Lin Songtao 254238712@qq.com DURING the recent COVID-19 pandemic in Shenzhen, Angelo Castagneto, an Ecuadorian musician, with Chinese partners composed a song named “Spring Knows All” to pay tribute to frontline workers. The Shenzhen Daily recorded the process of the production and interviewed the main participants. The lyrics were written by Wang Fang, the secretary general of the Green Pine Care Foundation in Shenzhen, and is sung by Liu Xiao, a young singer graduating from Shenzhen University. The creation of the song is by chance. Wang said she met a friend who had been away from home for over one week. His residential compound was locked down and he chose to stay at work. “He said that he must stay in the frontline. His words kept ringing in my mind. I couldn’t fall asleep that night and the line ‘spring knows all’ suddenly occurred to me.” Castagneto met Wang last year in the Shenzhen Concert Hall during the “Multiethnic Children’s Choirs in Concert” that was supported by the Green Pine Care Foundation. The Ecuadorian recalled that when he received the lyrics, he was at his home studio. “I didn’t think about anything. I went directly to the piano. I started to play and found the melody. I think the first feeling is most important. The process was very fast based on my experience creating songs for over 30 years.” “I tried to understand the lyrics quickly; it gives people encouragement to face the problems we have, not only the pandemic in China, also the problems that affect us all as human beings,” he said. Castagneto thinks that emotion is extremely significant when creating music. “I asked Wang Fang what she wanted to express. I understand the emotions that the song wants to convey are compassion and kindness, like the first hug. That’s why I started to create a song just with the piano because it’s my favorite instrument.” Wang speaks highly of Castagneto’s composition. “When I finished the lyrics, the first composer I thought of was him. What surprised me was that in less than five minutes, he sent me a demo, in which he hummed a simple tune. It sounds gentle but with determination. Instantly, I felt a connection with him.” She said that Castagneto came up with something new every day, and finished writing the melodies quickly. “After listening to the full song, I felt the same emotional power that touched me while I was writing the lyrics.” The lyrics, which have Shenzhen elements such as Bougainvillea and mangroves, came out in Chinese first and an English version was later translated by Shenzhen Daily. Talking about the expression in the two languages, Castagneto commented that the Chinese version is so beautifully written and the lyrics in English have the same power as in the Chinese version. He said that the lyrics express the uncertainty and the questions to which people may not need a real answer directly. “Just listen to the birds, nature and the spring, you will find the answer. I hope the words can really touch everybody’s heart.” “Just as spring will always come after winter, Shenzhen will soon embrace a spring with full blossoms,” Wang said. Usually, Castagneto spends about one month creating a song, but not this time. “I’m so moved. How a group of strangers can come together in such a short time to create a song that is so beautiful and supportive,” he said emotionally. Shenzhen Daily fully participated in and recorded the production of the song, and made an MV for it. As the first media institution that reported this story, Shenzhen Daily also made a bilingual video which was promoted by Shenzhen Musician Association, Shenzhen Federation of Literature and Arts Circles as well as Futian Public Culture and Sports Development Center. This music cooperation also attracted other media outlets such as web portal sina.com to cover. 《春天的回答》 Spring Knows All Lyrics writer 作詞: Wang Fang Composer 作曲: Angelo Castagneto 你問(wèn)我 問(wèn)我 You ask me 春天為什么乍暖還寒 Why is it still chilly in spring 你聽(tīng) 你聽(tīng) 這是鳥(niǎo)兒的回答 Listen to the birds. They know why 你問(wèn)我 問(wèn)我 You ask me 生命為什么充滿磨難 Why is life so tough 你聽(tīng) 你聽(tīng) 這是青草的回答 Listen to the grass. They know why 你問(wèn)我 問(wèn)我 You ask me 這條河兩岸何時(shí)綠染 When will the trees on the banks turn green 你聽(tīng) 你聽(tīng) 春風(fēng)的回答 Listen to the spring breeze. It knows when 你問(wèn)我 問(wèn)我 You ask me 疫情的苦雨何時(shí)停下 When will COVID perish 你聽(tīng) 你聽(tīng) 旗幟的回答 Listen to the flags. They know when 你的眼里有許多疑問(wèn) Many questions in your eyes 我的行動(dòng)有一個(gè)方向 One destination in my quest 手持玫瑰 心向陽(yáng)光 Roses in my hand, I run into the sunshine 你聽(tīng) 你聽(tīng) 春天的回答 Listen, spring knows all 我問(wèn)你 問(wèn)你 I ask you 海潮為什么洶涌澎湃 Why are the waves raging 你說(shuō) 你說(shuō) 紅樹(shù)林在回答 You said, the mangroves know why 我問(wèn)你 問(wèn)你 I ask you 夜晚為什么燈燃如火 What lights up the night 你說(shuō) 你說(shuō) 隊(duì)伍在回答 You said, it’s the frontline workers 我問(wèn)你 問(wèn)你 I ask you 肅穆的群山為何沸騰 What brings bustle to the silent mountains 你說(shuō) 你說(shuō) 簕杜鵑在回答 You said, it’s the Bougainvillea 我問(wèn)你 問(wèn)你 I ask you 征途的勇士何時(shí)歸家 When will the brave come home 你說(shuō) 你說(shuō) 人民在回答 You said, the people know when 我的心中有許多夢(mèng)想 Many dreams are in my heart 你的行動(dòng)有一種堅(jiān)強(qiáng) A strong will in your quest 手持玫瑰 心向陽(yáng)光 Roses in my hand, I run into the sunshine 你說(shuō) 你說(shuō) 春天在回答 You said, spring knows all | 