Guo Feng (born September 14, 1962) is a Chinese songwriter and singer. He is regarded as a pioneer of original Chinese pop music. During the 1980s, when pop music in mainland China was still in its early stages and most mainland singers primarily performed covers of songs from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas, Guo composed a significant number of original songs that became popular.
In 1986, he organized a charity concert titled Let the World Be Filled with Love: The First Concert of 100 Stars, which has been described as a turning point for pop music in mainland China and as contributing to its further development. The theme song of the concert, "", has since been performed in numerous versions by singers, bands, and civic organizations.
Around 1990, Guo moved to Japan and later to Singapore, where he spent several years writing songs and arranging music for singers, as well as for film and television productions in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Since 1995, he has been active in mainland China, continuing his work as a songwriter while also performing as a singer.
Overview Guo Feng has composed hundreds of musical works across a wide range of themes and genres. His repertoire includes sentimental ballads, charity songs, and explorations of electronic music, rock music, Chinese folk, and Japanese Enka. He has also experimented with crossover compositions that combine elements of classical, folk, and pop music.
Guo's first widely recognized pop composition was the charity single "", released in 1986. In May that year, he initiated and organized the concert Let the World Be Filled with Love: The First Concert of 100 Stars—A Tribute to the International Year of Peace, commemorating the United Nations' International Year of Peace. The concert, held on 9 May at the Beijing Workers' Stadium, featured the theme song Let the World Be Filled with Love, which Guo composed, arranged, and produced, also performing as its keyboardist. The cassette sold more than three million copies and gained nationwide recognition. A total of 128 singers performed the song at the concert, breaking with the then-prevailing unofficial restriction that no more than two pop singers could share a stage in mainland China. The performance is considered an important milestone in the development of original Chinese pop music. Following its success, official media referred to Guo as "the first person to initiate original pop music in China" and "the first person of mainland Chinese pop music". The song has remained influential; it was included as part of the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Some scholars argue that the piece introduced a new song form to Chinese pop music, effectively creating the first pop suite in mainland China. Guo was 24 years old when he composed it.
In addition to "Let the World Be Filled with Love", Guo has written a number of public welfare choral works, including "Children of the Earth" (1987, environmental theme), "With You, With Me" (1996, disability awareness theme), "Believe in Love" (2008, anti-epidemic theme), and "Wish" (2015, supporting Beijing's Winter Olympics bid). His repertoire also includes popular love ballads such as "Let Me See You Again" (1984, performed by Zhu Hua), "The Struggles of Love" (1985, performed by Tian Zhen), "Longing for Love" (1987, performed by Wei Wei), "The Heart Walks with Love" (1993, performed by Kit Chan), "Don't Say Leave If You Want to Leave" (1994, performed by Su Rui), and "Willingly" (1995, performed by Linda Wong).
Guo also explored electronic music. After moving to Japan in the late 1980s, he signed with Nippon Columbia Records and released the electronic music album Yellow in 1991. The album was co-produced with Mikie Yoshino of the Japanese band Godiego, with Guo writing all lyrics and music. The record received positive reviews for its experimental arrangements, which blended traditional Chinese instruments with Western electronic elements. Japanese magazine CD Journal praised its "unique mystical emotions" and its reworking of Chinese melodies and rhythms. In its 1994 annual publication CD Bible, Hong Kong's Hi-Fi Audio Magazine described the album as "a representation of the highest achievement of Japanese studio production", highlighting its sound dynamics and spatial qualities, particularly the track Dance (舞). In 2000, mainland China's Hi-Fi Audio magazine commended Yellow for combining "the unrestrained nature of modern pop with the elegance of traditional Chinese ethnic music", describing it as "a recording that can withstand the test of time".
Beyond pop and electronic music, Guo has also written Chinese folk songs, enka, and rock pieces. His folk works include "The Road" (1987, performed by Dong Wenhua) and "Our Country, Sweet Songs and Fragrant Flowers" (1983, performed by Yan Weiwen), both performed at China Central Television's Spring Festival Gala. He composed the enka song "Hana Zakari" (1995) for Japanese singer Umezawa Tomio and contributed to rock music with works such as "Monologue of the Heart" (1985, performed by Cui Jian) and "Star in the Heart" (1985, performed by Wei Wei). Some of his compositions also blended folk and rock elements, including "How Much I Want" (1985, performed by Cheng Fangyuan) and "Answer Myself" (1987, performed by Cai Guoqing). He also applied the classical suite format to pop music, producing works such as "Sincerity and Love" (1987) and "Ode to the Olympics" (2015).
