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| Sun Gives Good Counsel in Mandarin and English |
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When compared to the likes of Roger Waters, the Rolling Stones, and the Black Eyed Peas -- Sun Ho is neither a classic rock performer or even a top pop act. Her "I Am Sun" concerts, touring Wuhan and Beijing, comes to Shanghai's Luwan Gymnasium next Friday. The venue has a capacity of 2,500, indicating that the organizers have little confidence in this new name on the Chinese mainland. In fact, even those who follow Asian entertainment news may have only heard her name in the last few weeks when the Singapore singer came to Shanghai to release her latest Mandarin album in China. However, this counselor turned singer, rather unfamiliar to even local entertainment reporters, has a well-rounded resume in music, community services and even fashion. Sun is one of those rare Chinese-speaking pop singers who has released albums in both Chinese and English. Her English single "Where Did Love Go," written by Peter Rafelson and mixed by Mike Rizzo in Hollywood, was released in America. Subsequently Sun became the first Asian singer to top the Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Club Play Chart, beating the likes of Madonna and Kelly Clarkson. While Sun's English repertoire is comprised of mostly hot dance music, her Chinese songs are quite the opposite. Most songs are acoustic with flowing melodies and sympathetic lyrics. In addition to singing, she tells stories in her songs - true and touching stories of daily life. Like all pop singers, Sun sings about love, especially about the loves of young women in metropolis - these are sweet, sincere and somewhat restrained. Moreover, she sings about love in the general sense, about why everyone needs love to survive. For example, her latest Mandarin album "Embrace" accentuates the importance of how a kind gesture or a loving touch can break down the imprisoning walls of the materialistic world we live in. The huge difference between Sun's Chinese and English songs can be attributed to her background as a qualified counselor. She has suffered from depression since the age of 16 when Sun became a total recluse for five months and she often thought of committing suicide. It was the warmth and efforts of her friends that led her out of the depression. Sun herself then went on to become a qualified counselor. Even after entering the music industry, Sun still helps those who are troubled through her emails and text messages. That is perhaps why her songs inspire love and hope for other people, they bring warmth and healing to the broken hearted. With the performance of her new song "China Wine," Sun will break away from the familiar image associated with her past Mandarin albums. She will reveal her active sensual persona, allowing her Chinese audience to also catch a wild side to her. Apart from her achievements in the music industry, Sun is also dedicated to helping the community by providing aid to thousands of children in Singapore. Since 2005, her community work has expanded to China. Since then, she has established four "Hope schools" for children who cannot go to school otherwise. She has also assisted in training qualified teachers and providing books to needy children. Her genuine love has touched the hearts of many, and her efforts have not gone unnoticed. She has won support from others for her community work in China. She was just selected as the sole musical ambassador for the 2008 Beijing Olympics last week, which means she will be part of a touring circuit involving 15 universities around China, where she will perform and interact with the students in a bid to inspire them to write songs for the 2008 Olympics. Organizers say Sun is really excited about her first concert in Shanghai. The crew of the concert is comprised mostly of professionals from Singapore. As owner of three upscale fashion boutiques, Sun also pays very close attention to the latest fashion trends, which should ensure her concert costumes are up-to-date. Her repertoire includes hit songs from both her Chinese and English albums. Moreover, Sun will also sing a few classic Chinese folk songs like "The Jasmine Flower" (Molihua). She might not be the brightest star to shine in Shanghai, but for those suffering under pressures of work, family, school, friends, Sun might be able to help them with her warm voice and flowing melodies. (Shanghai Daily June 21, 2007) |
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