Money Talk
Don’t be fooled, hip-hop duo Fama haven’t forsaken their street smarts or their determination to bring a little laughter to your life. It’s just that they have grown up a bit and their new album, Fu Gaap Tin Haa, comes more from their heart. “We are not making a concept album this time, but if we need to sum up a theme it is to be happy and warm,” says C Kwan, one half of the duo. “It is not to be naughty and make you smile, but to make you feel warm from the bottom of your heart.” And that is why the duo chose a hot pot for the cover art of the new album. A hot pot, they say, is a “small thing that can make one feel warm”.

After the commercial success of their studio album Fung Saan Seoi Hei, recognized best for the same-titled track with an unexpected appearance by celebrity feng shui master Mak Ling Ling, Fama decided to be more discreet. “Last year when we released Fung everyone was happy,” says C Kwan, referring to a time in which the Hang Seng Index once reached 30,000 points. “But this year things started to get difficult. Listening to music is an entertainment and we hope when people listen to us they can at least relax for a little while.” And so in Fu Gaap Tin Haa (loosely translated as ‘Richer than the World’), the duo have penned the fictional character Ng Suk who teaches Hong Kongers how to ‘surf the financial tsunami’. The character can probably best be seen as a reflection of the boys’ ‘take it easy’ attitude in face of materialism. “We have been through a period where money didn’t matter to us at all – the days in which we were broke and struggling for our music. It is not a problem to me if I have to live as poor as those days now. My life is better, but I am not living in luxury,” 6 Wing says.

While Fung featured guests like Mak, Chip Tao and Jim Chim, the duo are not sharing the spotlight in their new release. C Kwan explains, “People have started noticing us since the last album, so we thought why not show people only ourselves in this album.” Music wise, they are progressing. This will be the last album DJ Tommy produces for them, as the turntablist is set to concentrate on his own projects in 2009. “There is more variety in our music this time – there will be more melody,” says 6 Wing. Other musicians taking part in the project include composer Tang Chi Wai, underground freestyle rapper Master Mike and Taiwanese singer-songwriter Apay who will produce the duo’s first Mandarin tune – with lyrics that will mock Fama’s own Mandarin.

The album to be released on December 10 – a date Mak Ling Ling has chosen for them – will be followed by the East Asia Capital Artists Concert where the duo will pair up with 24 Herbs and share the stage with Cantopop stars like Andy Lau, Sammi Cheng, Andy Hui and Miriam Yeung. As for 2009, the pair will be busy with solo projects: 6 Wing intends to stage a stand-up comedy show and C Kwan is forming his own rock’n’roll band. “A demo preview is included in this album,” he says. “It is something hot-blooded.”

Fama will be performing at East Asia Capital Artists Concert on December 13 and 15 at AsiaWorld-Arena. Shows start at 8:15pm and tickets are $480, $280, $180 from HK Ticketing, 31 288 288.

Raw and Unplugged
This month’s bc unplugged catch some of the weirdest names (literally!) from the indie scene – JASPOIA LEE, D’Hat and Chochukmo. On December 17 be at The Wanch to witness how exceptional they are! The gig starts at 9:30pm and entry is free.

D'Hat

All-male five-piece D’Hat have been described as a crossover project between the Pat Metheny Group and Taiwanese singer-songwriter David Tao – as usual, see it to believe it. But their original composition Champs-Elysees has been awarded the CASH – Best Original Song in the SoundBase Festival 2008 – does that tell you something?

What is D’Hat’s kind of music?
It is melodic and funky, mixed with lots and lots of passion. As individuals we listen to different genres of music and I think the variety of influences can be tracked in our songs.

Tell us about the set.
One of my favourite songs is Pine Tree. It is about people living in a state of chaos and paranoia, thinking of things they have lost but also the things they have got. Walking on stilts at the edge of mind – get up or give up?

Can you name some of your favourite unplugged albums?
Andy: It has got to be Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York. Kurt Cobain’s voice is just phenomenal.

Hubert: Mine is Friday Night in San Francisco by Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Paco De Lucia. As a guitar player, you just have to love that.

Tim: Only by Tommy Emmanuel. I didn’t believe it at first when I realized the songs on the CD were recorded with only one guitar track, and the bass line, melody and the rhythm are all played at the same time.

Davy: O by Damien Rice – simple but incredibly awesome.

Favourite Christmas songs for D’Hat?
Andy: Bing Crosby’s White Christmas.

Hubert: Last Christmas by Wham! and Christmas Time by The Darkness

Davy: Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Chochukmo

The pinkish Chochukmo currently play as a four-piece as bassist Yanyan Something sadlly departed, but members Jan Curious, Mike Orange, Les Hunter and Kitty Trouble have been busy in the studio with their first release, so don’t miss your chance to get a sneak preview of some of their smashing tunes.

