ARTS & LIFE

Yeah Shanghai!

Shanghai’s Timelessness Captured in New Song p20

Overheard P16 Take Cover P18

BUFFA AAYOOO W/DA BOOMBOX

Pro-Wrestler

Interview by Phoebe Kut

Standing at six-foot-tall, Buffa is an immediate presence as he saunters onto the stage carrying a giant boombox over his shoulder. He flashes a grin and grooves to ’80s hip-hop as he makes his way through the crowd. This is the prowrestling persona of Marcello Rhines, better known as ‘Buffa & Da Boombox’ who we saw in a live pro-wrestling event last month in Shenzhen. We catch up with the New York native and get a glimpse into his schedule, how the sport is received in China and how it’s sometimes – not all fun and games.

Where are you from? How did you get into pro-wrestling? I was born and raised in Harlem, New York. Then at the age of seven, my family and I moved to the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx. I actually wasn’t a fan of pro-wrestling until the age of 10. My brother and I were more into comic books, cartoons and action movies before becoming huge pro-wrestling fans. One Saturday morning we were clicking through the channels on our television when we came across a WWE show. We were hooked after sitting through a full episode of pro-wrestling.

Tell us the story about Buffa and the boom box. How was your persona created? The name Buffa was given to me by one of my mentors Yoshiyuki Nakamura. He was the former owner of pro-wrestling ZERO1 in Tokyo, Japan. Nakamura-San was the first promoter to give me an opportunity to live and wrestle overseas.

“The pro-wrestling scene here in China is in its infant stage, but it’s growing more and more every single day”

The Buffa character is an extension of my persona with the volume turned up. I describe my character as pro-wrestling’s throwback to ‘80s hip-hop.

What is the Chinese wrestling scene/ fans like? The pro-wrestling scene here in China is in its infant stage, but it’s growing more and more every single day, thanks to publications like That’s. The fans here in China are amazing. They’re so loud, respectful and supportive. They love pro-wrestling.

How often do you have to train, rehearse and perform? I train everyday depending on my schedule. If my schedule is open, I’m doing 90 minutes of cardio first thing in the morning, then 90 minutes of weight training at night.

There’s a misconception about rehearsals and pro-wrestling. We don’t do any rehearsing. In professional wrestling there’s no takes, breaks or camera tricks. What you see is what you get.

Before the pandemic, I was wrestling everyday, sometimes twice a day. Depending on the tour. My schedule was very hectic.

After 20 years of wrestling, my body has adapted to the demanding schedule. Nowadays due to the travel ban, I’m only wrestling a few days a month throughout China, instead of throughout the world like I was before. Have you gotten any injuries from pro-wrestling? Yes, unfortunately I have. Luckily none of these injuries required surgery.

I’ve broken my ankle, sprained it multiple times, broken my sternum, broken fingers and my nose multiple times as well.

After 20 years of wrestling, I’m very fortunate. I don’t walk with a limp or wake up in pain. All the credit goes to my nutrition and training regimen.

What’s your most favorite thing about pro-wrestling? My favorite things about pro-wrestling are the fans and the performance. Those are the foundation of pro-wrestling.

As a pro-wrestler, there’s no better feeling than being able to control the emotions of the fans in attendance. The cheers and boos from the fans are so motivating for us. I’m a wrestler who feeds off of fan reaction. Whenever I’m performing in front of the fans, I’m in heaven. Which shows in my performance.

> Follow Buffa on Twitter, Instagram or WeChat at @Buffa_AAYOOO or watch on YouTube at youtube.com/allmoneyislegal1.

OVERHEARD “West Lake compares to Xi Zi the beauty at her best: She is gorgeous either richly clothed or plainly dressed”

Is a line from a famous poem which inspired makeup brand Florasis to create their virtual spokesmodel, Huaxizi. Florasis is the first brand in China to create such a figure, and to do so they studied many face shapes and Chinese beauty standards.

To make Huaxizi even more realistic, a mole was added above her eyebrow. The brand describes her as “a fashionable and classical oriental woman.” Furthermore, “she is like a hibiscus in the water, with a unique temperament that is oriental, natural, confident and elegant.”

As if social media didn’t make us all feel inadequate sometimes, looks like virtual influencers are becoming mainstream.

COVET Day22

Day22 is on a mission to help men in China take better care of themselves. Formulating 100% of their functional skincare products from the ground up, and sourcing high quality ingredients from all over the world, they recently launched a core ritual set: 1. Soap-free face wash with Salicylic Acid to remove debris and oil, and Zinc PCA to reduce excess oil production and promote healthy collagen growth. 2. Lightweight face lotion with 2% Probiotics to strengthen immunity and balance pH levels, Vitamin E to nourish and protect and Zinc PCA to reduce excess oil production and promote healthy collagen growth. 3. Soap-free shampoo with a diverse combination of Amino Acids and 2% Avocado Oil to fortify, hydrate and repair. 4. Soap-free body wash with a diverse combination of Amino Acids and Trehalose to protect, nourish, and hydrate.

