April 4-Musical Stereotyping

By Rick O’Shea Li Ke
 Dear Rick, I’m fond of R&B, especially songs sung by black singers. I’m addicted to Babyface’s “Loneliness” and Luther Vandross’s “Any love” and so on. There are so many excellent black singers and what’s more, I read in a magazine that black people are born with a sense of rhythm, so gradually I came to the conclusion that most black people could sing very well.

 So I was extremely happy when I came across a foreign teacher from Africa. I asked him to sing a song, and he was reluctant to do so at first but did so anyway. Oh my God! I was stunned! It was not R&B or rap but rather something I had never heard! He laughed when I told him about my view. He told me that before he came to China he had thought every Chinese was good at kung fu fighting like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, but then after living here for a while he has changed his mind. “You’ve got to change your point of view also!” he said with a laugh. Yours Sincerely, Jenny

  Thanks Jenny! An Asian singer, Paul Kim, was a recent contestant on American Idol. He had an outstandingly smooth R&B voice and reminded me of Alex To in looks and voice. I was surprised that he did not make it further. He was very good! He said that he did not want to “diss” (disrespect) William Hung, who sang “She Bangs” a few years ago in a laughable way, but that he was trying to show another side of Asian performers. Did he succeed in that?

  Paul said, “I’m not trying to get political or anything, it’s just that we’re stereotyped a certain way in the media — where people think all Asian guys wear glasses and are un-athletic and really nerdy — that really bothered me. William Hung was shown over and over again, and at first I thought it was funny, but then it got to the point where it started getting embarrassing. That really irked me, and I was out to prove that that’s not what we look like, it’s not who we are as a whole. So I just wanted to bring something new to the table, and hopefully I did do that.”He did! I am always wondering who will be the first Chinese to set the international image of a hot pop singer. Any guesses? Let me know who you think it could be…

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Hong Kong Music  April 11, 2007

By Rick O’Shea

I was in Hong Kong last week where I was once again invited to co-host the 21^st Century Lenovo Cup National English Speaking competition. This was special for me because I am a HK resident, so it was like returning home. I had worked in radio and TV there for more than a decade before moving to Beijing.

I made a point to visit the Avenue of the Stars along Victoria Harbor on April 1^st, the anniversary day that actor and singer Leslie Cheung took his own life a few years ago. I had known Leslie from TVB where we would occasionally run into each other, and I remember him as very friendly and warm. Walking along Victoria Harbor from the Star Ferry, I approached Leslie’s star on the footbridge where many of his fans were laying flowers on the ground. You could see a certain sadness in people’s faces. He was an extraordinary talent and a great loss.

Then I walked over to Anita Mui’s star which is close to her good friend Leslie’s. I used to go to her concerts often; sometimes two days in a row! She gave “real” concerts. Anita would sing and dance for two hours in stunning outfits and then she’d return in jeans for the encore speaking to the audience and singing requests for another hour. It is still hard to believe that she is gone.

I am still a big fan of Hong Kong music and I used to play a lot of it on my radio programs; singers like Alan Tam, Jackie Cheung, Priscilla Chan, Eliza Chan, Lam, Teresa Carpio, etc. In fact, Sandy Lam was a colleague of mine at Commercial Radio. I did my show in a studio separated by a large window next to the one in which she made her programs. Sandy’s on-air name was “lok yat yat (611)” and since being a DJ she has since become one of the most successful singers in China, having released albums in Mandarin, Cantonese, English, and even Japanese!

After living in Shanghai and Beijing since 1996, I find I still have a deep affection for Cantonese music. If you are like me and miss this music, I can introduce you to a great internet radio station where you can hear some of the best Hong Kong music from the past 30 years. It is www.hkvpradio.com

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Macy Gray’s “Big” and Norah Jones “Not Too Late” April 18, 2007

  I have always tried to be supportive of international singers who make the effort to perform in China. Macy Gray stopped by last year and sang with Karen Mok at the Shanghai Grand Prix. Then she spent some time as a tourist in Beijing.

It’s has been a few years since Macy released an album and I am a fan of her distinctive raspy voice. She laughs when she explains the title by saying, “I chose ‘Big’ as the album title because of my big heart and big butt!” The album is fresh and accessible and Macy gets help from will.i.am and Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, Nas, Justin Timberlake and Natalie Cole. I am not disappointed. It sounds fresh and updated compared to her last album and I hope Macy can make it back here and do an actual full concert for us!

  And while we are on the subject of new albums from people who have been here, Grammy award winner Norah Jones performed in China a few years ago. I remember that cool night vividly, and once inside the Workers Stadium in Beijing, the warmth projected by Norah Jones playing to a full house made me feel almost like I was in a music coffee house. It was a very intimate performance and a pleasure to see her live. So, I’ve have been looking forward to her new album which came out recently and shot to number one on the Billboard charts. This does not necessarily mean it is an outstanding album; it simply means many people were anxious for any new Norah Jones album! The album “Not Too Late” is very much more of what we like about Norah. Nothing to really grab our attention but a comfortable sound. It does not seem to matter very much what she sings about. Could be singing about war or love, the sound is pretty much the same. Style overtaking substance and that is not always bad. In fact, I am listening to Norah Jones as I am writing this column right now. Her sultry voice is like cream in a cup of coffee. She is a special talent and if Norah came back to China, I’d go see her again.

Who would you like to see perform in China? Send me an email!

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Music Festivals  April 25, 2007

Rick O’Shea

 

I love music festivals! All kinds! The talk of Beijing is the upcoming Midi music festival May 1-4. Four days of live bands mostly from China and I will spend some time there, for sure…

I am a live music fanatic and working in radio gave me a great excuse to follow my music passion! And there are so many kinds of music festivals!

Some are very much like the Midi festival where local bands get a chance to play their music for thousands of music fans. I don’t really go to see any favorite bands. I go for the variety. I go for the new bands. And I go to hang out with friends and enjoy the music!

Some music festivals focus on charity where the stars often play for free and the proceeds go to a special cause. Hawaii seems to have a lot of those because the “aloha spirit” runs high through the islands. I was involved through radio to some of the charity festivals in Hawaii which featured a variety of Hawaiian music performers and occasional international stars who live there and want to be a part of helping out a charity.

Hawaii is also the home of one of the best natural concert settings in the world. Some promoters have recently reactivated the annual rock festivals held in the Diamond Head crater in Honolulu, the famous non-active volcano located at the end of Waikiki Beach. In the past, top musicians of their times like Santana and Jimi Hendrix have played inside the Diamond Head crater. Who wouldn’t want to perform in Hawaii?

Some festivals are defined by a certain kind of music. When I lived in Florida I attended a bluegrass country music festival held in the middle of an orange grove. I did not like country music at all in those days and I thought I would perhaps stay an hour or so. I ended up staying the whole 2 days and found that there are many more types of country music than what the radio played. Some featured lightning-fast string playing on instruments like guitar, fiddle, and banjo. Food, drink, thousands of people and much more fun than I ever expected!

Outdoor music festivals are so much different than indoor concerts. I enjoy the free spirit and the ability to wander around, the energy, and the atmosphere of fresh music!

It is significant that China have music festivals!  People overseas often talk about China’s rock and alternative music scene. The Midi festival is the place to experience some of the best from China, and only 30rmb a day! Hope to see you there!