China Entertainment 1997

Africa, Johannesburg

Nicknamed the "Golden City", it is the largest city in South Africa and the economic, cultural and tourism center of the entire country. It is even second only to Cairo, the capital of Egypt, in the ranking of African cities.

Moreover, Cairo is superior only because of its population and urban size. Considering the city's economy and prosperity alone, Johannesburg is even better.

Cao Xuan's Africa concert was held here.

In fact, someone initially suggested going to Cairo. After all, it is the largest city in Africa. However, the official language of Egypt is Arabic and that of South Africa is English. Cao Xuan has a higher number of fans and greater influence in the latter.

And to put it bluntly, in Africa's general environment, very few can hold commercial concerts. South Africa's experience and conditions are relatively more mature.

After comprehensive comparison, Cao Xuan finally chose South Africa.

On August 22, Cao Xuan arrived in South Africa on a private plane. When I got off the plane at Johannesburg International Airport, I was confused by the sight in front of me.

Hundreds of citizens/fans cheered enthusiastically, and the accented "Cao, Cao, Cao" resounded across the land of Africa.

That's all. King Cao Tianwang is well-informed and has seen fans picking up airports several times more than this number.

But he had seen many fans, but the mayor personally led a team to greet them. Several children came to lay flowers, gongs and drums were loud, and ritual music was playing. There were two military honor guards beside him, and he saw Cao Xuan raising his gun and saluting.

Tsk~

Cao Xuan's first reaction was that he had collided with a certain head of state.

But I thought that the slogans and cheers of those fans were not fake, and it was probably not an inadvertent mistake.

So, Cao Xuan's second reaction was to ask the photographer who followed him to turn on the camera immediately.

The cards!

Concerts with tens of thousands of people are nothing new to him, but this is the first time he has been treated like a head of state.

Cao Xuan wouldn't be able to sleep well at night if he didn't record this scene for show later...

Although it is still unclear why this is the case, Cao Xuan immediately entered the role.

"News Lianbo" is not for nothing!

Cao Xuan shook hands with the mayor and others, thanked them for their warm welcome, talked cordially with the children, smiled and waved to greet the fans and citizens who greeted him, and signed dozens of autographs for everyone.

After struggling for more than half an hour, Cao Xuan got into the courtesy car. Go to the arranged hotel.

When he arrived at the hotel, he finally met Gray, the person in charge of his African concert, and finally asked about the situation.

As a singer who holds a concert, this scene is a bit too grand.

Gray was very calm and said with a smile: "Cao, there are many overseas leaders who come to this country, but there are not many world superstars who hold concerts here. You underestimated the sensation caused by your visit to Africa this time."

Under Gray's explanation, Cao Xuan gradually understood what was going on.

As I said before, the economy in Africa is relatively poor. The vast majority of the people do not have much to draw from. They have good basic food and clothing, but they have almost no spending power in terms of culture, spiritual entertainment, and entertainment.

If you want to make a fortune relying on entertainment culture in Africa, it is equivalent to selling toilet paper in India, selling down jackets in Equatorial Guinea, and selling little blue pills on the Han River in South Korea...

Of course that's what I say, but in a prosperous city like Johannesburg, it's okay to hold a few concerts.

But the key point is that it is not necessary. Africa has been excluded from world culture. The average singer has limited influence in Africa and cannot support the venue. Even if he can hold a concert, it will be difficult to realize it.

Africa is far away and the people are poor. No matter how many fans there are, it will not bring much commercial benefit to the singers themselves. To hold a concert in Africa, the investment cost may exceed the benefits.

99% of singers hold concerts to make money, who does the money-losing business...

Even Cao Xuan, on the one hand, is not particularly concerned about the income from the concert. On the other hand, he has an obsessive-compulsive disorder and a bit of pretentiousness. He wants to gather six continents, so he specially held a concert in Africa.

Warner initially disagreed, but later decided to consider not only the commercial accounts, but also the publicity accounts.

Touring six continents + performing concerts in Africa is a great gimmick that can be used to make a fuss and solidify and expand Cao Xuan's global superstar status to a certain extent.

