(Photo: CNA)

Chinese Name: 彭佳慧

Born: April 20, 1972

Birthplace: Pingtung County (Southern Taiwan)

Born in 1972 at Pingtung’s Liudui Hakka Village, Julia Peng is a Mandarin pop music songstress, composer, and theatre actor. Peng’s passion for music and performing was apparent since her childhood days, joining a choir when she was in elementary school. She graduated from Pingtung County’s National Chaochou Senior High School, and in her third year, Peng traveled solo to Taipei to participate in a singing competition. She walked away with the first place, earning praise from the judges. In love with singing, she sang at restaurants and pubs in southern Taiwan for a period of time. In 1995, when Peng sang at EZ5 Pub in Taipei, she was talent spotted by Elite Music Company’s boss Cheng Po-qiu (鄭柏秋) due to her unique singing and solid stage presence, and signed a contract with the company.

Peng made her debut in 1996 with the album “Speaking From the Heart (說真心話)” – her steady low vocals coupled along with impressive high notes helped her bagged the Best New Artist Award at the 8th Golden Melody Awards (GMA) in 1997. Peng became well-known for songs such as “Love To The Point Of No Return (愛到無路可退),” “Regret Not Meeting Earlier (相見恨晚),” “Hardhearted (死心眼),” “Hearing You Bid Farewell (聽到你一聲再會),” “Tap My Head (敲敲我的頭),” and “The Day I Stepped On The Red Carpet (走在紅毯那一天),” all of which are representative of Mandopop songs which resonated with the hearts of the lonely, solitary female. Peng sang what was in the hearts of the modern women.

(Photo: CNA)

However, in 2002, the unfavorable conditions in the music industry coupled with the fact that her contract was up, Peng – who was then at the peak of her singing career – almost fell off the map entirely. She stated in an interview that “Actually, I never left. In 2004, I even participated in a musical play, “Wishing We Last Forever (但願人長久),” where I played a young Teresa Teng. I also had gigs in the Mainland and in Southeast Asia.”

From 2002 to 2008, not a single record label was willing to release an album for Peng, who resumed her singing days at pubs as a result. In 2013, Peng appeared on Mainland singing competition “I Am a Singer (我是歌手),” which helped propelled her career to new heights as her live rendition of her signature track, “Regret Not Meeting Earlier,” once again helped her reclaim her fame. Peng would go on to finish 5th place in the competition.

With her album, “Darling (大齡女子)” released in 2016, Peng bagged the 27th GMA Best Female Mandarin Singer Award, which brought her to tears as she received her commendation onstage. Bowing deeply to the audience, Peng stated that “I waited for 20 years before finally getting this award. In the last two decades, I did one thing well; that is to sing diligently.”


(Photo: CNA)

(Translator: James Loo

In collaboration with Fu Jen Catholic University, Department of English)