Wang Pingjiu looks back at Campaign to solicit songs for the Games

Wang Pingjiu emphasizes the importance of songs to reflect the Olympic spirit.Photo Gallery>>(BEIJING, March 11) -- Everyone's getting into the mix. Even Wang Pingjiu, head of the Olympic song search campaign, has composed a song titled "Hero" to be judged by the selection committee, according to the newspaper The First.

The grand Olympic Songfest is open to everyone. Wang told reporters that he joined the campaign in order to spread the word that everyone can be a part of the Olympic spirit.

"The most important thing is to reflect the spirit of the Olympic Games, which is the spirit of participation," Wang remarked.

On April 15, 2003, the Olympic Songs Solicitation Office began its work inviting artists to write lyrics, compose music, and sing songs of their own design to capture the spirit of the Olympic Games.

March 10, 2008 was the official deadline for the fourth and last round of music submission for the Campaign to Solicit Songs for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

In the five years since the campaign began, numerous people have put forth efforts to musically echo the Olympic spirit. From ordinary citizens that have never tried their hands at music to expert composers and lyricists with years of experience, interested persons worldwide have sent tons of mail to Wang's office. From the batch of novices comes 24-year old He Yan, who submitted five tunes during the first round, of which two were selected as outstanding songs by expert panelists, making him the youngest submitter with the most number of songs selected.

These names might sound more familiar: Liu Huan, Chris Bao, Shui Mu Nian Hua, Andy Lau, Huang Xiaomao. Wang noted that during the four solicitation rounds of the campaign, all of the most famous professional musicians in China have sent in songs to be critiqued by the campaign's judges, who are all experts that bring unique skills to the evaluation table.

The life of a song is furthered by the more exposure it receives. The songs that have already been selected have been made into music videos and popularized through appropriate advertisement channels. Wang reported that at the 100-day countdown to the start of the Games, a grandiose ceremony commemorating the songs selected through the campaign will be held.