(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) —
The Orchard has secured the exclusive western launch of China's Number 1 paid download, "Mouse Loves Rice," together with thousands of other tracks from 20 of China's biggest labels on the iTunes Music Store. This unprecedented infusion of Chinese music into the American digital music landscape will be accompanied by a major merchandising campaign, orchestrated by The Orchard, to showcase China's hottest music to US audiences.
From an exclusive digital-only Jackie Chan charity track to albums from a broad and diverse selection of music from the latest Chinese hip-hop, rap, rock, traditional and cultural music, The Orchard debuts this unparalleled selection of Chinese hits on the iTunes Music Store. To promote this peerless collection, The Orchard enlisted Jackie Chan to compile his top dozen all-time favorite tracks, which range from Mandarin pop to alternative and punk to instrumental Chinese classical to Canto pop.
Among the myriad offerings debuting exclusively on the iTunes Music Store:
- Jackie Chan Jia Xiang De Long Yan Shu An exclusive charity track
(Long Yan Tree In Home Town) by Chan for
Lifeline Express (a non-
profit mobile eye
hospital). Recorded in
July 2005; - Yang Chen Gang Mei Er Ai Wo One of the most popular
(Girls Love Me) Mandarin pop singers.
Ranked #1 for two weeks in
May 2005 on the Bai Du
charts. The track "Lao Shu
Ai Da Mi (Mouse Loves
Rice)" has been downloaded
over 200 million times
since its release in Q4
2004.
- Hang On The Box Yellow Banana China's first female punk
rock band. They have
toured internationally,
including the US and
Japan.
- Chinese Orchestra Liang Shan-Bo and Zhu Ying "Butterfly Lovers"
Tai concerto is the most
(Butterfly Lovers) popular Chinese classical
piece of all times —
inspired by a legendary
Chinese love story
(analogous to the story of
"Romeo and Juliet").
- Stanley Main Stanley Main Street This album is a true
Street representation and pioneer
of "Cross-Over" between
the West and East. A group
of underground artists in
Hong Kong coming from
different cultures created
this album, which includes
English, Cantonese and
Mandarin.
- Liu Jia Liang Ni Dao Di Ai Shui One of the most popular
(Who Do You Love Actually) Mandarin pop singers. The
track "Ni Dao Di Ai Shui
(Who Do You Love
Actually?)" ranked #1 in
Bai Du (China's largest
search engine).
- Xi Yu Dao Lang Wang Luo Bin Wei Fa Biao The late Wang Luo Bin had
Zuo Pin Ji collected over a thousand
(Wang Luo Bin Unreleased precious folk and ethnic
Songs Collection) musical pieces, and this
special album is a
collection of songs, which
have never been released
or published. Xi Yu Dao
Lang, who represents the
pop music culture of
China's Northwestern
territories, performs
these songs.
- Qiu Tian De Chong Kuang Ren Ri Ji A well-known punk band.
Zi
(Fall Insects)
- CMCB Gong Fu The first hip-hop group in
(Kung Fu) China.
- Xi Yu Dao Lang Dou Guai Ni Xi Yu Dao Lang, who
(It's Your Fault) represents the pop music
culture of China's
Northwestern territories,
sold over a million copies
of this release "Dou Guai
Ni (It's Your Fault)".
- Hei Jiu Yue Xia Yi Ge Jiu Shi Ni Experimental. A mix of
(Black September) (The Next is You) metal, rock, rap, jazz and
electronic along with
religious elements.
- Miserable Faith This Is A Problem The force behind China's
rap metal scene.
- You Qian De Gou Ni De Ma Shi Wo De Zhang (Your Mother Is My Mother-
(Rich Dogs) Mu Niang In-Law) The track "Ni De
Ma Shi Wo De Zhang Mu
Niang (Your Mother is My
Mother-in-Law)" has
reached the Top 10 in
various charts across the
country.
- Cang Ying Cang Ying > Z One of the leading
(The Fly) (The Fly> Z) alternative rock bands in
China.
"The Orchard's landmark launch of this rich spectrum of leading artists and labels from China again demonstrates our commitment to opening new markets for artists and enabling the free flow of music across borders, oceans, and cultures," said Greg Scholl, chief executive of The Orchard and managing director of Dimensional Associates, the company that owns The Orchard, eMusic and Dimensional Music Publishing. "To build new audiences and encourage cross-over, we've built the most sophisticated digital marketing and merchandising capability in the world. Coupled with local offices, staff, and exclusive business partners in literally every global music territory, we feel it's an unbeatable combination for digital retailers and their customers."
This launch and the ongoing Chinese program build on Orchard's existing relationship with Asia Markets Development Limited (AMDL), based in Hong Kong and helmed by former telecommunications executive Daniel Cheung, the founder and executive director of AMDL, a seasoned digital media executive with more than 20 years experience in telecom and global information technology, and ECD Hong Kong Limited (ECD), also based in Hong Kong and helmed by Jolland Chan, the founder and CEO of ECD, who uses the author's pseudonym, "Xiang Xue Huai" (meaning "Reminiscences In Snow"). Chan, a legendary songwriter, producer and A&R executive, has decades of experience in the music industry and is recognized as one of the most accomplished artists and business professionals in the Chinese music industry.
"This is a watershed of the online music development and a monumental step for the Chinese music industry, with The Orchard and partners playing a pivotal role," said Cheung.
"Music has been an integral part of Chinese civilization for the last 4,000 years and with this launch, Chinese music will begin to resonate in all corners of the globe," added Chan –Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
