Following the successful launch of their for-charity album Macao Original Melodies Vol. 1, nine local singers have once again joined voices to support society’s disadvantaged with their new album, Macao Original Melodies Vol. 2. CLOSER speaks to three of the project members, Hyper Lo, AJ and Anabela Ieong about their musical journey and collaboration.
Hyper Lo Ka Hou
Of the nine singers who are part of the Macao Original Melodies project, Hyper Lo Ka Hou is seen as the mastermind behind it all. He tells CLOSER that he used to go with his family to karaoke when he was really young, which sparked his interest in singing.
Upon graduating from high school, Ka Hou initially planned to go to university and become a teacher. But he changed his mind and instead went to Taiwan for two years to study singing and performing.
Having now been working as a professional singer in Macau for several years, Ka Hou says that he is no longer focused on his personal fame. Rather, he wants to bring a positive message to society through his music and treats singing as his hobby.
Regarding the Macao Original Melodies project, Ka Hou explains that everything started with a Chinese New Year celebration song two years ago, in which all nine of the singers participated.
After the experience they came up with the idea of launching an album with each of them contributing one song, but did not consider making it a charitable album at the time. With further research, they discovered that the government might in fact provide financial support to projects like theirs.
“When applying for the support, we had already decided that we were not going to make a profit with the album and wanted to make it a charitable event, to help society,” Ka Hou says.
Moreover, Ka Hou believed that by making it a charity album, those who might not usually spend money on local music would have more incentive to buy the album. This would both provide financial support to the charity, as well as helping local singers to promote their music.
This year, the Macau Association of Parents of the Mentally Handicapped has been chosen as the beneficiary. Ka Hou says that they also want to have a broader collaboration with the association, other then simply providing them with financial support.
“Money is not the prime concern for the charitable organizations in Macau because the government and many big corporations are willing to support them. However, what they lack are the chances for their members to integrate into society. This is why we have invited them to create some paintings so that they will be able to participate in some of our promotional events in the future,” he says.
AJ
AJ has recently released his debut album Macanese, which celebrates and highlights his unique Macanese identity. He learned how to play piano when he was young, however he didn’t
consider a singing career until very recently.
“I didn’t know that I had a desire to perform in front of others. But after I studied in Australia, where I participated in some musicals and singing competitions, I realized that I am actually capable of ‘shining’ on stage,” he says.
After returning to Macau, he was motivated by Ka Hou to start his journey pursuing a singing career, as well as to start composing songs. But having a full-time job means that he can only focus on his music in his spare time.
“I do miss out on spending time with my family and friends, and sleeping, but when you receive people’s appreciation, the feeling is really great,” he admits.
Compared to the situation of a decade ago, Macau offers far more opportunities for singers, with the government and corporations providing immense support for the development of the local cultural industry. AJ believes that while opportunities are everywhere, singers have to spend time working out how to best promote and present their music.
“I think that through collaborating with people from outside Macau, we can grow very rapidly. We do work with musicians and composers from Singapore and Malaysia, in the hope of learning from them.”
For AJ, the Macao Original Melodies project has been a fantastic experience. Not only is he singing on the album, but some of the songs have also been composed by him.
“We all have different roles to play in this project. Ka Hou and I have composed several songs and others will be in charge of public relations or engaging with potential sponsors. It is great fun to work together,” he says.
As for the songs on Macao Original Melodies Vol. 2, AJ reveals that they will mostly be upbeat songs that are more friendly and family-oriented.
“We want to convey a message of love this year,” he says.
For those who want to get behind the project or buy the album, AJ hopes that they can particularly support disadvantaged people in society, as well as local musicians.
“Apart from participating in charity work, I hope that people can support local music productions,” he concludes.
Anabela Ieong
Anabela knew that she liked singing when she was young, and took part in local singing competitions with friends in high school.
“Singing gives me a sense of fulfillment, that’s probably the reason I like it,” she says.
Moreover, she thinks that singing is good for stress relief. “When I am singing, I can express my feelings through the songs,” she says, adding that singing also helps her make friends with like-minded people.
When it comes to the local music scene, Anabela thinks that it is experiencing a boom with different musical genres appearing in the market. She also believes that new singers are mastering the skills of promoting themselves.
“In the past, singers in Macau only needed to be able to sing well. But now they have a broader approach, and also need to consider other things like their image.”
With the local music market becoming increasingly open, Anabela thinks that singers nowadays have more opportunities to have professional jobs while at the same time pursuing their singing ambitions.
While she has tried both fast and slow paced songs, Anabela thinks that it is more difficult to perform the latter.
“It is harder to attract people with slow-rhythm songs, but I like that challenge which is why I like them more.”
On Macao Original Melodies Vol. 1 Anabela contributed a song advocating for the support of people with hearing impairments. She reveals that her song on Vol. 2 will again focus on social issues, this time disadvantaged communities in Macau.
“I have been working in the social services sector for a long time. Therefore, this will be a fast-paced song about encouraging charitable deeds,” she shares.
Anabela says she really hopes that the album can raise enough money to help the beneficiaries, and reiterates that project members will not profit one-cent from the sale.
“Some of us even personally funded the project so I think that it is a very meaningful action indeed.”
Josie Ho
Josie Ho has just recently released her first album, Ho Chi Cheng. She started joining singing contests in Macau and the United States in 2004, with some very impressive results. In 2007, her first song
“聽‧心跳” was released. She won Best Performance Award at the 13th TDM-Best of the Pop Awards with the song “我是誰”. Apart from singing, Josie has also been an MC at many local events.
David Chan
Well known local DJ, MC and singer, David Chan is involved in many events around town. He has also represented Macau in overseas performances. His signature song “親密好友” won the Best of the Pop Silver Award in the first TDM-Best of the Pop Awards.
José Rodrigues
José Rodrigues graduated from the University of California San Diego in 2008, minoring in Theatre, and today is a well-known MC in Macau. In recent years, he has branched out into multiple fields including television and radio program hosting and as being a training course instructor. He has hosted programs on various radio stations including the San Francisco Sing Tao Chinese Radio. Singing is new for José, something he has only picked up recently, however his song “小愚村$p٧M'گ” released in 2014 has been very well received by local music fans.
Fanny Cheong
Fanny Cheong is a well-known local singer and MC, who is famous for covering popular 80s and 90s songs and who is frequently invited to perform at public and private events, such as the Macau Food Festival. She has also been a judge at many local singing contests. Her song “再見陛下" was included on Macao Original Melodies Vol. 1, and also made it on to the Canto-pop music chart of the popular online music streaming website KKBOX.
Bighead Cheong
Local singer Bighead Cheong started participating in local singing contests in 2004 and has won many awards with his unique voice. In 2013 he joined the local musical Myth of Fox with his singing and acting skills receiving positive reviews. His song “連環念" won him the Best of the Pop Award at the 11th TDM-Best of the Pop Awards. He did even better in the 12th edition in 2014, where he won both the Best of the Pop Award and the Best of the Pop Gold Award.
Cherry Ho
Cherry Ho is the lead singer of Macau local song and dance group Summer Partner. She has participated in various local singing contests and in 2006 she released her first single “純屬虛構" which won her the Best New Voice Award. In 2014, her song “難得你" made the Canto-pop music chart of KKBOX. Her most recently released song is My Dear Cherry, which made it to number 13 on the KKBOX Canto-pop music chart.
