Taxi driver lives double life as singer

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04:53

CGTN

Yu Bo is a taxi driver in Beijing.

Taxi drivers are commonly considered as good talkers. Apparently, Yu is not. Instead of bringing up topics, he plays his original songs:

"I'm stuck in the morning traffic jam,

where everything seems to stand still.

Even a snail could overtake you on the southern sections of the East and West 3rd Ring Roads."

Yu Bo, a taxi driver working in Beijing. /CGTN Photo

Heavy traffic in Beijing. /CGTN Photo

Yu was born into a family of "world music." His father plays several musical instruments, while his mother is a Peking Opera lover. Growing up in such an atmosphere, Yu has gained some talent in music. No matter the music genre, he can always sing along with the lingering melodies.

"Some of my favorite songs can make me burst into tears because they are so touching."

Yu Bo (right) and the passenger (left). /CGTN

Yu began to drive a taxi 24 years ago in 1995. "I start working at about 6 a.m., grab my lunch at a diner and hit the road again. I call it a day no later than 4 o'clock in the afternoon because I begin to feel my age these years."

Yu Bo during his lunch break. /CGTN Photo

He always leaves the music on while driving. Some of the songs are his original works.

"I used to cover other people's songs, which turned out pretty boring. Why not singing my own songs? It'll be nice to leave some legacies behind," Yu said.

At first, Yu recorded songs onto cassette tapes at home. After the company exchanged his car's cassette for a CD player, he could only turn to the professional studios. However, the high prices made him back down.

In 2005, Yu caught sight of an advertisement banner of a music studio, which recorded a song for under 100 yuan. Excited, Yu went straight to the studio after dropping off the passenger. For the first time in his life, he sang a song in a booth wearing headphones. The experience opened a whole new world for him. "In the following month, I spent all my spare time in the studio. Finally, I got my first cover album."

Yu Bo is recording his song in the studio. /CGTN

Encouraged by the mixer, Yu began to write original songs. He said, "you could write down whatever happened briefly after a day's work. For example, there were very few passengers, I got fined by the police, or it rained heavily… After three months, I finished the lyrics of 'We Are Taxi Drivers.'"

Yu's friend helped compose his first three songs. Later, he learned to record the improvised melodies with his cell phone, so that they could be edited by the studio.

Yu wrote all of his songs during his off time – except for "Don't Get Upset in Traffic Jam," which he wrote in just an hour while stuck on Guomao Bridge on the East 3rd Ring Road.

Yu enjoys his job. "Every day, I drive different passengers to all the places in Beijing, including many sightseeing spots. They have to pay for the trip, while I have fun and get the money. There's no better job than this."

Yu Bo is recording his song in the studio. /CGTN

He said the passengers are his best fans.

"Once a pretty girl began to cry right after telling me where to go," says Yu. "I asked her why, and she said that it was her birthday. Her boyfriend gave her a huge present and broke up with her. I was about to put on some music at that moment. On hearing the story, I said, 'Listen, I'll play a song for you. You'll get a free ride if you can figure out the singer.'"

Then he played one of his original songs.

"She couldn't name the singer as we were halfway through the song. When I told her that it was me singing, she nearly jumped to the front seat saying, 'It's really you?' 'Of course!' I answered. It was a short trip of about 10 minutes. I believed the song gave her a little comfort, because she got in, cried, then she got off and smiled."

According to Yu, for anyone among the thousands of passengers to get in his car, it's the fate that is worth treasuring. "No matter what's on your mind when you get in, I hope my songs can make you happy, and that you can pass such happiness on to other people."

As a taxi driver and singer, he has been on TV shows and signed a contract with a record company. He feels that his dream has come true. "Driving taxi and singing are always my favorite things. Neither is dispensable to me. Now that I can drive and sing as a career, it's the best thing that ever happened in my life."

Yu Bo is recording his song in the studio. /CGTN

The story is one in 'The 1.3 Billion' series exploring the diverse lives that make up China.