Pop Star Celine Dion Set to Sing at the 2013 CCTV Spring Festival Gala

NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- World famous songstress Celine Dion will sing at the 2013 CCTV Spring Festival Gala. It's the first time an internationally known star has been invited to the event.

CCTV Spring Festival Gala is known to virtually every Chinese person across the globe. It is held every year to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New year and is broadcast live to the world on the Lunar New Year's Eve. It debuted 30 years ago in 1983 and has now become part of modern China's culture and tradition.

The gala pioneered putting Chinese performing artists on the TV screen. It revolutionized Chinese television. Different types of performances like singing, acrobatics, magic, cross talk, and opera are all given their chance to shine. To perform at the gala is seen as the pinnacle of a performer's career. Every year, numerous artists across the country audition for a slot at the gala. The gala's incredible popularity makes it possible for a nobody to transform into a national star overnight.

The gala has made some world records: It has the world's highest audience numbers of its kind, reaching more than one billion (1,000,000,000.) viewers. It's the world's longest gala, broadcast live for 4 and a half hours. It has the largest number of artists: over 1000. In April, 2012, during the MIPTV Media Market in France, CCTV Spring Festival Gala was granted a Guinness World Record Certificate for being the gala watched by the largest number of people.

Celine Dion is a world famous French and English language pop singer. She has a vast range of fans and enjoys a worldwide reputation. Her albums have sold more than 220 million copies. In 1997, with the huge success of the film Titanic, Dion's song My Heart Will Go On became a hit all over the world, and she came to be a household name in China.

In 2012, with the launch of the 3D version of Titanic in China, Chinese viewers became even more familiar with her, with the song My Heart Will Go On gaining even more popularity.

Celine Dion is also known for her personal qualities. She loves life, loves her family and is also very interested in Chinese culture and the Chinese Lunar New Year. She intends to use her performance at the gala to send her new year greetings to all the Chinese people.

It's been reported that Celine Dion will team up with famous Chinese soprano Song Zuying to sing a popular Chinese folk song called "Mo Li Hua", meaning Jasmine Flower. Song Zuying is also a household name in China and is much loved across the world.

On October 12th this year, Song Zuying held a solo concert entitled, 'What a Beautiful Jasmine' in America's John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Washington declared that day as Song Zuying Day. In 2006, Song's album Bainianliusheng was nominated as the best Classical Crossover Album at the Grammy Awards. In 2007, Song Zuying received the Gold Art award from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In 2008, she performed The Flame of Love with Spanish tenor Placido Domingo at the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She was highly praised by Domingo.

Mo Li Hua is one of the most popular folk songs in China and is also known to many in the world. The song originated in Liuhe, Nanjing, and was adapted from local folk songs by renowned composer He Fangcai. Mo Li Hua was performed at the ceremony marking Hong Kong's return to China and at the closing ceremony of the Athens Olympics.

Celine Dion has showed great interest in joining this year's gala. She said, "It's a great honor to be invited to participate in the 2013 CCTV Spring Festival, and I'd like thank China Central Television for this great privilege, as well as Evergrande Music Co.ltd for supporting and assisting the process. During the many years that I've been performing in Las Vegas, I've become aware of the importance of the Spring Festival as we've welcomed so many wonderful Chinese fans to our shows. Now I'll have the chance to experience this magnificent event in person. It's been almost 5 years since I was last in China. I love the Chinese people and their culture and I'm looking forward to going back there, and celebrating the Chinese New Year with all of them!"

The 2013 CCTV Spring Festival Gala is the 31st edition, as its increasing influence and popularity continues to grow worldwide. Since it's the first time a world star like Celine Dion has joined the gala, the gala team has been exploring new ways to add to the experience of her performances. And with the partnership of Evergrande Music Co.ltd, Celine Dion's performance on CCTV is made possible.

We believe the international duet, Celine Dion and Song Zuying will serve as the shining point of this year's gala. Celine Dion's performance will undoubtedly be a feast for the eyes and ears for Chinese viewers. We're really looking forward to her wonderful performance!

SOURCE CCTV Spring Festival Gala