Chochukmo is famous for bringing the stage down in their live performance. What are you going to do with an unplugged set?
We’ll be making new arrangements for our songs and our music will be relatively softer in the unplugged version. We did some unplugged songs in our studio months ago just for fun, and even uploaded them onto YouTube. Just search ‘Chochukmo’ and you’ll see a list of unplugged, improvised versions of our songs… just treat it as a trailer of our first unplugged gig! We’ll try to be more gentle, hopefully.

Tell us about the set.
Tell her (Laura I love her) is the first song written for our current line-up. Jan one day said he didn’t like the ending of the original – he thought things shouldn’t end in such a rush. So we came up with a ‘part two’. For us it’s an ambition to explore every possibility in life, and in all the possibilities we always found irony. Head to Toe is probably the audience favourite. ‘Feeling from head to toe, feeling of rock’n’roll’ has since become our motto. The original version comes with a chilled out dance beat in the end, while for unplugged live we’ve prepared a new arrangement which is kind of different from the original one – you’ll see.

Last shout about the show?
Bring (and wear) a pink tee, bring more (hot) friends, bring a large belly for more drinks. And Jan’s special requirement: For guys who want to dump their girls, bring their girls, they will leave you once they see us. For ladies who want to dump their boys, bring them in, and they will lose their confidence once they see us.

Jaspoia Lee

Born and raised in Germany, JASPOIA LEE – which stands for ‘Just a small piece of it all – like everything else’ – is taking time out travelling the world, living his music and enjoying freedom. Don’t be jealous – come and listen to what he finds out in his travels.

How did the ‘JASPOIA LEE’ thing come together?
JASPOIA LEE came to me while I was looking at the night sky. The stars are like atoms in an organism. And I wanted to find a word or a name that would account for everything, partially because I do and sing about so many different things and play so many instruments and styles. It goes well with the title of my first studio album. Home is a lot about discovering one’s (inner and outer) world. My feeling is that we’re home anywhere we go… After all, home is where the heart is, right?

Any song we should keep our ears open for?
I’ve finally finished a song about life and travelling that I started writing years ago. You see, melodies and lyrics… they just happen to me. And the right things are happening now, giving me the right inspiration. Here are the first few lines: ‘For years, I’ve been on my way/is there a place for me to stay – forever?/ with every soul I meet I grow/ and share the secrets I’ve been told’.

Any favourite Christmas song? Or you will sing one at the show?
Ha ha, it’s quite funny that you’re asking. I recently started writing one myself. It’s going to be about how Christmas now seems to enter the stores at the last days of summer. All this business about Christmas really freaks me out. It takes away the beauty and joy of it all.

How would you describe your music?
By singing it to you! Well, my music is also quite JASPOIA. Many different moods meet many different styles of music. That is partially because I play so many instruments and want to express everything that crosses my soul. You’ll find the tragic love ballad on piano, the happy summer song, easy-going humour, anger, melancholy, piano instrumentals that sound like film music, and even fantasy stories about rainbow bridges leading through outer space.

What do you want most as a Xmas present?
YOU as the best audience ever!

Last Calling

This is your last chance this year to stand up and support Underground – the 74th edition will be the final gig for 2008 and there are, as usual, a brilliant blend of musical styles in the line-up. Jeff Caylor will play a set of funk/soul and piano rock, the award-winning Joves continue to showcase their easy-listening jazz-seasoned melodies while the funky Karat and genre-mixing Resurgent round out the year’s farewell programme. The special guest will be sweetie-cutie all-girl band FiFiTwo from Taiwan. Head to Melting Pot (1-5 Elgin Street, Central) on December 6: The gig starts at 8pm and entry is $100.

Blow Up
Taiwan explodes – and Taiwanese indie girl power takes Hong Kong by storm. On December 7, garage/punk four-piece White Eyes (with the ultra loud, sexy and retro vocalist Xiao Ga) will moves into Central with FiFiTwo, the super cute trio, playing happy rock sounds at the Taiwan Explosion. The organizers have matched them with some cool boys in town – Zarahn and Climax will be supporting bands. The gig on December 7 will start at Fringe Club Fringe Gallery at 8pm with tickets $160 in advance from the Fringe Club box office, White Noise and Zoo Records, or $180 at door. Both prices include a standard drink.

Aussie Aces
Alarice and Deb Fung – two talented girls with Asian roots and an Australian upbringing – will play catchy, carefree and energetic acoustic ‘fun girl power songs’ at Backstage this fortnight. They talk to bc on culture, music and who starts the fight.

On how cultural identity influences their music
Deb: There’s a natural ease and connection that comes from us both being of Asian descent and tackling the Australian industry. Through growing up in so many countries, Alarice is quite ‘universal’ and has a way of adapting very well into the culture she’s living in. Australia is an interesting place to develop as an artist, as it has so many cultures and groups. I feel that gives us freedom in the music we create as there is such a spread of musical tastes and genres. It means we don’t conform first to what the prevailing demand is – rather we each make our music and see who takes to it. It will be interesting to see how Hong Kong and China receive the music and how those countries will move and rub off on us too!