Even if he still has to lose money in the end, it won't be much of a loss for just one case. If Cao Xuan is coaxed, it won't be a loss no matter what.

For South Africa and Johannesburg, it is rare for a world-class superstar to hold a concert here. It is an exaggeration to say that it is rare in decades, but it is definitely a rare event that is rare in several years.

Just like before, South Africa desperately fought for the 2010 World Cup to be settled here in order to increase its popularity and spread its influence.

Especially Johannesburg, like Dubai before it, as a city with tourism as an important pillar, naturally hopes to ride on the popularity and borrow the celebrity star effect.

In addition, the regional leaders in South Africa have an electoral system, and officials habitually seek the limelight to win votes.

For example, this time, the mayor directly took the credit for inviting Cao Xuan to hold a concert here. It was so grand at the airport, but it was actually a publicity show.

Damn it, it’s all a routine!

When Cao Xuan learned the truth, he couldn't help complaining. He almost thought that his prestige in Africa was comparable to that of overseas leaders.

Time was tight, so after resting in the hotel for a few hours, Cao Xuan went directly to the concert venue.

The concert was held at Ellis Park, also known as Coca-Cola Park.

That’s right, it’s named after Coca-Cola.

Cao Xuan, a Chinese who is the spokesperson of Pepsi-Cola, held a concert at the Coca-Cola Park Stadium in Africa. The whole incident sounded full of violation and black humor.

Ellis Park Stadium has a capacity of about 60,000 people. It is the home stadium of the South African Rugby Union and the South African Premier League dominant Orlando Pirates. It is also one of the venues hosting the 2010 World Cup.

Cao Xuan is still very satisfied with the venue. After all, it is one of the largest cities in Africa, not much worse than those in Europe.

But when the concert started, Cao Xuan was confused.

Unlike the central stage at Old Trafford, this stage is backed by the west stand of the stadium.

There are 40,000 spectators arranged in an orderly manner, with about 25,000 spectators sitting on the north and south sides of the stands. The open space in front of the stage in the east is the best location, with about 10,000 spectators.

The auditorium, which was originally expected to be loose and orderly, was now full. The north and south stands were densely packed with people. Even the east stand, which was far away from the stage, was now occupied by countless fans.

The empty space of the stadium in front of the stage was even more crowded, with crowds of people and loud noises, which looked particularly shocking.

Cao Xuan saw this scene backstage and asked Gray to be dragged in. "Didn't they only sell 40,000 tickets? There are already 80,000 people."

Gray smiled bitterly: "Sir, this is Africa. Even in South Africa, which is more civilized, sometimes the rules are not so strict. After all, everyone wants to see the world's superstars with their own eyes."

Ignoring Gray's flattery, this concert was not profitable in the first place, and Cao Xuan didn't particularly care about being paid for sex, but with so many people, he was afraid of an accident.

No matter from which perspective, Cao Xuan does not want a tragedy to occur at his concert.

Gray also understood this and hurriedly comforted him: "Don't worry, we have been in contact with the city government to strictly prohibit letting anyone in again, and will increase security and logistics work to ensure the smooth progress of the concert..."

Before he could finish speaking, someone came in with a mobile phone. It was the mayor of Johannesburg who personally called Cao Xuan to apologize and promised that they were making up for their mistakes.

Cao Xuan didn't particularly believe in these officials who matched the African region, but he couldn't give up and leave now.

"I also helped them prepare for the World Cup acceptance in advance."

Cao Xuan took pleasure in the hardships and put aside safety considerations. Although he faced so many people, he was not particularly nervous.

After all, concerts with 100,000 people have been held, and more than 30 concerts with tens of thousands of people have been held before. They have long been as stable as an old dog. Not to mention him, even Zhang Jie and the others who followed him to Africa were not too nervous. look.

This group of people followed Cao Xuan around Asia and Europe. It's hard to say how much their fame has improved. Their mentality has definitely been tempered enough that they have completely forgotten what stage fright is.

Even if Gray came to report, according to rough statistics, there were probably nearly 90,000 people in the audience. They were just slightly stunned, and then everyone prepared silently.

