[舊][RSI]Tanya Chua

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http://www.rsi.com.sg/en/programmes/profile/2001/06_30.htm Profile 30 June 2001 Tanya Chua Produced by Felix Tan Hello, I'm Felix Tan and a warm welcome to Profile. In this edition, we'll be featuring Singapore-born singer Tanya Chua (TC), who has made waves in the both locally and all over the Asian region. Accomplished as a performer and composer, Tanya Chua has proven her versatility in recording various genres of music. Tanya's original compositions have been used by established regional artists such as Karen Mok, Gigi Leung, Leo Ku and Valen Hsu, among many others. Tanya had her first break with her debut English album, Bored, launched in Singapore in 1997. The first single, My Colour TV Set, was a hit all over Singapore. In 1999, she won the Best Local Composition in the Singapore Hit Awards, as well as the prestigious Grand Prize at the Asia Song Festival in the Philippines. Tanya's biggest break, which made her a household name in the list of international and regional artists, was with the release of her first self-titled Mandarin album in Taiwan. Breathe, from that album became an instant hit and won her the Best Potential Newcomer Award form TVBS Entertainment News; Best Soloist Award by Hong Kong's FM 104 station for Definitive Voices of the 21st Century. Speaking to Tanya Chua, I asked her how did this all started? TC: "What made me start? Oh well, it sort of like happened in a very un-planned fashion for me. I started off singing first in clubs. After singing for three years, I started like 'Okay, you know, this is not what I really want to do. I just want to do music now.' But after singing for three years, I kind of got sick of the night scene because it is tiring and I think it is not really good for, like, people of my age. Because at that age, I think, that we should be going out, having fun. I mean, my environment was just, it was exciting initially, then it basically got tiring because it is just singing on stage, like singing the same songs every night and not your own songs. So, it was something I just did not look forward to anymore. Eventually, I decided that I am going to buy an instrument, I am going to buy a guitar and I am just going to practice. Maybe one day I will become a guitarist or something like that, which I did not." TC: "My first guitar was a Taka-Mini Acoustic Guitar and so, I brought it along everywhere that I went. I mean, I had barely essential knowledge of the chords. I just had C, A, minor, G and D. The amazing thing was I actually did not go for lessons, I bought chord books and all that and I just studied the chords shapes by myself at home. And then I brought the guitar to Indonesia once, with my band. And one night, I was just feeling so bored, I was like practising my chords and all that and then I started humming. And after I started humming, suddenly words just came into me. And without even knowing that it became a song, I mean, I just wrote the songs somehow. And then after the song was written, I realised that 'Oh, my god, I just wrote a song!' and I had such a wonderful feeling. And that kind of feeling, I think I will never forget. The final touch when I finished the whole song somehow. I mean, I still get that feeling every time I write a song. But I think it is that gratification that you get." The kind of happiness that you feel that... TC: "Yeah..." ... I have done something... TC: "... and plus I think the good thing about song writing is that you are actually representing the songs. I mean, you know that you wrote the song, that is a great feeling. I mean, if I were on stage singing somebody else's songs, yes, that would work for a while, but after that, if I have to sing like everyday kind of thing, it get kind of... (laughs)... you know what I saying…" What you have been talking about... the theme of bored. Is that the kind of inspiration for why you titled your first album as 'Bored'? TC: "Well, there were two reasons. First, 'Bored' being the very first song that I wrote, so I thought it was quintessential that it would represent my first album. Of course, it could also happened to be a misnomer and everybody, if I had a bad review, somehow, and they would like 'Oh yah, you know, listening to this album is such a bored!' or something like that. I mean, of course, we have thought about it, but we decided to go for it because it was my very first song. And the second thing was the whole album was based on boredom. I wrote them out of boredom..." ...Like 'My Colour TV set'? TC: "Yes! Yes!..." Riding on her success of her first Mandarin album and her many awards, she launched her second English album, Luck in 1999. Tanya's popularity grew with the release of her Mandarin album, Remember, which reached the number one spot within the first week of its release in March 2000. She was also the first Singapore artist to be interviewed on CNN's acclaimed Q&A Asia series. Amidst the continuing achievements and popularity as a versatile composer and vocal artist, she composed three songs, including the theme song, of Singapore's English Movie Chicken Rice War. Why didn't you go on with more English albums? TC: "Well, I did! I mean, I came out with the second English album, but of course, I also went on to Mandarin albums, for many reasons. I think initially, when I was first approached to release a Mandarin album, I was