The 22-year-old Tibetan female performer Alan, has recorded eight Japanese singles since she was signed by the country’s leading record company Avex Trax. Her first Japanese album “Voice of Earth” was released last week.

Alan, who started taking traditional singing and erhu (a traditional musical instrument) lessons from a very young age, grew up in the so called “Beauty Valley” in China’s Sichuan Province where her father is a public servant.

At age 10, Alan left home to enter the Sichuan Music School, attached to the junior high school, after ranking first in the erhu audition as a fourth grader. In 2003, she was accepted into the prestigious Chinese People’s Liberation Army Artistic School’s singing course in Beijing, the ultimate art level in China.

In April 2006, Alan distinguished herself from about 40,000 hopefuls when Avex Trax held auditions throughout China, becoming the company’s first contracted artist from China.

She moved to Tokyo in September 2007 and in November that year, her first Japanese single “Ashita e no Sanka (A Song for Tomorrow)” was released. Alan’s musical “Kazuhito Kikuchi” has generated countless hits and her songs have a theme of love and peace.

She was chosen to sing the theme song “Xin Zhan” of John Woo’s monumental two-part epic “Red Cliff” and performed it at the Cannes Film Festival in May last year.

Q: What does your name mean in Tibetan language?
A: My original name is Alan Dawa Dolma. “Dawa” means the moon in Tibetan and “Dolma” means fairy.

Q: Did you show a talent for singing during your childhood?
A: Actually I was nothing but a naughty girl when I was a child, not to mention a gifted singer and dancer. Climbing trees, catching fish and beetles … I was as energetic as a boy and even now I have tiny scars on my skin from that time. However, I do think that I was born with a sense of music. My grandma and mother both have beautiful voices and I have been a lover of music from early age. I studied playing erhu for 10 years and received vocal training since I was a sophomore in college. Now I keep improving my singing skills through weekly singing lessons.

Q: Have you enthusiastically counted down the days to the release of your album “Voice of Earth?”
A: Of course, I am so excited! All the staff and I devote ourselves to the album. It is my great passion, just like my own baby. Besides eight former singles, there are seven new songs in the album. And we shot 11 music videos!

Q: As a Chinese girl, what do you think of carving out your career as a singer in Japan?
A: I am proud of myself as a Sichuan native singer. I know how difficult it is for a foreigner to start out so I cherish the chance and believe I will do a good job!

Q: Is there any obvious difference between working in China and in Japan?
A: In Japan, being punctual comes first. I stick to a more precise schedule and my schedule has been arranged till this August. Where to go today, when to set out, when to do interviews … everything is written down in detail in my timetable. I feel more relaxed when working in China.

Q: You were chosen to sing the theme song of the two-episode Chinese blockbuster “Red Cliff” and involved in promotion at the Cannes Film Festival. What are your thoughts on the star-studded crew?
A: I am extremely grateful to the director John Woo who gave me the chance. Besides Cannes, I attended premieres in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Tokyo. I saw Woo being interviewed from morning to night, always keeping a modest demeanor. The actors and actresses were kind and I was lucky to be involved.

Q: You write your blogs in both Japanese and Chinese. What do you think of language learning?
A: Studying Japanese is for survival. I have to break the language barrier to communicate when working in Japan and struggled a lot when starting to learn the language. And I was not available for systematic learning so I kept asking the Japanese staff and writing blogs in Japanese for practice. Now daily conversation is no longer a problem. And I am starting to learn English.

Q: What is your plan for 2009? Have you got any new projects?
A: The year 2009 will be another year for more challenges! I will try writing lyrics and composing. I am ready to perform in live concerts and I will learn dancing.

Q: What do you think about those online comments to you?
A: I always have a fond regard for ordinary people. I thank so many Netizens and my fans who send me warm greetings and comments.

Q: If you get a chance to live a life of your own choosing, what would you want to do?
A: Running a restaurant serving authentic Sichuan food in Tokyo! I like Sichuan-style spicy food so I could enjoy my hometown food every day.

Q: What is your love in daily life?
A: I love pets and animals. I have a dog named Bobi but work occupies my whole life and I hardly have time to play with it.

Source: Crienglish