Cao Xuan smiled at Gray. He had all the elite soldiers and generals under his command, so who was he trying to scare?

“Anywhere you are, I am near

No matter where you are, I will be with you

Anywhere you go, I'll be there

No matter where you go, I will go with you

Anytime you whisper my name, you'll see

Whenever you whisper my name, you will see

…”

The soulful and sad song "What are words" sounded, and Cao Xuan appeared on the stage.

Whether they were Cao Xuan's real fans or people who came to join in the fun, they were all moved by the atmosphere and gave out deafening cheers.

Although it is Africa, due to the special situation in South Africa, most of the people who came to the concert were white people.

Although there is no specific data, a rough look shows that at least more than 60% of the people present are white, and there are also a large group of Chinese and Asians in Johannesburg.

South Africa is the country with the largest Chinese population in Africa. The number is said to be more than 200,000, and most of them are concentrated in cities, with Johannesburg being the main gathering point.

The rest is easy to understand. Cao Xuan's influence among Chinese and Asians is definitely at the ceiling level. If there is a chance, everyone will definitely be willing to go to the scene to watch.

This was the case in Europe before. A large number of Chinese and Asians living in Europe came to support the event. In cities such as Paris, Munich, Rome, and Moscow, where the number of people was relatively large, the peak proportion even reached 1/3.

Many of Cao Xuan's European fans couldn't help but complain that it was rare for Cao Xuan to come to Europe to hold a concert, but all the tickets were bought by Chinese and Asians.

In addition to whites and Chinese Asians, the remaining 20 to 30% are basically black.

Europe had not yet been "blackened" at this time, and Cao Xuan's music style was not mainstream among blacks. His white fans in Europe far outnumbered blacks.

Even in the United States, whether it was the Super Bowl or other fan meetings, he had never seen so many black fans today, and it still felt very fresh.

Leaving aside other aspects, the old blacks are indeed more outgoing, love singing and dancing, and are good at creating atmosphere, which greatly contributes to the atmosphere of the concert.

Especially when Cao Xuan sang more passionate and cheerful songs, they twisted their bodies crazily, infecting the surrounding audience and making the atmosphere more and more lively.

The biggest climax of the entire concert was when Cao Xuan sang the 2002 Japan-Korea World Cup theme song "Waving Flag".

This song originally has some African flavor, and it is the theme song of the World Cup. It is very popular in Africa, which is passionate about football. It can be said that it is Cao Xuan's most popular and widely sung song in Africa.

"WE ALL SAY

let's talk together

When I get older I will be stronger

When I grow up, I will become stronger

They'll call me freedom Just like a wavin' flag

They set us free like that flag flying

…”

When Cao Xuan sang passionately on the stage, the entire stadium also hummed along. Cao Xuan simply pointed the microphone at the audience, and then caused the whole audience to sing.

“Ahhhooo ahhhooo ahhhooo

Oh oh oh, oh oh oh~”

Cao Xuan raised his hands and faced the audience, gesturing for everyone to follow his own beat and the drumbeat of the band. The nearly 90,000 people at the venue followed suit, and even the audience in the stands stood up to cooperate.

At first everyone was a little confused, but once they found the rhythm, everyone clapped and stamped their feet along with Cao Xuan, and roared along with the melody every few seconds.

Bang bang~

Bang bang~

Roar!

Bang bang~

Bang bang~

Roar!

The movement produced uniformly by nearly 100,000 people can only give people the feeling in one word - shocking.

Even Cao Xuan, the party involved who was originally casual, couldn't help but feel his scalp numb and goosebumps all over his body. The atmosphere at the scene was even more exciting.

Many people roared in a vented manner, and some even fainted in excitement and were transported out in a sea of ​​​​people relays.

According to subsequent statistics, a total of 21 people were excited, passed out or became unwell at the concert, and more than half of them were at this stage. Fortunately, their lives were not endangered.

What's even more exaggerated is that satellite and seismic detection later showed that a minor earthquake occurred near Ellis Park during the same period.

