Living out his dream
Singer Wang Lee Hom surrounded by his ardent fans at the recent press conference.
Mandarin pop star Wang Lee Hom was in Malaysia recently to promote his latest
album, Unbelievable. ZACK YUSOF caught up with the singer/actor to get the
low-down on what makes him tick musically.
BACK on his feet after a recent illness, photogenic Mandarin pop star Wang Lee
Hom said he was absolutely delighted that his Malaysian fans had not forgotten
him during his time away. He took the opportunity to thank them for their
unwavering loyalty during a recent visit to promote his latest Mandarin release
Unbelievable.
Speaking at a press conference, the New York-born singer admitted that he was
overwhelmed by the rousing reception extended to him by his Malaysian fans at
an autograph-signing session held at UE3 Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur, earlier
where over 1,000 enthusiastic fans showed up.
They fans here really are the best! Even though my last concert in Malaysia was
back in November 2002, they have not forgotten me. I feel really bad that I
disappointed them when I cancelled my showcase in January due to a bout of fever
and food poisoning while recording in China. Now that I have recovered, I am
definitely looking forward to giving something back to my fans who have been so
good to me, gushed Wang, casually dressed in a baggy white top and blue jeans.
The fans who had turned up at that showcase had the opportunity to send him
their get-well wishes over the phone. It was a touching gesture that struck a
chord with the talented 28-year-old Berkelee School of Music graduate who is
adept at playing the guitar, violin, keyboards and drums.
They put me on the phone with a concert hall full of fans and I was put on the
loudspeaker so that I could speak to all of them who had made the effort to
turn up, he recalled.
An indication of Wang's popularity here is the 20,000 copies of Unbelievable
sold. One Taiwanese fan who had trailed Wang to Malaysia for his promotional
tour bought 50 copies of Unbelievable because it was sold out in Taiwan.
At Wang's meet-the-fans session in Kuala Lumpur, there were actually some fans
who had travelled all the way from Fuchow, China, to be there.
According to Wang, Unbelievable marks a significant musical progression for
him. It is a move towards the kind of diverse, experimental ethnic crossover
music that he wants to continue making in the future.
Why did he decide to include tribal and traditional influences in Unbelievable?
I just wanted something with a more Chinese flavour, something that is very
patriotic, revealed Wang.
There are a lot of ethnicities in the Chinese community that come from
different backgrounds. Their music is very diverse and I would like everyone
to be able to experience these treasures. I also used lots of R&B, so basically
the whole album is very creative and is something different.
For Unbelievable, Wang worked with several collaborators to give the album more
international feel?
It was fortunate to be able to work with talented producers whom I admire, such
as George Thomas and Oishi, who helped me write Not Your Average Thug. I also
worked with Allan Anders who had worked with the Backstreet Boys. We came up
with What Was I Thinking. Others (whom I worked with) were Denise Rich, who had
worked with Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston and Celine Dion. Johnny Moore worked
with me on the song Who Are You Thinking of Now.
Wang revealed that during the recording of Unbelievable, he worked very hard on
his lyrical flow, studying the lyrics of Eminem and Lauren Hill to see how they
composed their songs.
I feel that before this, Chinese songs did not capture the essence of rap very
well. I tried to use the way hip-hoppers used rhyming techniques in their songs.
Take, for example, Eminem's "Lose Yourself"? The rhyming is fantastic. Rap has
a lot of room for growth, that's why I'm so interested in studying it more and
using it more in my albums.
For his next album, Wang is set to continue exploring the rap/ethnic fusion. I
will be working with many different talents from different ethnicities once
again, revealed Wang.
I will be heading to Mongolia and Tibet to work with some musicians there. The
tribal songs around Asia are real gems and I want to share them with everyone,
especially the people in Asia. I do not want this music to remain in the music
section of university libraries. The new album will take a lot of time because
I have to travel to seek out these different tribal musicians. But it旧 going
to be fun.
Armed with a degree, Wang had other career options. But according to the genial
New Yorker, once he caught the music bug, there was no turning back.
Thanks to a combination of talent and good luck, Wang is now living out his
dream. Music has always been his passion and he remains appreciative of the
fact that he is able to make music his life.
Will this has been a dream come true for me?smiled Wang. I feel very lucky and
thankful that I am able to make a career out of something that I love so much.
As a classically trained musician, does Wang ever feel stifled having to make
commercial pop music that basically cashes in on his good looks and dance
moves, rather than his musical prowess?
It's旧difficult for people to express themselves, be they authors or architects.
I think it's hard to express yourself in any form of music. I love pop music
more than any other musical style because it is open-minded. I can have a
ballad with a string quartet arranged in a classical music style.
In Unbelievable, I've got a song called Love, Love, Love which I did with some
jazz musicians in Avatar Studios, which is a legendary jazz studio in New York.
What I love about pop music is that I can be the synthesis of so many different
styles. I'm the kind of artiste who cannot listen to one song and say, that's旧
representative of his whole album? I like to have lots of surprises in my
albums. I want to evolve and always challenge myself.
＊資料來源:http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2004/3/12/music/7494507&sec=music
＊特別感謝blu-blue提供消息！
轉載自HOM2usic Station
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