An Indian, who loves Chinese songs, won second prize last Friday in a karaoke contest organized by an IT firm in Shenzhen.

Kumaran Devaneson, a programming engineer with the IT firm, was the only foreign contestant. He sang a popular Chinese love song, How Much Love Could be Awaited.

Before he started, most of the audience was nit sure what to expect because of previous experiences where foreigners had tried to sing Chinese songs.

However, Kumaran D.'s voice and standard pronunciation of Chinese lyrics shattered their doubts. Some people even joined in and sang with the Indian. They almost brought down the house with their applause.

Kumaran said it was his most unforgettable night since coming to Shenzhen a year ago.

"I heard the song for the first time when a colleague sang it at a party. The tune was appealing and I decided to get a CD then managed to get the English meaning from friends and colleagues."

"Later, I got the Chinese lyrics in pinyin. I listened to them everyday. Soon, I could give words to the music."

When he learned about the karaoke event two weeks ago, he began practicing the song seriously.

"I sang in front of friends and they gave me favourable feedback. I knew I should enter the contest. Having completed the song successfully, winning the prize (a tennis racket) was just a bonus," Kumaran said.
 

Editor: Wings