On two girls touring together – and who usually starts the fight
Alarice: Deb usually starts it. Just kidding. I suppose it’s like spending a lot of time with your sibling; issues do come up and there are times that we might disagree. But the best thing about working with Deb is that she is very mature and we’re able to iron out the problems like civilized people. No catfights!

Deb: Ah yes… What relationship doesn’t have it’s up and downs! We have definitely had our moments and sometimes it does get complicated with me in a dual role as co-performer and her manager. So our quarrels have mainly been around resolving any conflicts of interest more than who wants to play lead and who wants to sing back up! We both appreciate each other’s styles and strengths and I think, as long as we stay focused on giving a great performance rather than who is this or that, we will avoid a lot of unnecessary quarreling. In the instance that we do disagree though… hmm… I would generally let Alarice have the say, provided that she’s willing to take the fall if she’s wrong! Unless, of course, I feel as manager her decision will be disastrous for her career or reputation!

On an Australian accent
Alarice: Deb’s got a great Aussie accent because she was born and bred in Australia! I’ve lived in Australia for the past seven years so, yes, I’ve picked up the accent a bit, but people tell me I still retain my ‘international’ accent – a cross between American, Aussie and Singaporean!

Deb: What do you mean? Australians don’t have an accent! Do they?

Catch the two girls on December 17 for their Monsoon Tour December 08 at Backstage. The show starts at 9pm and – hooray – entry is free.

The New Traditional
As December dawns, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra sparkles with three different concerts under the umbrella of it’s Rising Stars series. Each concert will have its own featured soloists from the ranks of the orchestra, though Chew Hee-chiat, the HKCO’s associate conductor, will be wielding the baton for all three. Opening with the percussion work Copper Idiophones Over the Drums, the first concert will be charged with electrifying and energetic rhythms, while the second night’s exoticism includes Two Mexican Dances with a Marimba solo and excerpts from the guan concerto The Silk Road Fantasia Suite. The final concert casts its soloists back onto their roots – traditional Chinese music. Take a journey to historical China with pieces like Song of Yangguan with its guan solo, The Autumn Moon on a Placid Lake for gaohu and orchestra and Sounds from Home (suona solo). The three concerts will be held at HK Cultural Centre Studio Theatre from December 5 to 7. Performances start at 8pm and tickets are $220 and $150 from URBTIX, 2734 9009.

Coming Soon
Kylie and the Manics are gone, but more international acts are flying here in the next few months. After their splendid concert in 2004, Glasgow post-rock quintet Mogwai return to the SAR to promote their latest album The Hawk is Howling. The show will be on January 18 at the HITEC and tickets are priced at $480. David Byrne of Talking Heads has recently released Everything That Happens Will Happen Today with Brian Eno – it is a collaboration fans have been waiting for since the two musicians’ 1981 release My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. You may be disappointed to hear only Byrne is travelling this time but he will be performing in this his first Asian tour – he is scheduled for the HKCEC Hall 3 on January 19. Tickets are now on sale at $788, $688 and $488. The 24-year-old ‘Welsh Dusty Springfield’ Duffy will be staging her concert on March 20 at AsiaWorld-Arena. Tickets are $850, $650 and $450. As for Asian pop, A Mei Star Tour will arrive in Hong Kong on December 20 at AsiaWorld-Arena. Tickets are $680, $480 and $280. The FIR World Tour lands on Christmas night at the same venue with tickets at $480, $280 and $180. Korean boy band Super Junior-M will play on December 27 and 28 at HITEC Star Hall – tickets will cost $800, $480, $400 and $280. Tickets for all shows are available from HK Ticketing, 31 288 288.

The Labyrinth
Songs from the Labyrinth, Sting and Edin Karamazov’s rediscovery of John Dowland’s music, has topped classical album charts across the continents and was the best-selling classical album in both 2006 and 2007. The promotional concert – staged rather unexpectedly at the HK Polytechnic University Jockey Club Auditorium – is finally arriving on December 10. The performance starts at 8pm and tickets are still available at $2,888, $1,888 and $988 from HK Ticketing, 31 288 288. .

Free Jazz
The jazz is all free at Backstage on December 4, when, led by Indian/American drummer Ravish Monim, the New York-based Trio Tarana visit Hong Kong. The trio are known for using Indian and East Asian rhythms as a base to create their own brand of innovative music which, after the release of their debut album Climbing the Banyan Tree in 2004, they have performed throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Trio Tarana land in the SAR with guest musician violin virtuoso Skye Steele to join up with our city’s very own bassist Peter Scherr. Catch the quintet after 9pm at Backstage.

