From today onwards, Beijing Olympics FAN! will feature the Olympic Songs (a lot) sung by various Chinese singers. First to kick start is Jay Chou (鍛ㄦ澃浼�) giving you Qian Shan Wan Shui (鍗冨北涓囨按).

Don’t worry if you don’t have enough moola to buy the We8 Coca-Cola bottles to download music and songs composed for the Beijing 2008 as we have the MP3 downloads here. This week we will feature Jes from USA, with her “Be It All” which has a theme of 鈥淚ndividual Perseverance鈥�. The one-of-a-kind coke bottle is designed by Chinese artist, Jiang Hua.

Download 鈥淏e It All鈥� by Jes

Here’s the interview with Jes.

What was your creative process for developing your song, 鈥淏e It All鈥�?

I usually record many, many different ideas and then skim through them. I write mainly with guitar, but I also use keyboards and a computer with loops and everything, of course. Then, with my producer Richard Robson, we take the parts and vocals I have and form them by editing, overdubbing and rearranging, and adding more vocals.

What elements of the special aluminum contour bottle design most inspired you?

Well, the design looks like a maze. What inspires me is trying to find your way. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 fun about writing and producing music, too. It鈥檚 always about finding your way.

How long did it take to create your song?

It was done in parts, separated over a time, a couple of weeks. Writing can sometimes be really easy, but then it takes a while to get that out in recorded form.

Has any of your other music been inspired by artwork or designs?

Definitely, paintings inspire me. I always get a lot of ideas from art exhibits. Recently, I was in Holland and went to the Van Gogh museum. The combination of the art and the story of his life really inspired some of my songs and it sticks with me. The painting and the feelings I got from it are with me even now. I don鈥檛 think I will forget it.

What inspired you to become a musician/artist?

It came from a mother who was very into music. She always played me her favorite albums and was in musical theater. She introduced me to Beatles music and took me to auditions for performing things as a kid. But, really, I think it was always in me. I used to be a very dramatic, sensitive child. I would sing to the stars and the ocean. My first written song was for my cat and I would write musicals in the shower at a very early age. I recorded my first song professionally at 14 and, after I heard it, I knew this is what I was to do and I never pursued anything else.

What other cultures, if any, have inspired your music?

The music I listen to comes from many different countries. English culture has always influenced me, as well as music from Europe. Dance music in particular is culturally quite rich. In my work recently, I have included samples from African artists, as well as incorporated in my singing Indian-influenced musical scales and keys. I have worked on my recent albums, 鈥淒isconnect 鈥� and 鈥淚nto the Dawn,鈥� with people from Latin America, Hungary, Holland, the U.K. and Sweden. I enjoyed working with these producers and musicians, because they brought their cultural elements and sounds into the music.

How do you connect with the world?

Music connects us all over the world. Now, with the Internet, a song can travel around the globe instantly. I have been lucky enough to tour all over the world and perform in so many different countries and meet so many amazing people and experience their culture and learn and see their country from them. It鈥檚 great to see so many people, no matter where you go, having fun, dancing and enjoying the music and energy. I get to sing to them and they sing with me. It鈥檚 something indescribable.

What role does music play in bringing people of different cultures together?

Music is a universal language. I always find it interesting because I have done a lot of large international music festivals and, when I perform in different countries, although the crowd doesn鈥檛 understand the lyrics, it seems they really do. They connect to the feeling it gives them, the vibe, the melody. Music speaks to the soul and you can all hear a song and it can bring on a feeling and each person experiences it differently, but yet the same. It brings us all together when we just listen.

Have you ever traveled to or performed in China?

I haven鈥檛 performed in China yet, but I look forward to it! I was very fortunate to perform in Taiwan and Malaysia, though. I performed at a very big Halloween party in Taipei City 鈥� it was a huge Godskitchen event. Taiwan was amazing. The party was over 10,000 people all dressed up in costumes. I got to meet a lot of really nice people and they showed us around. We were on top of the world鈥檚 tallest building, the 101, and we went to the volcanic hot springs and even got a Taiwan foot massage. That was incredible. In Malaysia, I performed at a Formula One party for Renault and they won! So that was really exciting, but, China 鈥� I can鈥檛 wait!!

What is your favorite part of the Olympic Games? Favorite Olympic event? If you were going to compete in the Olympic Games, what sport would you like to try?

I would love to see the ceremony, the lighting of the cauldron at the beginning of it all. It鈥檚 always very exciting to see what they will do each Olympics, (and) the way all the athletes from all over the world are there together. I love to see competition pushing individuals to achieve their personal best. I love gymnastics, because I used to do gymnastics! I also get very involved in swimming competitions. My favorite sport, though, is skiing and the snowboarding in the Winter Olympics. But if I would compete in the Olympics, I would like to do the ski jumping, so I could fly!

