Theme songs heat up pre-Games cultural environment

Zhao Dongming makes a speech. (Photo credit: Zhang Yu)

(BEIJING, July 8) -- A wave of promotional Olympic songs was launched on Tuesday, one month ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Musicians from China and around the world have responded warmly to the Olympic song search campain, with a number of excellent works selected, including "China Saw It," the theme song for large-scale Olympic cultural activities. The song is expected to spread among listeners around the world during the Olympic and Paralympics next month and in September.

Close to 30 songs will be made into music videos and a special official album is to be distributed to central and provincial media organizations for further promotion. Besides the newly-released "China Saw It," songs also include the theme song for Beijing Olympic volunteers, "I am a Star"; the theme song of the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay, "Light the Passion Share the Dream"; and the theme song of the 100-day countdown to the Olympics, "Welcome to Beijing."

Kong Xiangdong (1st, L) and Sun Nan(1st,R) tell the story on how they created the song "Friends Forever." (Photo credit: Zhang Yu)

Although the search has ended, promotion will continue for the Olympic songs, which are products of high artistic value resulting from the diligent work and wisdom of Chinese musicians, and they will be sung by enthusiastic people everywhere to heat up the pre-games environment, said Zhao Dongming, director of the Cultural Activities Department of BOCOG.

Famous Chinese musicians led by Wu Zuqiang and lyrics writers such as Yan Su praised the works as representations of the highest levels of musical creation in recent years. Organizers said the Olympic songs can soon be found at some 3,000 Olympic licensed product shops nationwide to meet the music fans' demands.