A-fu

Teng Fu-ju (traditional Chinese: 鄧福如; simplified Chinese: 邓福如; pinyin: Dèng Fúrú; born 20 June 1987), known by her stage name A-fu (Chinese: 阿福; pinyin: Ā fú), is a Taiwanese singer and songwriter. Prior to her solo debut in the music scene, A-fu was a member of Lazy Bomb, an indie band, and a demo singer. She is known for her cover version of "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B and Bruno Mars, which drew wide attention on YouTube in 2010. In May 2011, A-fu released her debut studio album, That's How It Is, for which she received a nomination for Best New Artist at the 23rd Golden Melody Awards.

Early life

Born in Hsinchu City on 20 June 1987, A-fu grew up in the countryside in Xiangshan District and in Changhua County. Both her parents run a rental car business together, and as they were often busy with work when she was young, A-fu and her elder sister, Hsing Ju, spent much of their childhood under the care of their aunt. Despite this, A-fu still maintains a close relationship with her mother and grew up influenced by her mother's love for music, in particular songs by Teresa Teng. At a young age, A-fu entered in singing and recitation competitions. Also, at her mother's request, she learned the standard Mandarin enunciation by watching the Taiwanese educational programme The Daily Characters (每日一字) hosted by news presenter Lee Yen-chiu, which perhaps, has shaped her distinctive vocals, in a way.

A Fu

A Fu (Chinese: 阿福; pinyin: Ā Fú) clay figurines are a speciality of Wuxi, Jiangsu, China, consisting of two figures, a boy with a red carp (homonym of the Chinese word for “prosperity”) and a girl with a chicken (homonym of the Chinese word for “auspicious”).