What is your favorite Coca-Cola product?

I really love Classic Coke in the vintage bottles. I love all of them but a big glass of Coca-Cola with ice from the glass bottle is my ultimate favorite!

Here are the previous releases:

First download: 鈥淕lobal Harmony鈥� by Tiesto

Second Download: “Happiness Factory Remixed” by Benny Benassi

Third Download: “You Got to Keep On Trying” by Cezar

Fourth Download: “Happiness” by Jay-J

Beijing (鍖椾含), the capital of China and the venue for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, reminds me of a Chinese song every time. Not an Olympic song about Beijing but is an old song (I heard it during my high school days) called 鍖椾含涓�澶� (One Night in Beijing) by Chen Sheng 锛堥檲鍗囷級and Liu Jia Hui 锛堝垬浣虫収锛�.

Here’s the very original version of “One Night in Beijing”

Of course, such a great song is sung and converted into many versions by many singers such as…

The Heavenly Queens & King, Faye Wong (鐜嬭彶), Na Ying (閭ｈ嫳) and Jeff Chang (寮犱俊鍝�).

The rock version by Taiwanese band, Shin (淇′箰鍥�).

Last but not least, my personal favourite by Aya Matsuura (鏉炬郸 浜滃讥), a Hello! Project member (former Morning Musume).

Adidas and Jet Li (鏉庤繛鏉�) have collaborated to develop a fitness course called “Wu Ji” (鏃犳瀬). This course will be introduced to nationwide gyms next year and the aim is to get city dwellers to move their butts and achieve physical and mental nirvana after the Beijing Olympics. Of course, Adidas will also debut a new “Wu Ji” product line to satisfy fans.

Via Shanghai Daily

Coca-Cola has a Beijing Olympic theme song called 绾㈤亶鍏ㄧ悆 (can be translated to “Become Famous All Over the World”) and is performed by Taiwanese popular female group - S.H.E (Selina, Hebe, Ella), Wilber Pan (娼樼幃鏌�, Pan Wei Bo) and Hong Kong singing legend, Jacky Cheung (寮犲�﹀弸, Zhang Xue You).

This is rather a catchy tune with the Bird Nest being highlighted a few times and an easy-to-do action and cheering sequence.

The 20th leg of the Beijing Olympic Games torch relay has kicked off in Hong Kong or Hong Kong SAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) at 10.28am local time on 2nd May, Friday.

Lee Lai-shan, Hong Kong’s first ever Olympic gold medalist, was the first runner. She was followed by Olympic table tennis stars Li Ching and Ko Lai-chak and Hong Kong heartthrob Andy Lau.

I’m looking forward to Andy Lau running with the sacred flame.

Via Xinhua

Kai Pan blogs on CNReviews about the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Promotional Concert Tour at Shanghai Stadium.

The 80,000-seat Shanghai Stadium played host to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Promotional Concert Tour last Saturday, replete with (mostly) minor celebrities providing wholesome entertainment to get everyone鈥檚 patriotic juices flowing. Hometown Shanghai Olympic athletes, Sun Wen (women鈥檚 soccer football) and Le Jingyi (women鈥檚 swimming) both made appearances, but commercial darlings Liu Xiang (110 metre hurdles world-record holder) and Yao Ming (really tall Chinese guy on the NBA鈥檚 Houston Rockets) were notably absent. Despite the hosts repeatedly emphasizing 鈥�80,000 seats鈥� to the cameras, at least 75,000 members of the audience were also absent!

A great liveblog-style review, I especially like the description of Yao as the “really tall Chinese guy on the NBA鈥檚 Houston Rockets” but the concert itself sounds a bit disappointing, with all the empty seats! We know why Yao Ming couldn’t make it, he’s probably home icing his foot and hoping he’ll be well enough to play in August. Check out the whole post here.

Via CNReviews

As Beijing and China are making the Beijing 2008 as a platform to introduce China to people from all over the world, social etiquette in China must be observed and enforced during the Olympics period. As an effort to remind the citizens of China to behave in a socially acceptable way, the government has came up with public service commercials that show the right way to behave in public. In this Olympic etiquette commercial, Chinese handsome actor, Huang Xiao Ming (榛勬檽鏄�), aids a very pretty lady to carry her shopping bags, hail a taxi and play with her…(just see the commercial and you’ll find out).

China’s pride, Liu Xiang, and Taiwan’s pop singer, also Lust, Caution actor, Wong Lee Hom (鐜嬪姏瀹�), teamed up in an Olympic Coca-Cola commercial.

Maggie Cheung got a taste of village’s life when she was with a team of celebrities and sportsmen, including Olympic badminton gold medalist, Gu Jun, that participated in an Olympic-related charity event on 11th October. She became an art teacher for a village’s school on that day and visited a student’s home.

She’s still so beautiful.

Via Sohu