This concert was such a success that even after the concert ended, there were still nearly 10,000 fans who were reluctant to leave and spontaneously practiced and sang Cao Xuan's songs.

In terms of performance quality and personal performance alone, Cao Xuan dare not say that this is his best concert this year.

But the atmosphere and emotional impact of the scene can definitely be ranked in the top three. Not to mention the fans, even he himself has a little aftertaste.

After the concert, Cao Xuan did not leave Africa immediately. Instead, he was invited by the South African government to attend an event and met Nelson Mandela, the founding father of South Africa.

This figure, who can be called a national treasure in South Africa, has had a lot of controversies. From early praise to mixed praise, he has become a mixed success.

But this has nothing to do with Cao Xuan. Due to his age and some achievements, Cao Xuan still gives him enough respect.

It is said that there was no Mandela in this event, but he took the initiative to meet Cao Xuan. Cao Xuan didn’t know if it was true or if he was deliberately giving face, but Mandela was indeed very enthusiastic towards him and praised him for his performance in the previous concert. Performance.

"Cao, you are a friend of the South African people. I hope to visit South Africa more in the future. We welcome you at any time."

Hiss, why does this sentence pattern sound familiar?

Cao Xuan shook his head and replied with the same standard sentence: "I like South Africa and the enthusiastic South African fans very much. If I have the opportunity, I will definitely come again. I also welcome everyone to visit China. I look forward to the Beijing Olympics. South African friends The visit..."

After dealing with Mandela, Cao Xuan quickly ran away. If he stayed like this, he might soon become a diplomatic spokesman.

However, there is one thing to say. As the publicity ambassador of the Beijing Olympic Games, Cao Xuan is qualified to welcome guests from all walks of life on behalf of the Olympic Games. These words are not out of line.

Leaving Africa, Cao Xuan rushed to Australia, the final match of the second stage, and was also welcomed. Unfortunately, he never received the grand treatment in Johannesburg.

However, it is worth mentioning that because the previous segment similar to "Viking War Cry" was very effective, Cao Xuan also repeated this segment in his two concerts in Australia.

We also received good feedback, especially in New Zealand. Many people adapted to local conditions and turned the "Viking War Cry" into a "Maori War Dance." Although the performance techniques were different, the effect was equally shocking. .

On August 28, Cao Xuan finally completed the second stage of his global concert tour and returned to China.

………

Changping Villa

Cao Xuan carefully held his daughter. Little Cao Li, who was about to be three months old, gradually grew, with a chubby little face and big ignorant eyes. The heart of the old father who had not seen his daughter for a month almost melted. .

"Daughter, do you miss daddy?"

Cao Xuan sucked his daughter's cheek, leaned in front of her, and asked expectantly.

Little Cao Li wiped the saliva from his face and pushed Cao Xuan's face away in disgust. As a result, he was too weak to push. He curled his mouth and started to howl immediately.

Fortunately, Empress Xigong kept watching and took the child back before he could cry. She waved her arms lightly and coaxed her twice. Little Cao Li burst into tears and laughed.

Zeng Li then looked at the disappointed Cao Xuan and said a few words of comfort: "I haven't seen you for a month. I have forgotten you a long time ago. It's good to be familiar with each other."

Cao Xuan also understood this truth, but seeing that his daughter didn't recognize him, he couldn't help but mutter: "It's boring to work at a bad job, so it's better to coax the children at home."

"If you don't work, where will our daughter get the money for milk powder?"

Empress Xigong couldn't help but joke that Cao Xuan used to do all the projects in the name of buying milk powder and clothes for his daughter, but now it's almost become a joke at home.

The child slept a lot and became sleepy after a while. Zeng Li put her to sleep and came to the living room to look at Cao Xuan who was making tea.

"When will you return to the set?"

"I asked for leave and said it's the end of the month, just for these two days."

"It must be quite tiring to hold so many concerts at once this time. Let's take it easy at home before going."

"Let's see."

Cao Xuan was noncommittal. He knew that the Empress of the West Palace felt sorry for him, and he wanted to rest more at home, but the crew of "Three Kingdoms·Red Cliff" had thousands of people waiting for him to film, so he couldn't be willful.

