Two migrant workers quickly became a sensation on the Internet after uploading a video of them singing "In the Spring." They were even invited to the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. But when they were on the verge of being able to enjoy a promising future, the original singer stepped in to prevent the band from performing the song.
It's all about this song.
The grassroots band Xu Ri Yang Gang, meaning rising sun in Chinese, soon rose to fame after their performance at the 2011 CCTV Spring Festival Gala singing "In the Spring". And they found themselves able to earn more than 10 thousand yuan for one performance.
But just as they were about to rock the entertainment industry, the original singer, Wang Feng, rescinded permission to sing the song. Wang wrote in his blog that he was moved after seeing their performance online. So he invited these two young men to his concert in October in Shanghai to help them pursue their dreams.
But with the band attending increasingly more shows, Wang felt his goodwill taken advantage of.
Singer Wang Feng said, "I intended to help the band because they have a dream and they need a chance. So I authorized them to sing this song at the Spring Festival Gala, but not in their later performances. This is about intellectual property rights and I think the public should understand and respect the will of the composer."
In response to Wang's remark, one of the band members has this to say.
Band member Wang Xu said, "I'm grateful to Wang Feng and his help. Without him, there'll be no today's Xu Ri Gang Yang band. I want to apologize to him for the trouble and misunderstanding caused by us singing his song. I respect his decision."
Analysts say if the band wants to sustain itself and really hold a position in the entertainment industry, they need more original compositions. Otherwise, they'll face similar disputes in the future if they still have to rely on others' work.