China's rising pop star

ANSON HU YANBIN has a creative theory about rhythm and blues music. He thinks it doesn't just belong to black people, but is deeply rooted in the soul of traditional Chinese music.

'You may not know this, but the basics of R&B and Beijing opera are more or less the same. Both are based on the five-note principle,' says the cheerful 19-year-old singer-songwriter.

Despite his warm and honest smile, Hu's surprising statement can neither convince me nor even his publicist. He then starts singing to demonstrate his theory. His soulful voice wins our hearts, and whether his view is correct or not doesn't seem to matter anymore.

I am not the only one deeply drawn to his singing. When Hu beat Juno Mak Chun-lung at the Commercial Radio Ultimate Song Chart Awards, winning the Golden Male Newcomer award earlier this year, Hall 3 of the Convention and Exhibition Centre was filled with fierce applause.

'I attended the show simply to meet people and experience the Hong Kong pop scene. It was very important to me. I couldn't imagine myself winning anything because I was still very new to the Hong Kong audience,' says Hu. 'I thought the Hong Kong scene only cared about idols.'

Judging by his seemingly innocent but ordinary face, it's hard to imagine he is China's rising star.

Armed with a gifted voice inherited from his father, who is a Beijing opera performer, Hu went to music school at the age of 13 where he learned various musical instruments such as the guitar, drums and keyboard, and developed a thorough knowledge of music. When he released his self-titled debut featuring his own school of rhythm and blues last year, his music wowed the critics throughout China without the need to make his face public.