alan
alan (アラン) alan (always written in small caps), born Alan Dawa Dolma, is a ethnically Tibetan Chinese born in 1987 in Beauty Valley, Sichuan. She was discovered by avex trax during their Chinese auditions and released her debut single Ashita e no Sanka in the November of 2007. On March 4th, 2009, she released her debut album Voice of EARTH.
Biography
Alan Dawa Dolma was born in Kangding (Dardo), Sichuan Province, China, in 1987. Her father was a government officer and her mother was a singer. Growing up with her grandparents in Danba (Rongtrag), she began learning to play the er-hu (a two-stringed Chinese violin) at a young age, and in 1997 began to attend the Affiliated Middle & High School of the Sichuan Conservatory in Chengdu. She was accepted to the PLA Art Academy in Beijing in 2003 and double majored in vocal music and er-hu, and subsequently joined the "Feel Fine Band," a group of young female performers of traditional Chinese instruments. In 2005, she released her Chinese debut album, Sheng Sheng Zui Ru Lan ("Enchanted With the Voice of Alan"), and represented China at the 9th Asia New Singer Competition, where she won second place. avex trax held auditions in China in 2006, and in the April of that year alan was selected from 40,000 contestants. She moved to Tokyo in September 2007, and, taking on the stage name alan, she released Ashita e no Sanka ("A Hymn for Tomorrow") in November 2007. A digital single was released in May 2008 to support victims of the Sichuan Earthquake, and her last single of the Voice of EARTH era, Gunjou no Tani ("Ultramarine Valley"), was equally dedicated to those victims. In July 2008, the single Natsukashii Mirai ~longing future~ ("Nostalgic Future ~longing future~") was selected as the theme song for NHK's Save the Future TV program. This was also the first in five monthly singles which represented the five elements, the latter representing Earth. Sora Uta ("Sky Song"), released in August, represented Aether, Kaze no Tegami ("Letter of the Wind"), Wind, RED CLIFF ~Shin Sen~ ("RED CLIFF ~Heart, War~"), Fire, and Megumi no Ame ("Blessed Rain"), Water. alan was chosen to sing the theme songs for the two-part Chinese movie RED CLIFF. Both songs were released in both Chinese and Japanese. RED CLIFF ~Shin, Sen~ was released on October 15, 2008, as part of the five singles representing the five elements, and the second song, Kuon no Kawa ("River of Eternity"), is to be released on April 8, 2009. She performed Xin Zhan ~RED CLIFF~" at the Cannes Festival in May 2008.
Musical Style
alan's songs are for the most part ballads, and the most of these ballads make use of the Tibetan wail which she masters. She has used the er-hu only a few times in her songs, and always for only short parts. alan can also play the piano and the hulusi.
Discography
Albums
100px 1. Voice of EARTH (March 4, 2009)
Singles
100px 1. Ashita e no Sanka (November 21, 2007)
2. Hitotsu (March 5, 2008)
100px 3. Natsukashii Mirai ~longing future~ (July 2, 2008)
100px 4. Sora Uta (August 13, 2008)
100px 5. Kaze no Tegami (September 10, 2008)
6. RED CLIFF ~Shin, Sen~ (October 15, 2008)
7. Megumi no Ame (November 12, 2008)
100px 8. Gunjou no Tani (February 4, 2008)
100px 9. Kuon no Kawa (April 8, 2008)
.png){kind=link}
