijing and traveled across the country to shoot music and art films. They traveled all over the country for three years, covering 70,000 kilometers, and finally produced a 12-episode large-scale music and art film called "The Long Song of Miles".
Zhang Manru was the production director, Hu Songhua was the director and actor, the couple faced many difficulties in the process of filming.
When money was scarce, they ate only one packet of instant noodles a day. Passing through no man's land, they also faced life-threatening situations. Hu Songhua and his wife lived and died with ****, and had a brush with death.
In 1995, Zhang Manru had a high fever of 39 degrees, and still worked with the disease. Hu Songhua took care of his wife while shedding tears.
After the show was broadcast on CCTV, Hu Songhua was honored with the Golden Bell Award for Lifetime Achievement in Chinese Music.
Then Hu Songhua and his wife returned to Zhuhai, his daughter said to Hu Songhua: "Dad, you have been busy all your life, and now that you are old, you should enjoy your life without worry. But Hu Songhua can not be idle, only after more than two months of stable life, and began to "toss".
He contacted a lot of ethnic minority children, they are quite talented in music, but because of the conditions, there is no opportunity to learn music. 2000, Hu Songhua in an entrepreneur friend's help, in Zhuhai set up the Hu Songhua music and art research room.
He and his partner selected 10 musically gifted children from ethnic minorities across the country and brought them to Zhuhai for free music education for three years.
The children not only do not have to pay tuition, but also food and shelter are free. Hu Songhua taught the children voice, Zhang Manru taught them dance, the couple also invited professional teachers to give the children lessons.
10 children in Zhuhai expenses are very large, because of the shortage of funds, Mr. and Mrs. Hu Songhua will be their own retirement paychecks are padded in. For a while, they often went to their daughter's house to rub their hands together.
In 2003, the 10 children graduated and were all hired as professional actors by local art groups. Seeing the children have a good future, Hu Songhua and his partner were very pleased.
Given the status of Hu Songhua in the singing world, there are often performers who ask him to perform, but he is far away from Zhuhai is very inconvenient.
So in 2004, Hu Songhua and his wife returned to Beijing despite their daughter's retention.
Hu Songhua often participated in performances and social activities, and usually practiced calligraphy at home. Zhang Manru also plays a role in creating dance works for some cultural organizations.
In 2009, Zhang Manru was honored with the title of Outstanding Dance Artist.
Starting in 2010, Zhang Manru was invited to create a dance piece for a series of storytelling music TV movie "Embracing the Big World". At that time, she had high blood pressure and a bad heart, but still insisted on working with her illness.
In October 2015, "Ring Around the World" was broadcast on TV, but Zhang Manru fainted at home.
Hu Songhua sent his wife to the hospital, after first aid Zhang Manru turned to safety. After a few years, Zhang Manru often in and out of the hospital, usually have to take medication.
Hu Songhua put off the show, single-mindedly at home to take care of his wife. 2019 February 4 New Year's Eve, Hu Songhua to participate in the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, with Li Guangxi, Yu Shuzhen, Dedema, Guanmucun and other songs "I and my motherland".
Zhang Manru watched the CCTV Spring Festival Gala on TV, and she was particularly excited to see her husband appear.
On September 13 of this year, Hu Songhua's younger brother, Hu Baoshan, died in Beijing at the age of 84 due to illness.
Hu Songhua and his brother's feelings are very deep, his brother is gone, he is very sad. Who knows that on May 3, 2020, 83-year-old Zhang Manru died in Beijing due to illness again.
At this time, Hu Songhua and his partner have been married for 60 whole years, the old couple walked through the silver and golden wedding, mutual help, wind and rain and ****.
The death of his partner pushed him into a huge abyss of grief. Especially the old partner just left that half a month, Hu Songhua extraordinarily low mood, often at home in tears.
Nephew Hu Jun several times over to visit his uncle, leading him to talk. The two men were not able to get to know each other, but they were able to get to know each other well enough to get to know each other.
The two daughters are even more attached to Hu Songhua, in July 2020, the daughter of Hu Songhua received Zhuhai, with love and filial piety to help their father heal.
They accompanied their father to the beach for a walk and played his father's songs at home. The daughter also made an electronic album of more than 100 photos of Hu Songhua and his mother.
These 100-odd photographs have strung together 60 years of Hu Songhua's relationship with Zhang Manru, as he relives the romantic, difficult, and loving times with his wife in his memories. Unconsciously, Hu Songhua's grief that had built up inside him eased.
On February 26, 2021, Hu Songhua was invited to participate in the CCTV Lantern Festival Gala, where he sang the song "Go to the People" with Li Guangxi and Tian Hua.
After that, Hu Songhua stayed in Beijing, and his two daughters took turns coming to Beijing to take care of him.
In 2022, Hu Songhua was 92 years old. He is hale and hearty, speaks clearly and thinks actively, and does not look like an old man in his early 90s.
He occasionally participate in social activities, usually in the home fitness, practicing calligraphy, and sometimes help his daughter cook.
The old man is gone, Hu Songhua although there is pain in the heart, but the performance is very strong, the old life is calm and stable!
"Fine name" comment: Hu Songhua, both moral and artistic, good character, he was active in the singing world for decades, never rumors.
He has been married to his partner for 60 years, and has been in love for 60 years, which is not common in the show business. Although Zhang Manru is very good, but the height of popularity and career is not as high as Hu Songhua, but Hu Songhua never showed superiority in front of his wife, not to mention aggressive.
At home, he is an ordinary husband and father, giving his wife and daughter a shade.
Hu Songhua is a role model for men to follow, and his artistic character and virtues are worthy of many actors!
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Hu Songhua is an example of a man whose character and virtues are worthy of many actors.