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Giorgio Moroder: 'One World One Dream' shall be a great theme

(BOCOG)
Updated: 2006-07-17 17:08

Throughout the Olympic music history, a spectacular anthem still remains fresh in our mind even twenty years had vanished. It was "Hand in Hand" of 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, produced by renowned Italian composer Giorgio Moroder.

Giorgio Moroder shared his idea about his music compostion of Beijing Olympic song with the reporter. [BOCOG]

At the eve of the closing ceremony of this year's Beijing Olympic Festival, Italian composer Giorgio Moroder arrived in Bejing on Friday to attend the Forum on Olympic Music to showcase his substantial experience in Olympic Anthem composition.

In an interview conducted by BOCOG official website reporter, Giorgio Moroder poured out his ideas in detail on how to create the Beijing Olympic Music. "One World One Dream" shall be a great theme, he said.

Now he has already started the song's creation with his Chinese partner Kong Xiangdong, a famous Chinese contemporary pianist who will help him get acquainted with Chinese music. They cooperated in composing the "Garden of Harmony" for Shenyang China International Horticultural Exposition 2006 and that song became the city song.

A great song created on a napkin

Moroder insisted that a successful Olympic song be easy but not simple, be recognizable and modern, and so was his most remarkable creation--"Hand in Hand".

"That song was very easy and commercial, the lyric 'Hand in Hand' can refer to many kinds of meaning, including the peace and the spirit of the Olympics" said Mr.Moroder.

He believed the popularity of this song was attributable in part to the excellent performance by Koreana (a temporary Korean band) and the promotional effort made by the Seoul Olympic Committee. "Two months before the Opening Ceremony, the song was played over and over through out the nation."

Moroder still cannot forget the moment when 18,000 people sang "Hand in Hand" together with the singers, holding the lyric paper in hand.

Can you imagine such a great song was originally produced on a napkin? One day, Moroder walked into a restaurant and started to put a proper rhythm on a little piece of lyric named "Hand in Hand".

Out of the blue, an inspiration came to the composer's mind, and he quickly scrabbled on a napkin from the table. Two weeks later, "Hand in Hand" was finished.

When he handed it over to the Seoul Olympic Committee with a well-prepared video presentation, it was agreed unanimously.

Getting ready to be involved in 2008 Beijing

As a matter of fact, Moroders Beijing Olympic complex started in 1993 when he produced a song named "Good Luck Beijing" for the city's Bid for the 2000 Olympics.

He felt delighted to be invited by Beijing Olympic Committee to produce a song for the Games.

"The beginning of the song should be a small piece of Chinese instrument. And a Chinese kid's singing goes out. The thematic lyric 'One World One Dream' should be repeated by one Chinese singer and an international singer. It seemed that Moroder had already got down to the business.

He would also find a Chinese appropriate word at the end of the song, inspired by "Hand in Hand" songs ending.

"Children are our future, and many successful Olympic songs were performed by kids." So he suggested organizing a national singing contest to select over 1,000 children of 5-to-10-year old, and the best of them will sing as a chorus member on the Opening Ceremony.

He is not only willing to give suggestions but also getting ready to be involved in Beijing Olympic Music creation.

About Giorgio Moroder

Giorgio Moroder is one of the world's best known, most active and innovative composers of film, dance, and other popular musical forms.

Moroder wrote many remarkable official theme songs, "Reach Out," for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and "Hand in Hand," for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. The latter was regarded as the best Olympic theme song by former International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Juan Antonio Samaranch. In 1990, he wrote UN ESTATE ITALIANA ("To Be Number One") for the official song of FIFA World Cup Italy 1990.

Moroder is the winner of 3 Oscars: "Top Gun," "Flashdance," and "Midnight Express." He has also been honored with 4 Golden Globes, and 3 Grammies.