Teresa Teng, the “Eternal Queen of Asian Pop,” bridged the gap across many Chinese-speaking regions, with her music resonating from China to Hong Kong to Taiwan. She was one of the first artists to connect East and Southeast Asia through her extensive catalog of both Japanese and Chinese songs. Teng’s vast library of recorded material solidified her as one of the most beloved and sought-after singers across the continent.
In Metro Manila during the early 1980s, the song 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart) became a staple in local karaoke bars, often heard during family gatherings or performed by Filipino-Chinese friends at their own celebrations. The generational influence of Teng ranges from Kim Chiu’s modern take on this classic pop masterpiece to a random saxophonist in Dagupan City covering it passionately on a Facebook livestream.
The first time the Filipino audience caught a glimpse of Teng was her first ever concert in the Plenary Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center. She played two nights in a row in the evenings of October 15 and 16, 1983 — nearly half a decade after Teng famously recorded “The Moon Represents My Heart” in 1977. Some viewers revisiting the footage of her live concert in Manila would recall the performance as “magical” or, simply put, “romantic,” to hear live. This is the lasting effect of a marvelous pop star, who combined an angelic voice, a string section perfectly studying the culture of Chinese classical music, and a powerful stage presence that impacted many cultures all over the world.
Teresa Teng’s cultural impact on Filipino music has rekindled people’s love for Mandopop, illustrating how she has transcended generations and communities throughout the Philippines. Despite most of her songs being sung in Mandarin, she never hesitated to sing in any language she chose, believing that different languages would help audiences connect more deeply with her songs.
