British musician takes Chinese music to heart

When British singer-songwriter Shaun Gibson came to China for the first time in 2014, like many foreigners, he was drawn to anything new. One thing in particular attracted him most: Little Apple, a catchy song, which has dance beats and repetitive lyrics.

The 25-year-old Gibson was so intrigued by the music that he adapted the song into an English version and uploaded it to YouTube and a few Chinese video websites, like Youku. During the first week, the video was viewed millions of times, which made him a viral star. Then the singer-songwriter adapted more Chinese pop songs into English versions.

Now, Gibson is having his first tour in 35 cities around China, which kicked off in Zhengzhou, Henan province last month and continues through Feb 2 in Shenyang, Liaoning province.

"I decided to write English lyrics so Western people can also appreciate the beautiful melodies that can be found in China," he says.

Hoping to keep a good cultural mix in his shows, Gibson brings his original songs as well as English adaptations of popular Chinese hits.

Recalling his first trip to China, Gibson was also impressed by organized dancing in public squares, which sees retired elderly women dancing in parks or other outdoor spaces.

Early this year, Gibson performed Little Apple at a flash-mob event in Liverpool City Centre, which attracted a few hundred people to join in.

"There is nothing quite like it in the UK and I think it's such a lovely thing to do. I could feel such a great sense of community among the people there. It's so much more than a fitness class - it is a social gathering, such a warm atmosphere," he says. "I know it's probably seen as being totally uncool for youngsters to do that but I don't care, elderly people are cool too!"

With instruments like guitar and piano, Gibson has been writing songs and playing music since the age of 14. He graduated with an MA in music industry studies at The University of Liverpool, where he was first introduced to Chinese culture. Because of the partnering of Chinese and UK universities, lots of exchange students have started to come to the UK, including Liverpool, and curiosity got the better of him.

His access to Chinese music came from his Chinese friends, karaoke bars in UK, and the Internet.

Gibson agrees that Western music is based around rhythm, whilst Asian music focuses on melody.