pretty reticent about it, I was a bit apprehensive because I knew of my lack in the command of my Chinese. But after that, I mean, after my first album, you know, I just realised 'This is just another avenue for me to share my music with a country aside from Singapore.' I mean, a different country other than Singapore and I do not think that there is anything to lose. So, that was one of the reasons why I went into Chinese. I think some people think that I have sold out, or somehow, I went into Chinese pop and all that. And that I do not have any English albums anymore. But, here is one thing that I do not know that a lot of people realise - it is so hard to get an album out in Singapore. I mean, yah, you can say this person has got good reviews and all that, but it does not mean that you are going to sell it. You would definitely be in the shadows of all the foreign imports, whoever it is. It could be anybody, but they still sell better than you. And it is so hard for local artists to even just sell 1,000 copies, you know. So, it is really hard and to be also very honest here, a lot of times, I realised why I can come up with my next English album is from what we earned from the Chinese albums, somehow." I share your sentiments exactly... TC: "... It is hard to sell. There is a little bit of laughter and a little bit of bitterness in it, you know. So, I think it is something that if you really want to do music here in Singapore, I think, you have to hang onto that faith, somehow. Because a lot of things would make you lose it. I have gone through that, I was like 'Huh! I mean, this is seriously what I want to do, but I don't think I can do it here in Singapore, at all.'" How did you feel when you first released your first Chinese album in Taiwan? TC: "Oh, there was this whole sense of terror that overwhelmed me… the very moment that I released it because I knew that the next month or so, I was going to be sort of like, fed to the sharks because at that time, I could not communicate in Mandarin at all. I mean, I could, I could speak, but it came in spurts. Yah, it is really choppy and I still have to find the Chinese translation of my English answers. I would think in English first, you know, my answers, and sort of like translate it somehow. But it just did not work, you know. So, you have this moments of silence, you know, every time like when a question is being asked. I would like do it really fast. It is like 'Okay, okay, this answer is like this, I am going to say it in Chinese...' And it is worst when you cannot find the words." But you succeed...? TC: "Oh, it got better and I think now, I am, you know, I have no qualms." Your Mandarin album, first second, and the most recent one is your third one. Which is you favourite song you have composed? TC: "Oh, I never have a very good answer for that. I mean, because, especially when the song comes out from you, you have this connection with that song. I mean, you have a reason for writing that song. So, to find a favourite song, I mean, it is really hard because different songs represent different feelings of mine. One of mine is from my recent Chinese album, I Do Believe, the song called Bian Mai. It is basically a reflective love song, but the arrangement, I was very pleased with the outcome because for the very first time, in my life, I managed to see this instrument called the peddle-steel. It is a form of guitar, but it looks like a keyboard. It is really a fascinating looking instrument and I have heard about it so often because I listen to country music a lot. And one day, my producer just said 'Oh, you know, I think we should use the peddle-steel' and I mean, I was so excited and so, we finally found a peddle-steel player. And he played beautifully in this track and we were just so mesmerised, very memorable for me." What was most memorable experience... TC: "There are so many... memorable would be my very first concert in Taiwan. And because it was on my birthday too, so that was really special for me. And coming from Singapore, you have absolutely no clue about Taiwan at all. And you are like 'Would anybody come? You know, is anybody going to come to watch me and all that?' But we had a really good attendance and we were all moved to tears, somehow, because it was like 'Oh my god, people actually turned up!' (Laughs) It is really that kind of feeling because, you know, that you are going in green and nobody knows you. First of all, I mean, how are you going to induce people to come and watch you, when they do not even know about you at that time. So, it was really memorable for me." And finally, what would you like to tell your listeners in Singapore and also around the region? TC: "Well, it is really going to be tough if you guys want to be in the music scene. But I think once you get into it, you would understand why people hang on to them so dearly. It is a wonderful feeling when you your works are being appreciated, it is such a wonderful feeling every time you hear somebody talks about your songs and all that. It is going to be tough, but hang in there and keep the faith going and keep the faith for local music too." And with that, we end this edition of Profile. I'm Felix Tan for Radio Singapore International. -- telnet://ptt.twbbs.org/。蔡健雅。telnet://bbs.e-cia.net/ 看板《Tanya》看板《Tanya》 -- ▌ ▁▌ ▌▁ ▌|情報員標號: 218-166-89-241.HINET-IP.hinet.net |局中| ◤ ▌ ▌ ▌▃ ▌|隸屬☆單位: 中央情報局 (bbs.e-cia.net) |邑情| ◣