Fire up the red dragon(2)

In fact, with their deeply emotional tone, strong rhythm and patriotic lyrics, red songs in China were written to inspire a patriotic spirit during wartime and boost people's morale in modern times.

In April 2011, the municipal government of Chongqing called on local people to learn and sing 36 red songs, spreading a sweeping wave of red-song fever.

When asked to share his feelings on how these songs convey Chinese history, Inglis said he finds them fascinating.

"We don't have these kinds of songs in our country, so I'm very interested," he said. At this point in his career, he can sing about 30 red songs.

Unmoved by controversy

With his popularity continuing to rise, Inglis' success has come with its fair share of controversy.

In 2010, after winning fifth place in the National Red Song Competition, the Welsh singer met with mixed responses from audiences.

Some people thought his performance was not good enough to earn his standing, with some even arguing that the judges of the competition favored Inglis simply because he is a foreigner.

"It's a shame that he edged into the top 10!" said one netizen whose online name is WYGZCH. "His singing skill doesn't justify his rank."

Meanwhile, another netizen known as Zhongyan wrote an article defending Inglis, saying he was just singing out his true feelings about the red spirit and that it should be encouraged.

Despite having received such mixed reviews, Inglis said he doesn't worry too much about his critics.

"I know that as a foreigner my performance won't necessarily be perfect," he said.

But as he explained, he does his best to understand and present red songs as accurately as possible.

"I'm really happy to be able to perform in front of so many professional judges and audiences, and bring them happiness," he said.

In addition to Inglis, there is an increasing number of foreigners performing red songs. On the stage of the 2010 National Red Song Competition, there were four foreigners, from the United States and Ghana, who competed but regrettably were eliminated at an early stage.

In June 2011 on Show Me First, a popular talent show on China Central Television, Inglis and two other foreigners, 28-year-old Bahamian Keson Bernard Tinker and 35-year-old American Haley Yang, gave a splendid trio performance of red songs.

"I encourage other foreigners to sing red songs. It's a good way to enjoy Chinese culture," Inglis said. Having quit his job as a hotel manager in 2010 to pursue a career as a professional singer, Inglis is well on his way to carrying out his dream: "To sing China's red songs all across the country!"