> Their lab is prototyping more targeted solutions such as eye creams, serums, masks and scrubs. Find their stores on Taobao (Tmall coming soon) and WeChat.

UNDER THE LENS

The One Where Celeb Cameos Were Missing

The Friends reunion special landed on Chinese streaming platforms in late May. However, a handful of celeb cameos were cut.

The New York Times reported that all scenes featuring guest stars Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, BTS and some with folks from the LGBTQ community were edited out in the China version that aired on Youku, iQiYi and Tencent Video. This shaved off around six minutes of footage from the original HBO Max runtime of 1:43:50.

Cut cameos aside, the Friends reunion still tugged at the heart-strings, seeing the six cast members reunited. The special was well-received with a 9.5/10 rating on Chinese review site, Douban.

CITY SNAPSHOT @ iumhjdkouyheo

Chu is a photographer from Shenzhen who loves capturing the beautiful moments in life. She tells us, “As a child who was raised locally in this city, I have a more unique personal understanding of Shenzhen.”

We asked Chu about her dark blue tones in her pictures. She says, “I didn’t do it on purpose. But I realized I like [a] calm feeling in my pictures. You can always see this in my [photographs].” The photo here was taken during sunset at 欢乐海岸 (Huanlehaian), one of Chu’s most favorite places in Shenzhen. In her caption she writes, “High angles allow me to broaden my view to the whole scene of 欢乐 海岸 . Warming light of the mall from the other side of the lake contrasts with blue background, creating a magical calming vibe. Every time I want to concentrate or need a place to hide from reality, this place will always come to mind.”

> For more of Chu’s work follow @ iumhjdkouyheo on Instagram.

TAKE COVER

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Shanghai’s Timelessness Captured in New Song

By Ryan Gandolfo

There’s a particular draw to Shanghai that other cities in China may never be able to replicate.

For many of us who’ve lived in the ‘city on the sea,’ the lure is the nightlife – where debauchery runs rampant in a place with captivating history. Julian Chou-Lambert, who also goes by his stage name Lynton ( 隶霆 ), moved to Shanghai in 2005. While studying Mandarin at Shanghai International Studies University, he fell in love with the city and has returned just about every year since – barring a global pandemic.

The British-Chinese singer and musician grew up across cultures in the UK, Singapore and Shanghai. With musical training from the Royal Academy of Music in London, Lynton has developed a diverse musical skillset that’s evident in his debut single, ‘Yeah Shanghai!’

“I think everyone knows Shanghai’s glamor, but there’s also a less glamorous side that gives a more authentic impression of the city,” Lynton tells us over the phone from London. The song kicks off with a sample of Zhou Xuan’s 1940s classic ‘Night Life in Shanghai ( 夜上海 , Ye Shanghai),’ before diving into the wild and wicked world of Shanghai.

‘Yeah Shanghai!’ was released in China earlier this year before a worldwide release in the coming months.

Lynton describes the single much like the city – “a combination of old and new, East meets West,” adding that it’s an “upbeat love letter to Shanghai.”

Throughout the song, we hear a mishmash of English, Mandarin and even a few Shanghainese phrases thrown in for good measure. The instrumentation combines Chinese classical instruments like the erhu with Western production value.

“I think the idea of ‘Yeah Shanghai!’ is a party track. You play it when you’re having a good time, like at a nightclub. Or, in a jazz bar as an acoustic version,” Lynton says.

The song strings us in from the beginning with Zhou Xuan’s hauntingly beautiful voice, which Lynton received permission to use from China Record Corporation, the Chinese government’s oldest record company established in May 1949.

From there, the song establishes the “glam and gritty” of Shanghai, with shoutouts to migrant workers and laowai trophy wives, among other Shanghaicentric topics.

YEAH SHANGHAI!

The end of the first verse wraps up matter-of-factly with this line: “So get your Alipay ready, but hold your head steady ’cos these Shanghai nights are bound to get messy!”

Lynton and a small team created a music video for ‘Yeah Shanghai!’ following the completion of the track. The three-minute video stars Wang Yuke and takes the viewer on an intoxicating journey from day to night around Shanghai landmarks such as Xin Tian Di and Yu Garden.

“The music video has more of a documentary style that gives a unique view of Shanghai, rather than a performance-style hip hop video,” Lynton tells us, adding that there’s a degree of grittiness that’s meant to turn it into a dream-like trip.

There are also elements of the video inspired by Zhou Xuan’s films, from putting on lipstick in the mirror to the barrage of illuminated street signs permeating through the city.

When asked what the song most reflects, Lynton throws it back to Zhou. “She lived a glamorous but tragic life and died quite young. There are risks in Shanghai as well as rewards,” he says, adding that beyond Shanghai’s shiny exterior are things you might not know behind the scenes, which makes the city even more interesting.

While Lynton rides out the remnants of this global pandemic, he looks forward to the next time he can visit the ‘Never Sleep City’ and perform the fun, upbeat track for a live audience.