Return to site
Return to site

5 HISTORIC HOTTIES OF SHANGHAI

 

Shanghai is not only a city of impressive architecture and top notch restaurants but also fascinating personalities who contributed to its glory.

Here’s our top 5 sexy game changers on the entertaining scene of 20th Century Shanghai:

1.Zhou Xuan

broken image

Zhou Xuan was a huge name in the 40s. She came from humble beginnings and never truly knew who her parents were. This fierce looking lady got her start in a Bright Moonlight song and dance troupe - a chorus line of cute teenagers. Her big break came when she began acting in Shanghai. She was nicknamed the "Golden Voice", and recorded over 200 songs and appeared in over 40 films in her career.

2.Buck Clayton

broken image

Buck Clayton was a pioneer of jazz in Shanghai in the 40s .Nobody is quite sure why he came to the city, some say just to look for work, but others argue it was to escape racism. Buck transformed the face of Chinese music at the time, working closely to fuse Shanghainese traditional music and American jazz. Buck Clayton was known as one of the most handsome, best-dressed man of Jazz with striking blue-green eyes (that won him a nickname ‘Cat Eyes’). Billie Holiday called him, “The prettiest cat I ever saw.”

3.Li Lili

broken image

Known as “China’s Mae West” Li also got her start in a Bright Moonlight song and dance troupe. Her father wasa communist spy,but she was raised by Li Jinhui, the father of Shanghainese music. She quickly rose to fame acting in major films, showing a sweet subdued personality. Eventually, Lili immigrated to California, but never forgot her Shanghai beginnings.

4. Jimmy King

broken image

Jin Huaizu aka Jimmy King was a young ,Western educated Shanghainese man looking for an expressive outlet when jazz exploded in 1930s Shanghai. Jimmy learned jazz from Filipino immigrants in the French concession and founded his first band that continues to play to this day as the jazz band of the Peace Hotel.

5. Valaida Snow

broken image

Valaida is by far the most scandalous and sexy of this list! She was born into a musical family and by age 15 she was already an accomplished singer and trumpet player. None other thanLouis Armstrong himself called her ‘the second best trumpet player in the world’ .Snow toured Shanghai with her sister playing in the local jazz clubs. She began acting in the 40's in Europe but was arrested in NAZI Germany which seriously affected her career. None the less she is remembered as a fierce and sexy powerful female force in Jazz in Shanghai.

 

Previous
EVER HEARD OF 'HAI PAI' AKA SHANGHAI STYLE?
Next
CHINA SURVIVAL KIT
 Return to site
Cookie Use
We use cookies to improve browsing experience, security, and data collection. By accepting, you agree to the use of cookies for advertising and analytics. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Learn More
Accept all
Settings
Decline All
Cookie Settings
Necessary Cookies
These cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. These cookies can’t be switched off.
Analytics Cookies
These cookies help us better understand how visitors interact with our website and help us discover errors.
Preferences Cookies
These cookies allow the website to remember choices you've made to provide enhanced functionality and personalization.
Save