Renowned Chinese singer Dao Lang, whose song “Rakshasa Sea City” has once again surged in popularity, has been surrounded by controversies since his return to the music scene last year. Particularly notable is the long-standing speculation about the rift between him and his disciple, Cloud (real name Xie Chunfang), dating back over a decade. Former manager of Dao Lang and Cloud, Fei Gang, recently confirmed that the mentor-disciple bond between Cloud and Dao Lang has never been broken, shedding light on the behind-the-scenes details of their contract termination.
Dao Lang, who made a comeback last year after achieving fame with his disciple Cloud over a decade ago, has had a tumultuous journey in the music industry. The companies he was affiliated with, “Beijing Ah Ya La So Music Culture Development Co., Ltd.” and “Chengdu Ah Ya La So Culture Communication Co., Ltd.,” announced in October that the brokerage contract signed by Cloud on May 5, 2010, had been mutually and amicably terminated on July 1, 2014.
The statement further explained that the authorization for Cloud to perform the four songs “Love is You and Me,” “My Loulan,” “West Sea Love Song,” and “Cloud” in offline performances would expire on December 31, 2024, while the song “Stubborn” could be sung until April 9, 2044. These four songs, tailored by Dao Lang for Cloud, were instrumental in launching her to fame.
While many netizens express regret over the mentor-disciple relationship between the two, discussions about “Cloud suing her mentor Dao Lang five times over song copyrights” have stirred up controversy and led to widespread questioning of whether Cloud is truly ungrateful.
Despite senior media figure Du Enhui’s subsequent clarification that the news of “Cloud suing her mentor Dao Lang five times over song copyrights” is entirely fabricated, Cloud’s reputation continues to decline, with endorsement deals being pulled and her career facing significant impact.
Addressing various rumors of discord between Cloud and Dao Lang, Du Enhui interviewed former manager Fei Gang, who had worked with Dao Lang for six years and with Cloud for nine years, and was well-acquainted with the artists.
Fei Gang stated, “The online rumors of Cloud and Dao Lang having a complete fallout are unfounded; the bond between Cloud and Dao Lang has never been severed.” He debunked sensationalized news accusing Cloud of betrayal, physical altercations, and multiple lawsuits against Dao Lang for copyrights as completely false and baseless.
Regarding the truth behind Dao Lang’s company reclaiming song copyrights, Fei Gang explained, “It is a standard business practice for companies to manage copyrights for commercial purposes; everyone must respect copyrights, even disciples like Cloud, and it is perfectly reasonable.”
When asked about the contract termination between Dao Lang and Cloud, Fei Gang clarified, “It was a normal decision for Dao Lang to focus on his creative endeavors in 2014 and mutually terminate the contract to avoid hindering Cloud’s development. Dao Lang paved the way for Cloud and entrusted me to serve as her manager, a role I fulfilled for nine years.”
Fei Gang emphasized that although Dao Lang and Cloud have chosen separate paths for their singing careers, it does not signify the end of their mentor-disciple relationship, urging people not to speculate. This sentiment was echoed by Cloud during a concert in Jiangsu Kunshan, where she affirmed that she will always be Dao Lang’s disciple.
Furthermore, insights from the interview revealed Fei Gang’s disdain towards the current internet landscape in mainland China. He disclosed that following the success of Dao Lang’s new album “Mountain Song’s Lament” and the hit song “Rakshasa Sea City,” some netizens seized the opportunity during Dao Lang’s “Where the Mountain Songs Resound” China tour to piggyback on his fame, fabricate rumors, and deliberately sow discord between Dao Lang and Cloud.
With regards to the recent plagiarism allegations against Dao Lang by a musician from Xinjiang, the management company has responded by dismissing the claims as false and stating that legal action has been taken.