80–90年代10大巨星 Top 10 Artists of 80-90s 2007 Singapore Television 25th Anniversary Top 5 Most Favourite Songs "Samsui Woman" 新加坡戏剧情牵25 最受欢迎5大主题曲《红头巾》 Golden Bell Awards – Best Female Artist1985 Sarah Chen or Chen Shu-hua (traditional Chinese: 陳淑樺; simplified Chinese: 陈淑桦; pinyin: Chén Shúhuà; born 14 May 1958) is a Taiwanese singer[1] who was active from the 1970s to the late 1990s.
Her collaborations included duets[3] with Jackie Chan ("So Transparent is My Heart", 明明白白我的心), Jonathan Lee ("Walk Your Own Way", 你走你的路), Leslie Cheung ("Take for Granted", 當真就好), and Wakin Chau ("A Whole New World"，萍水相逢).
Chen's contribution to songs performed by multiple artists include "Tomorrow Will Be Better" (明天會更好, 1985), "Happy Paradise" (快樂天堂, 1986), and "The Pearl of the Orient" (東方之珠, 1991).
Her early albums were produced under various labels, including Big Ocean Records (大三洋唱片公司), featuring Taiwan MinYao and ballads with tracks such as "I Am Quietly Waiting For You" (我在靜靜等你), "Mother, Where Are You" (母親你在何方), and "Night Jasmine" (夜来香).
Transitioning to Haishan Records in 1979, Chen released a mix of Mandopop and MinYao and contributed to theme songs for various movies, including Road Home (歸程, 1980), Beauty and Sorrow (美麗與哀愁, 1980), and Spring Comes Again (又見春天, 1981).
In 1983, Sarah Chen began a productive collaboration with EMI Studios Singapore, working with the composer duo Xiao Xuan (小軒) and Tan Jian Chang [zh] (譚健常).
[1] Her other work with EMI included a special New Year's Celebration album in 1985 and Black Hair Turns White (黑髮變白髮, also known as Love 情, 1986).
[7] Chen released several Mandarin albums: Waiting for the Storm (等待風起, 1987), Heart of a Woman (女人心, 1988), Tomorrow, Will You Still Love Me (明天，還愛我嗎, 1988), and Talk to You, Listen to You (跟你說 聽你說, 1989).
[16] Reflecting on this period during a TV interview in the mid-1990s, Sarah Chen recounted an encounter with a fan on the street, who tearfully embraced her, telling her, "You sang the words of my heart!
[15][20] Despite health concerns, she released A Lifetime of Waiting (一生守候, 1990), which won her the Golden Melody Best Female Artist Award,[21] and Be Wise, Be Easy (聰明糊塗心, 1991).
Chen also sang the theme song for Red Dust (1990),[17] a film starring actress Brigitte Lin, which tells a tale of lovers torn apart amidst the political upheavals of 1940s China.
[3] Forever Sarah (生生世世, 1995) contained three new tracks alongside re-recordings of nine songs centered on themes of love, farewell, and passage of time.
[26] The documentary highlighted Chen's naturally beautiful voice, which required minimal modification, a sentiment echoed by renowned musician Lo Ta-yu.
[11] Chen's musical repertoire was not confined to a single genre;[3] she also performed English pop and folk songs[28] and recorded Taiwan's first R&B album.
Sarah Chen's colleagues identified several factors contributing to her distinctive style: exceptional vocals, skillful articulation of the lyrics, deep cultural understanding, and a purity of heart untouched by societal complexities.
[29] Sarah Chen gained widespread recognition as the "voice of urban women" (都市女子代言人)[6][7] following the release of three albums in the late 1980s: Heart of a Woman (女人心, 1988), Tomorrow, Will You Still Love Me (明天，還愛我嗎？, 1988), and Talk to You, Listen to You (跟你說，聽你說, 1989).
[3][17] Broadcaster Ma Shihfang[7] noted that Chen's rise in the late 1980s coincided with a period when more women were relocating to urban areas in Taiwan to pursue white-collar careers.
Sarah Chen embodied this demographic, and her songs such as "Dream to Awakening" offered solace to her audience as they navigated personal challenges.
In a 2003 interview,[3] Tarcy Su credited Sarah Chen with sparking a new era for independently minded female artists in Taiwan's music scene.
Lee said that the two preceding albums in 1988 succeeded in "completely washing away Sarah's past," making her portrayal as an urban woman acceptable to her 1980s-1990s audience for "Dream to Awakening" (夢醒時分).
During an interview with Shanghai Television in 1993, Sarah Chen expressed her aspiration to create timeless songs, akin to certain English classics.
[38] In her final public radio interview in 2003 with Matilda Tao, Chen expressed interest in a potential return but acknowledged complications in her life needing attention first.
During a 1992 radio interview with ICN Chinese American Voice, Chen, who had faced immense pressure and health issues,[40] affirmed she would choose a music career again.
[15] Since entering the music scene at age nine, Sarah Chen received steadfast support from her mother, who acted as her manager and business partner.
[6] During a 1990 radio interview with Liu Jie [zh],[40] Chen expressed her wish for gender equality and personal space in marriage, acknowledging that in the male-dominated Taiwanese culture, finding a "Mr.