PopTech : Blog : The World Rebalancing: A Nigerian pop star in China

The World Rebalancing: A Nigerian pop star in China

Kiley Lambert ( Bio / Posts ) | Wednesday, March 23, 2011 UTC

In keeping with the spirit of our conference theme for 2011, The World Rebalancing, we present, courtesy of the New York Times, Hao Ge.

A rather remarkable rebalancing act in his own right, Hao, also known as Emmanuel Uwechue, is a Nigerian who sings in Mandarin and is the first African-born entertainer to become a legitimate pop sensation in China. After moving to China in 2002, Uwechue quickly learned Chinese and now writes all of own songs in his adopted language.

Uwechue has undoubtedly achieved success because he is a captivating performer blessed with a great voice. However, in some respects, his success is also representative of the significant and complex relationship that has developed between Nigeria and China over the years.

From the Times:

Among nations with close Sino-African ties, Nigeria in particular has benefited from Chinese capital. China has invested more than $7 billion in energy, communications and infrastructure in the country, which exports some $4.7 billion in crude oil to China each year, according to a recent statement by Li Yizhung, China’s minister of industry and information technology.

“This is not just about Hao Ge,” said Long Hu, 38, a music producer and talent scout in Beijing who cultivates young musical talent. “It’s about China and Africa.”

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