"If you want to know the real China, you have to come here and see it for yourself."——Caelan

Recently, the Yangcheng Evening News interviewed Caelan, a Japanese-American singer developing career in China. Before the interview, when his colleague asked the reporter to excuse Caelan's Mandarin, Caelan playfully defend his language skills, "That's nonsense! I can speak Chinese, really!"

Caelan became known to Chinese audiences through the talent show "Produce Camp 2021 (Chuang 2021)". Born in Cuba, he has lived and worked in Spain, the United States, Japan, and other countries. When asked which Chinese phrase left him the deepest impression, he chose "四海为家"(cosmopolitan).

As a true "cosmopolitan", Caelan has developed a special connection with China. He said, "I really love China, its culture, and its high-tech advancements. I've made many good friends here and we have shared many wonderful memories. I'm not Chinese, but I feel like homein China."

Choosing China: An inclusive market and a vast stage

Before coming to China, Caelan had begun his career in Japan. In 2021, when invited to participate in a Chinese talent show, he didn't hesitate. He once said, "When I saw the previous seasons of 'Produce Camp', I thought, 'This stage is amazing', and I was really excited!"

After "Produce Camp 2021" ended, Caelan's career continued to advance steadily. He has released several original music works and is about to launch a new album. Caelan said, "The experiences and memories I have in China greatly inspire my music creation."

Getting to know China: From Jackie Chan to "The Wandering Earth"

Before coming to China, Caelan's understanding of China was limited, mostly through Jackie Chan’s movies. After arriving, he gained a new perspective on China.

He finds Mandarin difficult, but he persists in learning it. During the interview, although the reporter offered to speak in Englishseveral times, he insisted on using Mandarinand repeatedly confirmed the pronunciations of unfamiliar words.

Recently, Caelan watched the movie "The Wandering Earth". From traditional Jackie Chan’s action films to modern Chinese sci-fi movies like "The Wandering Earth", Caelan's evolving understanding of China has given him much to think about.

"This movie's high-tech, visual effects, and storyline has left a deep impression on me. I think it’s excellent. Human being share one big family. We should help each other and take care of the Earth", Caelan said.

Falling in love with China: Hoping friends and families can visit

What impresses Caelan the most is China's technological development, joking that adapting to the convenient lifestyle in China also requires "learning".

Talking about food, Caelan animatedly shared his love for Chinese cuisine. "In the U.S., I never ate duck, but in China, I discovered how delicious it is. I am really willing to eat roast duck every day."

Caelan is also particularly addicted toChinese spicy food. He said, "I tend to get pimples when I eat spicy food, but whenever I go to Chengdu, I just can't help it. I must eat hotpot there; it's just too delicious."

China's stunning scenery also amazed Caelan. He chose Inner Mongolia to shoot the music video for his single "Forever With You", where he discovered the beauty of the grasslands. "The scenery, the starry sky, the moonlight there are just so beautiful",  Caelan said.

Caelan's families and friends are also curious about China, and he often shares his experiences with them, hoping they will have the chance to visit and see China for themselves.

Source：Yangcheng Evening News

四海为家的庆怜爱上中国：在中国的这段经历让我自豪

“如果想了解真实的中国，真的要来这里看看。”——庆怜

“同事瞎说的，我真的可以说中文！”近日，羊城晚报专访了在中国打拼的日美混血歌手庆怜。采访前，他的同事请记者谅解庆怜的普通话，庆怜听到后半开玩笑地说。

庆怜因参加选秀节目《创造营2021》被中国观众所知。他出生在古巴，又在西班牙、美国、日本等国家生活或工作，有着多元的成长经历。当被问及对中文里哪个词印象最深刻时，他的回答是“四海为家”。

四海为家的庆怜，如今对中国有了特别的感觉。他说：“我真的很喜欢中国，喜欢中国的文化，喜欢中国的高科技等等。我在中国认识了很多好朋友，留下了很多共同的美好回忆。我不是中国人，但中国给了我家的温暖。”

选择中国：包容的市场与宽广的舞台

来中国之前，庆怜在日本市场开始了自己的演艺生涯。不过庆怜曾表示，在日本他并没有太多展示的机会，甚至考虑过转行。

2021年，来中国参加选秀节目的邀约放到他面前时，他没有犹豫。他曾说：“当我在准备期间看到《创造营》往季节目时就在想‘这儿的舞台太棒了’，我真的很兴奋！”

当记者问庆怜，现在对中国的演艺市场有什么看法时，他更加坚定地说：“中国的演艺市场非常包容，有非常多的机会，我也很喜欢中国的歌迷。”

《创造营2021》结束后，庆怜的演艺事业稳步前进，他相继获得了参与《舞台2023》、哔哩哔哩跨年晚会、北京国际电影节等演出机会，全国各地的音乐节邀约不断。

他还发行了多首原创音乐作品，新的个人专辑也马上要面世。庆怜说：“在中国的经历和回忆，对我的音乐创作有非常大的帮助，给了我非常多灵感。”

认识中国：从成龙到《流浪地球》

来中国之前，庆怜对这里的认识并不多，大部分来自成龙的电影。来了以后，庆怜对中国有了全新的认识。他说：“我真的很喜欢中国，我很自豪有了在中国的这段经历。”

庆怜对中国的认同体现在各种细节上。他觉得中文很难，但他一直在坚持学习中文。采访中记者多次表示可以用英文回答，但他仍然努力地说普通话。遇到不懂的词语，会一遍又一遍地确认发音。

最近，庆怜看了电影《流浪地球》。从成龙的传统武打片，到《流浪地球》这样的东方科幻大片，折射出庆怜对中国的认识的变化，也给了他很多思考。

“这部电影的高科技、视听效果还有故事情节都让我印象深刻，非常震撼，我觉得电影非常好看。这是一部关于家庭和友谊的电影，人类是一个大家庭，应该互相帮助，要照顾好地球，还要持续地学习科学知识。”庆怜说。

爱上中国：希望家人朋友来这里看看

让庆怜体会最深的还是中国的科技发展，他笑称适应中国的便利生活也需要“学习”。

在聊到美食时，庆怜手舞足蹈停不下来。他说自己的中国朋友都很好奇，为什么他要经常去吃烤鸭。庆怜解释说：“在美国的时候没有吃鸭肉的习惯，到了中国才知道鸭肉这么好吃，我真的可以餐餐都吃烤鸭。”

他还对中国的麻辣风味特别“上瘾”。庆怜说：“其实我吃麻辣的东西很容易长痘痘，但每次去成都，我就顾不了这么多了。我必须吃成都的火锅，实在太好吃了。”

中国的美景也让庆怜惊叹不已。他的单曲《去依赖》选择去内蒙古进行拍摄，这也让他发现了草原的美。“那里的风景、星空、月光，实在太美了。让我感受到了自由的感觉。大家可以看到我在视频中笑得非常灿烂，那是我在内蒙古的真实反应。”庆怜说。

庆怜的家人和朋友也对中国充满了好奇，他也经常把在中国的经历分享给他们，希望他们都能有机会来中国看看。他说：“如果想了解真实的中国，真的要来这里看看。”

记者追问如果他们来了，你会带他们去哪里逛逛？庆怜笑着说：“说出来你们可能会笑我，我想带他们去三里屯，你们可能觉得三里屯很普通，但我想三里屯可能已经会让他们感觉很不一样了。”

总策划｜孙爱群
统筹｜蒋铮 赵鹏
文案、台本｜曾潇 古司祺 付怡 戚美青 胡广欣
视频｜黎杰文 温泽广
海报｜李焕菲
翻译｜赵凡