The family is poor and has been adopted
Ma Yutao was born in 1936 in a remote and impoverished rural Shanxi province, her parents were not wealthy, only relying on a small piece of barren land to make a living, as many as 9 children, Ma Yutao ranked seventh.
It is difficult to support so many children in such family conditions, and when Ma Yutao was two years old, his father wanted to give her to others as a child daughter-in-law.
At that time, many poor families would do this, giving away their daughters at a young age to ease their own burden. Ma Yutao's mother was a child daughter-in-law in the Ma family, and she couldn't bear to watch her daughter retrace her unfortunate old path, so on the third day that Ma Yutao was sent away, she risked her life to find her daughter and bring her home.
Although the family lives a precarious life, Ma Yutao still remembers that when he was a child, the happiest thing was to follow his mother to the mountains to collect firewood.
The poor and backward appearance of Majiatan Village gradually changed with the growth of Ma Yutao, which was all due to the founding of New China.
Soon after Ma Yutao was born, this remote village was ravaged by the Japanese invading army, and the houses in the village were razed to the ground. When he was 3 years old, the Yellow River flooded again, washing away the already dilapidated house.
In order to find a livelihood, Ma Yutao went out with his mother, and his father and brother went to Inner Mongolia to work. The difficult environment did not wear out Ma Yutao's yearning for a better life, but became the driving force for her to change her fate.
The art troupe was enlightened, and Wang Kun excavated
In 1950, 14-year-old Ma Yutao was admitted to the art troupe and officially became a singing actor. The art troupe is a completely new field for a rural girl from a poor background.
At first, Ma Yutao could only play tricks and help out. However, Ma Yutao's talent for singing was soon discovered, and in 1951, she got a rare opportunity to sing the song "My Husband is a Hero" in the art troupe.
When Ma Yutao's loud and full singing voice sounded, everyone was moved. No one would have thought that the heroism and pride contained in this song would come out of the mouth of such a 15-year-old girl.
Ma Yutao's singing soon reached the ears of Zhou Weizhi, who was in charge of literary and artistic work, and Zhou Weizhi praised the untrained foal and was optimistic about her development prospects.
Zhou Weizhi introduced Ma Yutao to his wife Wang Kun and suggested that she train this little girl well. Wang Kun was a very famous singer and educator at the time, and Ma Yutao was fortunate to be her disciple.
Under the careful guidance of Wang Kun, 17-year-old Ma Yutao entered the Shanghai Conservatory of Music to learn Xi vocal music, and was later taught by more masters. Ma Yutao is grateful to Wang Kun for his heartfelt teaching, which made an ordinary art troupe girl grow into a professional singer.
The masterpiece "Horses" was achieved
In 1961, Ma Yutao sang his masterpiece "Horses, You Walk Slowly", and became famous in one fell swoop and became a well-known singer at that time.
"Horse, You Go Slowly" is a song that contains the heroic spirit of the Chinese people, and its creation has a moving story.
The lyrics of the song were written when the writer Li Jianyao visited Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, and in the face of the magnificent mountains and rivers and the optimistic spirit of the people, Li Jianyao excitedly wrote "Xishuangbanna Poems".
Among them, the poem "Horse, You Walk Slowly" is particularly outstanding and deeply loved by readers. The composer Sheng Shige heard this poem on the radio and was also impressed by it, and finally composed a beautiful tune.
Sheng Mao handed the manuscript to Ma Yutao to sing. Ma Yutao relied on his powerful singing voice and rich emotions to interpret this song vividly. She sang the momentum of the vast grassland, and also sang the love and longing of the people of New China for life.
As soon as the song was published, it quickly became popular all over the country and became a classic.
Ma Yutao is deeply grateful to Li Jianyao and Sheng Mao for creating such touching works. Especially Sheng Mao, the two worked together seamlessly and created many popular music works.
It can be said that without Li Jianyao's lyrics and shengmao songs, there would be no Ma Yutao's "Horses, You Walk Slowly", and there would be no achievements of Ma Yutao as a singer.
The first marriage was not a happy one
Ma Yutao's first marriage was not happy, and she also experienced hardships on the emotional road, but she was not defeated after all. This marriage brought Ma Yutao a sensible and obedient daughter, which became a great comfort in her life.
Ma Yutao rarely mentions her first husband because the painful memories of the relationship have always haunted her. However, her daughter is like a spring breeze, infecting Ma Yutao and making her smile again.
Ma Yutao loves his daughter very much, and her daughter is also very filial to her mother. It was her daughter's companionship in Ma Yutao's most difficult moments that helped her get through those difficult years.
Although the first marriage ended in failure, Ma Yutao is still grateful for the flesh and blood it brings. Maybe it is the hardships that show the strength of a person, Ma Yutao was not crushed by this unsatisfactory marriage, but made more progress in his career, and finally became a well-known singer.
When encountering the Yellow River, tie the knot
Ma Yutao's second marriage is in strong contrast to the first, and it is the happiest thing in Ma Yutao's life. When he was middle-aged, Ma Yutao met the military composer Huang He, and the two fell in love at first sight and became a couple.
Huang He is 13 years older than Ma Yutao, and like Ma Yutao, he is a talented musician. Huang He joined the army at the age of 17 and composed countless inspiring military songs during the war.
He is not only talented in music, but also has a deep knowledge of calligraphy, and integrates his simple and unpretentious wisdom of life into his pen and ink.
The restrained and steady nature of the Yellow River contrasts with Ma Yutao's outgoing heroism, but the two can appreciate and respect each other like guests. Huang He fully supported Ma Yutao's singing career, and Ma Yutao also regarded him as a bosom friend.
The Yellow River guards Ma Yutao in its own way, and Ma Yutao repays the Yellow River with his singing. The two have spent half their lives, and they have always been close to each other and will never be separated.
It wasn't until 2013 that the 90-year-old Huang He passed away. Ma Yutao mourned for him, like losing the other half of his soul. The Yellow River is a towering Mount Tai in her heart, as long as she misses him, Ma Yutao can live strongly.
This rare happy marriage has become the most precious spiritual sustenance in Ma Yutao's life.
He is 87 years old and in good spirits
Ma Yutao is now 87 years old and has been away from the Yellow River for 10 years. For an ordinary old man, this may be the most decadent and bleak stage of life, but Ma Yutao faces it with an optimistic and positive attitude.
Ma Yutao still sings, insists on vocal Xi every day, and her sonorous singing voice has not diminished at all. On weekdays, Ma Yutao is also happy to read, write, and take care of flowers and plants.
Music and words have become her spiritual harbor. Ma Yutao's daughter is already a doctor, but she has never been alienated from taking care of her mother because of this, and often goes home to visit.
Ma Yutao knows how to be grateful most in her life, she is grateful to her mother who gave birth to her, Wang Kun who discovered and cultivated her, Li Jianyao and Shengmao who created side by side with her, and the Yellow River who spent her life together.
It is these graces of knowledge that have created Ma Yutao's extraordinary life.
87-year-old Ma Yutao still has the style of the stage. No matter how much the years have changed, she walks with art with optimism and gratitude. Ma Yutao used his own practical actions to interpret the life theme of "born as a bitter child, and he knows how to be grateful most in his life".
This is also the secret of her ability to maintain her spirits to this day.