Life
Early years Guo Feng was born in 1962 in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. Influenced by his father, who was also a composer, he began studying music at an early age. He started learning piano at the age of three and was admitted to the piano program of the Sichuan Art School (now the Sichuan Arts Vocational College) at 13. At 14, he published his first composition, a song titled "Moonlight".
1980–1983 In 1980, at the age of 18, Guo graduated from school and became a teacher. Around this time, he also became the youngest member of the Chinese Musicians' Association. He composed three popular folk songs during this period: "How Much I Want" (1981), "The Road" (1982), and "Our Country, Sweet Songs and Fragrant Flowers" (1983). All three were later performed at China Central Television's Spring Festival Gala—by Cheng Fangyuan (1986), Dong Wenhua (1988), and Yan Weiwen (1988)—and became signature works in each singer's career. "How Much I Want" was performed and recorded by numerous artists throughout the 1980s, including Wu Xiaoyun, Tian Zhen, Wu Jing, Li Lingyu, Su Hong, Hang Tianqi, Cai Guoqing, and Guo himself.
1983–1988 At the end of 1983, Guo moved to Beijing to pursue his career, joining Huaguoshan Band—the first pop band in China—as a keyboardist and composer.
In 1984, Guo recorded his first personal album, Heart Tide, considered the first album in mainland China where one individual was responsible for all lyrics, composition, arrangement, and vocals. It included songs such as "Let Me Look at You Again" (later covered by Wei Wei) and "Twists of Love" (later covered by Tian Zhen on her 1995 album Monica).
After the band disbanded in 1985, Guo joined the Oriental Song and Dance Troupe as a composer and keyboardist. He produced music for several films and television series, including The Superstar (1985), This Year Here (1986), and Operation Hurricane (1986). That year, he also released New Stars in the Music World, an album featuring twelve songs performed by twelve singers, including Tu Honggang, Zhu Hua, Cui Jian, and Wei Wei. Several tracks employed rock backbeats, an uncommon feature in Chinese pop music at the time. His composition "Answer Me" won the gold medal at the 1986 Peacock Cup National Youth Popular Song Competition. In the same year, Wei Wei won second prize at the National Young Singers TV Grand Prix with her performance of Let Me Look at You Again, launching her professional career.
On May 9, 1986, Guo organized the charity concert, Let the World Be Filled with Love: The First Concert of 100 Stars—A Tribute to the International Year of Peace. He served as composer, arranger, producer, conductor, and keyboardist for the theme song, "Let the World Be Filled with Love", and also provided "Heart Song" (sung by Zhao Li), "How Much I Want" (sung by Wu Xiaoyun), and "Light Flow" (also known as "Time Is Passing", sung by Wei Wei). The event is regarded as a milestone in Chinese pop music, and the cassette of the theme song sold over three million copies.
Guo subsequently represented China at international events, including the Hiroshima International Peace Music Festival (1986) and a tour with the Oriental Song and Dance Troupe in the United States, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Venezuela. Between 1987 and 1988, he composed several public service songs, such as "Children of the Earth" (1987, environmental theme), "Friend of Mankind" (1988, wildlife conservation theme), and "Sincerity and Love" (1988, reintegration of former prisoners). He also composed music for the films The Last Madness and Oh Sisterhood, and for the television series Frenzy.
During this period, Guo's work helped usher in a number of singers' career highs. On August 20, 1987, Wei Wei won the 24th Sopot International Song Festival for her performance of "Star in the Heart". In November 1988, Wei Wei won the Gold Prize in the Yugoslavia Mechem International Music Festival with her performance of "Love Search". In December 1988, Zhang Qiang won the Special Prize for Singing at the 25th Sopot International Song Festival for his performance of "The Same Ancestor". In addition, the cassette "Let the World Be Full of Love" won the 1986–1987 National Cassette Gold Medal in December 1987; the song "Answer Yourself" won an award of excellence in the Central People's Broadcasting Station's Teenage. "Answer Yourself" won an award of excellence in the China School Songwriting Grand Prix initiated by the Central People's Broadcasting Station on 14 October 1988, which was sponsored by the Central People's Broadcasting Station.
In 1988, a series of five concerts titled Love World: Young Composer Guo Feng's Works was held at the Beijing Exhibition Hall Theatre, featuring 23 of his works performed by leading singers of the time. A commemorative album was also released.
1988–1995
At the end of 1988, Guo Feng traveled to Japan and signed with Nippon Columbia. While writing and producing music albums in Japan, Guo Feng mastered computer music technology.
In 1990, he composed the theme music for the Japanese TBS television film Are You Asian?. In the same year, as a representative of China, he participated in various major international music events in Japan, such as the Hiroshima Peace Concert, Yokohama Expo, Pacific Expo, Asian Music Festival, etc.