Jike Junyi performs on Top Chinese Music with her new short haircut in early December. Photo: Courtesy of T.H.Entertainment

The second half of 2012 saw the debut of the imported singing contest The Voice of China. With contestants' popularity reaching epic heights, they immediately caught the attention of the millions of viewers who tuned in. Bringing a fresh outlook to the domestic music circle and coupled with the popularity of the show, the new singing stars became household names.

The 25-year-old Jike Junyi, a Yi ethnic, is one such contestant that stood out with her unique singing voice, her mastering of English language songs and her tanned skin.

Recently, Jike's collaboration with American hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg for her new single "Summer Time" and participation in Nick Powell's latest war film Out Cast, has also helped propel her onto the international stage.

In a recent interview with the Global Times, the singer reveals her journey to fame from her humble beginnings in the mountainous region of Southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Village child to city girl

"An amazing appearance and an amazing voice" was what veteran performer Yang Kun, who was among the four tutors, commented on the singer the first time she performed on the show. With a combinational of the Yi ethnic folk song "A Jie Lu" (Don't be afraid) and funk musician James Brown's "I Feel Good," Jike got the attention of all four tutors of the first season. 

Recognizing the extremely different styles of the two songs, Jike focused on a clear and melodious sound for the folk music and drew upon the passionate style of the blues to add soul and excitement.

In the later part of the competition, Jike continued her strength in folk and English songs and finally achieved the third place. 

Jike's gift in music may have its root in her Yi ethnicity, which like many ethnic groups in China, are famous for their singing and performance talent. However, it was Jike's mother who planted the seed of music in her heart.

Life in the mountains proved difficult for Jike and her fellow villagers to have access to the outside world. Being the only college student in the village, her mother opened up a window of opportunities for her child, with a young Jike idolizing the songs of Michael Jackson and Celine Dion.

Regarded as the Chinese version of Beyonce, Jike thinks that her only trick to master an English song is to listen to it as many times as she can. "I am so obsessed with music so I listen to them not song by song, but sentence by sentence," she said. 

A Beijing drifter 

Like many young people in China today, Jike came to Beijing to live out her dream and became one of the millions beipiao, who drifted to the capital in May 2011.

"There are so many dream chasers in Beijing. I wanted to join them," said Jike, who became a bar singer shortly after her arrival. 

Life was not easy for her, especially at the very beginning. During her hardest period, Jike had to sing in five bars in one night to pay her rent, which cost an 3,000 yuan ($494) a month.

"The payment for [bar singers] in Beijing is very low because the city is full of singers from all around the country," Jike said.

Wanting a slimmer figure due to the demands of the job, Jike said that she did not eat a single mouthful of rice or other staple foods for a year. Her weight reduced to only 40 kilograms and her health began to suffer.

She remembered a particular night where she was suffering from a fever, and as she did not have anyone to take care of her, she gathered all the energy she could to boil some water. Still in a state of dizziness, she spilled the water and burnt herself.

"I sat on the floor and began to cry. I did want to give up at that time. I asked myself 'why do I have to be so exhausted?'" the young singer recalled, but continued to keep going and recovered soon after. 

"There had been laughter and tears in those days. But to me, they are all in past now," Jike told the Global Times, reluctantly speaking about the hardships she has suffered.

"People won't think it was difficult when you take it easy and if you talk too much, people may think you are selling your bitter experiences. I want to say that these are all my fortunes. I feel appreciated with every step that I took."  

International aims and local gains

According to Jike, applying for an audition at The Voice of China was just by chance.

"I heard about it from a friend who encouraged me to do it," the young singer said.

The recognition that the show brought her has led to her discovering many opportunities that lie ahead. 

Her tanned skin, which is seen as a disadvantage for women in China and many other East Asian countries where porcelain white skin is seen as a desirable attribute of beauty, has now become a stand out feature of hers.

Last month, as a representative of the trainees from The Voice of China, Jike performed with singers selected from other nations from The Voice franchise.

"It was stressful to sing on the same stage as them," Jike admitted, adding that she had spent three days in seclusion to prepare for her performance.

Despite her grip on international stage, Jike has not forgotten her roots. 

"I plan to publish an album sung entirely in Yi language next year," she added. 

While the mixing of different cultures in a song has proven to be a current  trend in music, Jike explained that she does not think that this blend would cement her status as an all-round performer.

"I would rather do pure folk music or sing an English song. Whether it can be widely spread or not, I will always be sincere to my music."