Chinese teenager sings in Olympic spirit

Doudou, a 13 year old Chinese girl who made a name by singing the Beijing Olympic theme song "You and Me", performed a solo concert at the Hackney Empire theatre on Wednesday.

Her performance marks the opening of "Chinese Culture Week", a project China's Cultural Ministry has helped to stage in London during the Olympics to promote Chinese culture.

Titled "Light Up the World", the concert's theme closely resembles London's Olympic slogan "Inspire a Generation". Doudou's tender voice and youthful appearance also made her a good ambassador for such a message.

"You and Me" was first performed at Beijing's Olympic opening ceremony by Chinese pop star Liu Huan and English actress and singer Sarah Brightman.

[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

But Doudou's subsequent singing of the song with her child's voice also became a popular version of the tune. Her newfound fame made her a frequent guest singer at concerts, such as the Chinese New Year's Eve celebrations in 2011.

She was named "Best New Artist" at the CCTV Awards (the Chinese equivalent to the MTV Awards) in 2010.

Despite her popularity in China, Doudou's London concert is her first solo performance outside of China.

Doudou expressed her excitement to be in London at a press conference ahead of her performance.

"I practice my singing, dancing and piano every day. I dare not relax, now I am in the countdown to my London concert," she said.

"During the rehearsal, I have to sing 13 songs in a row. Although I am exhausted, I am looking forward to the delicious afternoon tea," she added, referring to the afternoon tea her mother prepares for her after practice sessions.

At her London concert, Doudou also performed English songs like "Tell Me Why" and "We Are the World" alongside English singer Declan Galbraith, a special guest to her concert.