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Asian Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is based on the Asian lunar calendar, which differs from the Gregorian calendar. Asian Lunar New Year this year falls on February 17, 2026. Asian Lunar New Year is celebrated by billions of people around the world and immensely in Asia. Countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and across South East Asia gather with families, friends and honor ancestors. Festivities include eating foods symbolizing wealth, health, prosperity, and abundance. Dumplings are symbolized as purses filled with sweet and savory fillings. Long noodles symbolize long life. Celebrants decorating houses in red to bring good fortune and lighting fireworks to ward off evil demons and spirits.
The Fire Horse Year aligns with a celestial event paralleling a new moon and a solar eclipse. This cosmic event sends the Fire Horse galloping in and bringing an abundance of Yang. The Yin and Yang symbol represents states of the universe in mutual balance which applies to nature, planets, and living beings. Yang energy symbolizes fire bringing intensity, transformation, expansion, freedom, action, extremes, and rejuvenescence. In Cantonese I bid you, “Gung hay fat choy” (I hope you prosper). Please enjoy these 5 Asian songs to celebrate the New Year of the Fire Horse.
Ervinna
Theodora Monica Ervin (04 May 1956) aka Ervinna is a popular 1980s Indonesian singer and actor who was born in the year of the Fire Monkey. She worked with song writer and composer, A. Riyanto who is a recognized musician and songwriter in the Indonesian Pop scene. She is multi-lingual and sings in Mandarin, Cantonese and Malay. Ervinna is admired in Indonesia in addition to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Ervinna started her singing career as a teenager in the 1970s, utilizing genres incorporating pop, keroncong, reggae, new wave, gospel, western pop, disco, cantopop and mandopop. She has a prolific discography releasing over 200 albums and has covered many Western popular songs (wiki). The song “Lari Pagi” translates to Morning Run which is the title track of her cassette release from 1984.
高凌風/Kao Ling-feng/Frankie Kao
Ko Yuan-cheng (28 February 1950 – 17 February 2014) aka by stage names 高凌風, Kao Ling-feng and Frankie Kao was a multitalented Taiwanese artist who spoke Mandarin and was born in the yang year of the Metal Tiger. Kao’s parents were Vietnamese of Chinese descent (wiki). Kao was an extrovert, charismatic, expansive singer, actor and personality. Ni Min-jan, a comedian and friend, gave Kao the nickname “The Frog Prince” judging his appearance with a short neck and small stature while dancing with beautiful women in music videos and stage shows. Kao was widely known for his enigmatic Western disco, rock and pop covers from the 70s to 2000s, plus singing songs written by the song writer Qiong Yao.
Thuý Lan
Thuý Lan is a singer whom I am assuming is from the 1980s New Wave era whose music was released as cassette #23 on Da Lan tapes. Da Lan released music by Vietnamese singers, music soundtracks and curated Vietnamese music compilations on cassettes, vinyl, CD, VCD, VHS tapes and DVD. Da Lan catered to the Vietnamese community especially in the United States post Vietnam War era. The company released cassettes that were numbered #1, #2, #3 and upwards with very little information about the musical artist (chinhnghiavietnamconghoa.com). Da Lan cassettes and New Wave music was embraced by Vietnamese populations in Southern California, Asia and worldwide. Check out the documentary New Wave, by Elizabeth Ai signifying the 1980s New Wave Vietnamese scene in the US.
Moon Joo-ran
Moon Pil-yeon aka Moon Joo-ran was born on Sept 30, 1949 in the year of the Earth Ox. Moon began her career at 16 years old singing a release song, Christine Keeler that garnered no attention. In 1966 she recorded “Dongsuk’s Song” and gained notoriety singing in a deep bass Korean voice complementing her beauty and femininity. She became known as the female bass baritone singer, ‘the female singer with the lowest voice in the country’ and ‘a child with an adult voice.’ Moon appeared on the 2012 I’m a Trot Singer Lunar New Year Special singing “It’s Me” by Namjin on MBC television with 7 other Korean singers performing in a contest (en.namu.wiki/w/문주란).
Nok Lae
Nok Lae started as a string band created by Mr. Somkiat Suyaraj who was a previous teacher at Phutthisophon School in Phra Sing Subdistrict, Mueang Chiang Mai District, in Chiang Mai province in Thailand. Nok Lae were appointed children in the band after dressing them in customary hill side garments. In 1983 Suyaraj provided stringed instruments to the band to play and they were eventually discovered by a talent scout. Nok Lae’s first performance was a broadcast on a television show, “Lok Dontri”’ (World of Music). They played 3 songs as the opening band for the Pink Panther band at Chiang Mai University.
Nok Lae found stardom in 1985 after the broadcast where university professor, Professor Somkiat was contacted to invite the band to perform at World of Music stage on Channel 5, Thailand’s second TV channel. Rewat Phutthininth, who was a founding member of the GMM Grammy, a company focused on marketing Thai pop. Nok Lae released 5 albums, Num Doi Tao (1985), Uiy (1986), Sib Lo Ma Laew (1987), Chang (1988), and Thing Nong Noi (1989). Tinkorn Sriwichai sung their hit, “Num Doi Tao”, he brought joy into songs, “Tuttuu” in “Ya Lueam Nong Sao,” supporting his band members. The movie My Girlfriend (2003) was set in 1985 and all of the directors used Nok Lae’s “Concert for the Poor” as the theme song.
There have been 15 generations of Nok Lae band members who would leave and rejoin the band. Members of the band during the Grammy recording era (1985-1989) as listed.
Teacher Somkiat Suyaraj : Band conductor, guitarist.
Nopadol Suyarach (Jack): Guitar (1987-1989)
Suwit Chaiyachuey (One 1): Drums, Lead vocals (1985-1986)
Prachya Panjapanya (Young 1): Keyboard, Lead Vocals (Passed away January 4, 2026)
Solos Sukcharoen : Guitar (1985-1986)
Tippaporn Nampuan (Nok): Bass
Thinnakorn Sriwichai (Yan): Bongos, Trumpet, Lead Vocals
Udon Tasurin (Dr.): Drums, Trombone, Tomba drums, Timbales.
Sirilak Chumpamaniwor (Noi): Lead vocals, tom-tom drums, tenor saxophone.
Daraporn Sriwichai (One 2): Lead vocals, rhythm, trumpet
Praewprao Chaitip (Tukata): Announcer, Rhythm, Alto Saxophone (1985-1988)
Apichat Khan-khang (A): Lead vocals, percussion (1986-1988)
Apichat Khan-khang (A): Lead vocals, percussion (1986-1988)
Saranya Uppaphan (Tudtu): Lead vocalist (1986-1989)
Supannika Methaprinya (Kookkai): Lead vocalist (1987-1989)
(wiki Nok Lae)
Written by Karen Lee (@centerforcassettestudies)
