Ma Ji (; 2 August 1934 – 20 December 2006), born Ma Shuhuai (), was a Chinese

xiangsheng Xiangsheng (), also known as crosstalk or comic dialogue, is a traditional performing art in Chinese comedy, and one of the most popular elements in Chinese culture. It is typically performed as a dialogue between two performers, or rarely as ...

comedian. He was one of his generation's most popular and influential xiangsheng performers and was mentor to many younger performers. His disciples include Jiang Kun, Zhao Yan, Liu Wei,

Feng Gong Feng Gong (; born 6 December 1957) is a Chinese actor, ''xiangsheng'' performer, director, screenwriter. and politician. He is best known for his performances in the annual CCTV New Year's Gala, having made more appearances on the show than ever ...

, Xiaolin, Wang Qianxiang, Li Zengrui, Han Lancheng, Liu Xiyao, Peng Ziyi, Yin Zhuolin, Yao Xinguang, Zhao Longjun, Xing Yingying, Liu Lixin, and Hou Guannan.

Biography

Ma Ji was born in

Tianjin Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popu ...

on 2 August 1934. After the

Communists Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

took over mainland China, Ma started to work in Xinhua bookstore. He joined the Central Broadcasting Recitation and Ballad Troupe as a professional xiangsheng performer in 1956. He studied under Hou Baolin and became a seventh-generation xiangsheng performer. He got his stage name Ma Ji from the film ''

Mattie the Goose-boy (1950 film) Goose Boy ( hu, Lúdas Matyi) is a 1950 Hungarian comedy film directed by based on the epic poem by Mihály Fazekas. Cast * Imre Soós - Ludas Matyi * Erzsi Pártos - Anyó, Matyis Mutter * Teri Horváth - Piros * György Solthy - Döbrögy * ...

'', which is based on the poem of the same name by Mihály Fazekas. As a notable xiangsheng master and performer, Ma Ji created his own art style and made great contributions to China's Xiangsheng art. In the mid to late 1980s, together with his disciple Zhao Yan, he frequently travelled to

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

on performance tours and proved to be very popular there as well. Ma Ji was also a member of the 5th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Famous works

#"Ode to Mountain Climbers" #"The Portrait" #"Dispute of the Five Sense Organ

#Performed with many comedians together in “Five Officers Contend for Fame�

Dialogues

#Ode to Friendship #Storm on the State #Multistory Restauran

Monlogues

#“The Universal Brand Cigarette” playing a cigarette salesman with a bad product and satirizing newly rich Chinese preoccupation with brand name

Death

Ma Ji died on 20 December 2006 at Beijing, China. The cause of his death was

myocardial infarction A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may ...

. His death, of a heart attack, was reported by

Chinese Central Television China Central Television (CCTV) is a Chinese state- and political party-owned broadcaster controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Its 50 different channels broadcast a variety of programing to more than one billion viewers in six lan ...

(CCTV). He is survived by his son, Ma Dong.Xiangsheng master Ma Ji dies at the age of 72 (馬季去世，享年72歲)
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References

External links

Ma Ji, Chinese comedian famed for satirical sketches, dies at 72
The Associated Press via the International Herald Tribune {{DEFAULTSORT:Ma, Ji 1934 births 2006 deaths Chinese male stage actors Chinese xiangsheng performers Male actors from Tianjin People's Republic of China politicians from Tianjin 20th-century comedians