Tao of music

Singer-songwriter David Tao is having his world tour in remembrance of his father. Chen Nan has more details.

David Tao has been exposed to music from the East and West since he was young. His father, a Western-trained singer-songwriter and TV host, is known in Taiwan for his comical performances. His mother is a veteran Peking Opera singer.

Since he was born, he has listened to his father strumming the guitar and singing Beatles' songs, while his mother practiced high-pitched Peking Opera.

But Tao did not follow his parents' footsteps. He released his debut album David Tao in Taiwan in 1997, sweeping the Asian music scene with his crossover tunes of R&B and rock with Chinese style.

With seven albums to his name, the Taiwan Golden Melody Award winner is on a world tour, The Glamorous Life, which will stopover in Beijing on Sept 7.

The concert has the same name as a popular variety show that was hosted by Tao's father, Tao Dawei, who passed away a year ago from lung cancer.

"Although the variety show was telecast decades ago, its impact remains among audiences in Taiwan. The first time I performed on TV was with my father at the show, singing Baby Talk," recalls 44-year-old Tao. "He was such a big star. His life belonged to the stage."

The concert will see Tao and his band playing the roles of ordinary people in different jobs, such as chef, bus driver and postman. The concept of the performance is similar to senior Tao's variety show, which touched on ordinary people with funny stories.

"My father had a humorous attitude toward life. He told me that each person, no matter what job he does, rich or poor, has a glamorous life and can be a hero," says Tao. "I want to commemorate my father with the concert."

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