Monthly Archive for August, 2008

Hong Kong veteran singer Sandy Lam has a little present for her Singapore fans.

In town last week to promote her upcoming October concert, the 42- year-old says in an interview at Marina Mandarin hotel that she will customise a new performance for her Singapore stop. As the main language spoken in Singapore is Mandarin rather than Cantonese, Lam, who is known for her emotive love songs, reveals that she will sing mostly Mandarin songs here.

‘By customising my concerts, the audience will find it easier to relate to me,’ says the singer, who opted for mostly Cantonese songs when she performed in her Hong Kong concert last year. The 1.59m-tall vocalist, who is managed by Singapore-based management company Music & Movement, is also going to put a new spin on her old songs.

‘I have changed the music arrangement of many old and familiar songs so it will be refreshing for fans. They can look forward to something fun and surprising,’ says Lam, who is now single and has a nine-year-old daughter with ex-husband Taiwanese singer-songwriter Jonathan Lee, 49. They divorced in 2004 after six years of marriage.

Lam, sporting her signature short boyish hairdo, has performed in Hong Kong and Shanghai and will head to other parts of Asia for more concerts after her Singapore stop. Despite the demanding schedule, Lam, who has been a singer since she was 19, does not seem to mind. She says: ‘The process of producing a concert is a happy and satisfying one as you see it slowly come to life from scratch. In short, I love concerts.’

1. With so many songs to choose from over the years, which songs have you picked for your upcoming concert here?
Currently, the ones confirmed are Not At Home, At Least There Was You, Better Man and I Heard Love Came By. There are still 30 other songs which are not confirmed yet. I always make sure that I am prepared for my concerts, so I have actually lined up many songs, some of which will be confirmed only at the very last
minute.

2. What have you done to prepare for this concert?
I am a very healthy eater. I also exercise regularly. However, I do not like to go to the gym. Instead, I love hiking. I love nature and I enjoy being close to nature. I also swim a lot and play badminton often. Thus, I am in shape for my concert now. I did not specially do anything to make sure I am fit and healthy for this concert. It is an ongoing thing.

3. Besides exercising, how do you maintain your radiant glow despite your busy schedule?
I make sure that I have sufficient sleep as I am someone who needs eight hours of beauty sleep. I also love to soak in a hot bath. I usually put some sea salt into the water as it is good for blood circulation.

4. What costumes will you be wearing during your concert?
My music, and my effort to present good music, should be what the audience looks forward to. I have never gone for costumes that are too flamboyant or loud. I will focus on clothes that are fashionable, comfortable and bring out my personal style. For the Singapore concert, I have more performing segments including a dance section. Thus, I will prepare more costumes.

5. Who will be the special guest for your concert?
I do not have the habit of inviting special guests. There are many musicians whom I have worked with and I will definitely sing their songs during my concert. Unless it is someone extremely special to me, I do not think I will invite a special guest. It will be a one-woman show. It always is.

6. You mentioned that you will sing more Mandarin songs in cities where the people speak more Mandarin. However, there has been feedback online that you should sing more of your Cantonese hits. What is your take on that?
I will try to find a balance between both Mandarin and Cantonese songs. However, I will still customise my concert according to the country I am performing in. For Singapore, more people speak Mandarin, so I will sing more Mandarin songs for them. In a way, I always have a small present for every country I perform in. There will be few repeat performances because I do not like to repeat myself.

7. What do you do in Singapore during your free time?
I have been to Singapore countless times and I am very familiar with this country. The air here is clean and there are many open fields, which I like. When I am free, I enjoy going to the beach to relax. I also love the food here and will go out for some good food whenever I am here.

8. Complete this sentence: If I could live my life all over again, I would…
Still be myself. I have never thought about this question before because I believe my character and my attitude towards life over the past years have led me to where I am now. Thus, I believe in treasuring every moment I have now. I think it is more about relishing my life now.

Source: 海峽時報