Teng Yu-hsien (, Hakka: Then Yí-hièn; 21 July 1906 – 11 June 1944) was a Taiwanese Hakka musician. He is noted for composing many well-known Hokkien songs. Teng gave himself a Japanese-style pen-name as Karasaki Yau and a formal name called Higashida Gyōu . Teng is regarded as the Father of Taiwanese folk songs.
Biography Teng Yu-hsien was born in Ryūtan, Tōshien Chō (modern-day Longtan, Taoyuan) of Japanese-ruled Taiwan. He migrated to Daitotei (Twatutia) with his family when he was three years old. In 1914, Teng joined Bangka Public School (艋舺公學校). He graduated in 1920, and subsequently entered the Taihoku Normal School (modern-day National Taipei University of Education). In 1925, Teng graduated and became a teacher of the Nishin Public School (日新公學校). After he married Chung You-mei (鍾有妹) in 1926, he departed from his teaching job and went to Japan to study composition theory in the Tokyo Music Academy.
Teng returned to Taiwan in 1930, then served as a translator in Taichū District Court. In 1932, he was invited by Wen-sheng Records (文聲唱片) to compose the March of the Daitotei (大稻埕行進曲), a Japanese popular song which was thought to be lost, until it was rediscovered by a collector in 2007. Later, he was interested in Columbia Records, an early disc company in Taiwan, and was invited by Tan Kun-giok, a songwriter that served as an officer of the Columbia Records. In 1933, Teng composed several well-known Hokkien songs such as Bang Chhun Hong (望春風) and Moon Night Sorrow (月夜愁).
He created a representative work The Torment of a Flower (雨夜花) in 1934, a song that depicts the mood of a fictional pathetic woman. Between 1934 and 1937, Teng composed many other songs include the Moa Bin Chhun Hong (滿面春風) and (四季紅). After Second Sino-Japanese War occurred in 1937, the Japanese government began to reinforce the influence of Japanese culture, and thus suppressed the development of the Taiwanese Hokkien songs. Many of the songs that were composed by Teng were banned, and some were rewritten into Japanese language.
In 1939, the Pacific War intensified, thus Teng resigned from his job and fled to Kyūrin Village of Shinchiku Prefecture (modern-day Qionglin, Hsinchu) with his family, then served as a teacher in the Kyūrin Public School . His health situation was gradually getting worse at that time, but he still composed some Japanese songs. At that time, Teng adopted two Japanese names: Karasaki Yosame and Higashida Gyōu. On 11 June 1944, he died from lung disease and heart disorder. Asteroid 255989 Dengyushian, discovered by Taiwanese astronomers and Ye Quan-Zhi in 2006, was named in his honor. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 12 October 2011 ().
List of composition works
SongMeaningSongwriterYearNote大稻埕行進曲March of the Daitotei1932一個紅蛋 A Red EggLee Lim-chhiu1932望春風 / Bāng Chhun-hongDesire to the Spring BreezeLee Lim-chhiu1933rewritten as Mother Earth is Calling on You (大地は招く) by Japanese Army月夜愁 / Go̍at Iā ChhiûMoon Night SorrowChiu Thiam-ōng1933Mandarin Chinese version: 情人再見rewritten as The Soldier's Wife by Japanese Army跳舞時代 1933橋上美人1933雨夜花 / Ú Iā HoeRainy Night FlowerChiu Thiam-ōng1934rewritten as The Honorable Soldier by Japanese Army 春宵吟Chiu Thiam-ōng1934青春讚1934單思調Chiu Thiam-ōng1934閒花嘆Lee Lim-chhiu1934想要彈像調 (想要彈同調)Tan Kun-giok1934文明女Tan Kun-giok1934不滅的情Chiu Thiam-ōng1934情炎的愛Tan Kun-giok1934老青春Lin Ching-yueh (林清月)1934梅前小曲1934琴韻碎心花Chiu Thiam-ōng1934閨女嘆Chiu Thiam-ōng1934風中煙Chiu Thiam-ōng1935姊妹心1938對花1938番社姑娘 / 蕃社のむすめKurihara Hakuya (栗原白也)1938寄給哥哥的一封信1938四季紅 / Sù Kùi HôngSong of Four SeasonsLee Lim-chhiu 1938滿面春風Chiu Thiam-ōng1939小雨夜戀Tan Kun-giok1939密林的黃昏Tan Kun-giok1939純情夜曲1939南風謠1940南國花譜1940送君曲1940不願煞Lee Lim-chhiu1941昏心鳥月昇鼓浪嶼菅芒花
References
External links
An introduction written in Chinese