Slater Rhea

Slater Rhea, hailing from New Orleans in the United States, has become a musical phenomenon in China with his uncanny command of Chinese folk and pop songs and fluent Chinese. Rhea is also an assistant professor of international studies and English at the Beijing Foreign Studies University.

As a youngster, Rhea was attracted to various facets of Chinese culture and recognized the importance of learning Chinese since China was fast becoming a major global player. He attended the University of Oklahoma, where he majored in Chinese language and literature and Asian studies.

Known to Chinese people as Shuai De, Rhea is recording an album of original songs, as he continues performing regularly on state broadcaster China Central Television.

Rhea sees himself as a cultural diplomat who uses music as a universal language. He has had the honor of performing in front of dignitaries such as former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

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