"By the way, what about your movie "Taken"? It's been almost a year and there's no mention of it being released."

Zeng Li sat cross-legged on the sofa. The hard work she had done for several months after giving birth had returned her figure to a slender state. She could not tell that she was a mother who had given birth to a child.

He picked up an orange and opened it, stuffed two pieces into Cao Xuan's mouth, ate one piece himself, and asked about "Hurricane Rescue".

"Well, these oranges are good, quite sweet."

Cao Xuan asked the teapot to boil water, took another orange, peeled it and replied.

"New Line originally planned to release it in the summer, but in May there will be "Spider-Man 3", "Shrek 3" and "Pirates of the Caribbean 3", all of which are Hollywood series masterpieces.

No matter how good the quality of "Taken" is, it will never be able to compete with these Hollywood blockbusters in North America.

The three masterpieces joined forces and grossed almost 1 billion in North American box office, directly squeezing all the Hollywood box office in May.

The fourth-ranked movie "Knocked Up" grossed less than $30 million at the box office, making it the fourth worst North American May summer film in recent years. "

Cao Xuan felt a little sad when he said this, and he didn't know if it was because he was unlucky. This year's North American Summer Party can be said to be one of the strongest summer programs in recent years.

In addition to the three blockbusters listed above, a super dark horse "Transformers" was also released in July.

The box office in North America was US$319 million, ranking among the top three in the year in North America. The box office in mainland China also received 281 million yuan, currently ranking first in the mainland box office in 2007.

At that time, New Line wanted to release "Taken" in July, but fortunately Cao Xuan stopped it.

Otherwise, if you face "Transformers" head-on, you won't be able to win in China, and North America will only get beaten.

After all, blockbusters with special effects in movie theaters are the best at attracting audiences. No matter how good Cao Xuan’s fight is, it’s still not as good as two Autobots fighting against each other...

The North American summer season is the most important period in the United States, and the fighting is really fierce. After all, Cao Xuan is still a newcomer in Hollywood, and his box office appeal is limited, so it is better to play it safe first.

"Now they are still looking for a suitable schedule, which will not be later than the end of the year or early next year at most."

"That's okay. It would be embarrassing if it was released together with "Three Kingdoms·Red Cliff"."

Zeng Li nodded and couldn't help but smile: "Fanxing is really lucky. Your "Hurricane Rescue" was postponed. I thought it would affect Fanxing's reputation as the summer overlord. I didn't expect that Ning Hao would make a "Crazy" movie. Racing", I just saved my face."

Cao Xuan couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.

The month he went out to hold a concert coincided with the end of the 2007 summer vacation.

The mainland summer title, which has been monopolized by Fanxing since 2003, changed hands for the first time and was won by "Transformers".

There's no way, ordinary domestic films can't do this kind of popcorn special effects blockbuster, even if Cao Xuan is on top, he may not be able to win.

But Fanxing is not ashamed. The second movie "Crazy Racing" by its director Ning Hao was released. With the strong support of Fanxing Cinemas, it finally won 150 million box office and won the runner-up in the summer season.

Ning Hao and starring Huang Bo became famous in one battle.

The former has entered the billion-dollar box office director club and has become a well-known genius director in the industry.

The latter's accumulated experience, coupled with the accumulation of previous film and television works and the outstanding performance of Zhao Gao in the TV series "Myth", completely became popular and became another dazzling star under Fanxing.

The success of "Crazy Racing" also proves one thing. Without Cao Xuan and the group of Xiangjiang directors, Fanxing can still produce hit movies.

Perhaps the influence of "Racing" is not as sensational as "Painted Skin" and "New World", but the far-reaching value behind it is immeasurable.

Cao Xuan has already thought about signing a new contract with Ning Hao. In the future, Ning Hao's status in Stars will skyrocket and he will become another director in Stars after Xu Laowai.

Huang Bo's contract can also be included in the options for modification, and a movie or TV series tailored for him can also be considered.

According to Fanxing's unspoken rules, artists who receive such treatment are regarded as the company's key training targets.