Joyce Jonathan performs songs at the Modernsky Lab in Beijing on May 19. [Photo by Zhang Xingjian/chinadaily.com.cn]

Special feelings for China

Although a French native, Jonathan grew up in a "Chinese-speaking" family. Her parents worked in China and could speak a little Chinese and one of her sisters has lived in Beijing so far.

"When I was a little girl, I visited Beijing, a very precious memory in my childhood. Passionate and friendly, Chinese people led me into many interesting places," she recalls. "The food dumpling and the old places like hutong are really appealing to me."

Because of her interest in China, the singer began to learn Chinese, and in 2011, she interpreted four of her songs in Chinese for the first time.

"The Chinese language is very beautiful with dynamic rhythms. But Chinese is not easy to learn and I will keep practicing."