A Man's Singing
“These days I have started to think how much money I need to have in my bank account that is ‘acceptable’,” says actor Pichead Amornsomboon. He may have been content with merely a positive number in the past, but not anymore. “And out of the blue I bought two insurance packages… hopefully even if I am not doing okay, my mum will still be good.” The 30-something artist might be going through a mid-life crisis but he isn’t too concerned about it. “Everyone steps into a mid-life crisis,” he says. “It is just a matter of when they admit it. Maybe it affects my creativity a little bit, but hopefully the craziness is still there.”

It must be because it has led him to his first solo music show, A Cabaret of Booze, Sex and Money – a brazen title that covers many a man’s unspoken desires. But the truth is when Frankie Ho, director and composer of Homo Superus, the musical they worked on together last year, suggested Amornsomboon stage a cabaret if his own, he was less than sure about it. “My problem is I am not a singer,” Amornsomboon says. “Why would people pay to see me sing? I don’t know how to position myself on the stage.

But then Frankie and Chet [Lam] convinced me that cabaret is about how a performer performs the songs to convey what they want to say, which is very unique.” And so he decided to give it a try – and had his first taste of cabaret as a guest at Rick Lau’s show back in September. “I was so scared. It had been a long time since I came on the stage and only sang. When I am playing a character and in a role I can sing a song in context in the theatre. There is more sharing than performance in a cabaret and I am not used to that.”

But he is also enjoying the creative process and had been working till 5am on the day of our interview, choosing songs, downloading lyrics and arranging the rundown of his favourite Cantopop songs. As the title screams, alcohol, sex, money and drama are the four main themes of his concert. “These are big topics, but I will talk of them intimately and personally,” he says thoughtfully. He bets no one can imagine him linking his final farewell to his dad to the ‘sex’ part – which ultimately is about love, one’s appearance and happiness. “At my father’s funeral I met some uncles for the first time in my life and the second thing they said to me was ‘Oh, your brother is better looking than you’,” he recalls. “I was like… ‘My father is just lying there!”

However, crying one’s heart out isn’t exactly what the Hong Kong Drama Awards Best Actor sees as the best way to communicate with an audience. “I think that is fine, but you need to ask yourself if digging everything out of your heart means a good show. The audience are not your friends. They come for a performance, and there must be a system for that: There is an unchanged distance between audience and performers forever.” And agreeing with Frankie Ho – who serves as the show’s music consultant – that cabaret is pure entertainment, Amornsomboon emphasizes on his blog that the show “is not a drama” – so that his fans won’t come with incorrect expectations. Drama, he says, is more serious and carries a message to the audience, while a cabaret show is more laid back and carefree. “I said the show will be me singing and having some little pillow talks with the audience. It sounds empty, like paying to see me singing karaoke but it is not,” he smiles. “Everything is actually carefully crafted and arranged.”

Catch Pichead Amornsomboon in A Cabaret of Booze, Sex and Money on December 12 and 13 at Fringe Club, Fringe Gallery. Performances start at 10:30pm and advance tickets are $120 from Fringe Club box office, 2521 7521, or $150 at door.

Guitar Fiesta
Beijing-born but London-based award winning Chinese classical guitarist Xuefei Yang has released two critically acclaimed albums under an international label, collaborated with one of Cantopop’s hottest stars and has befriended John Williams – and now she is landing on Hong Kong to perform JS Bach, Isaac Albeniz and Giulio Regondi. She talks to bc about her life as a musician.

You recently worked with Cantopop singer Leo Ku in See You Next Time, a song from his latest album Guitar Fever. How did that come about?
For some time, I have known about Leo as a pop singer and he knew of me as a classical guitarist. We are under the same record company and so we were introduced. When we played together we got along really well and inspired each other, so it was quite natural that we collaborated. For a guitarist, performing pop is very different from performing classical music. For a classical performance, you are often playing music written years ago. You have to closely follow the composer’s intentions and practice for many hours. It takes quite a long time from the learning of a new piece through to final recording. Pop is a much quicker product. The music comes shortly before the recording session and, as a player, I feel I can be more spontaneous in my interpretation. Also having words that relate to modern life for the songs helps inspire the way I interpret the music.

Do you like pop music yourself?
Yes indeed – I love to listen to all sorts of music, including pop. My all-time favourite pop music is [that of] the Beatles. I even recorded one of their tracks on my first classical CD with EMI called Romance de Amor.

As a female classical guitarist, do you find your approach to playing and interpreting music different from your male counterparts?
I don’t think there’s a big difference based on the sex of the player. Generally female musicians perhaps have the potential to be more sensitive and expressive. Some may think males can play more powerfully, but I play as powerfully as a male player. The power is not to do with the size of the player’s physique but comes from strength of feeling in the heart. When I play powerfully, it’s because that is how I want my music to sound.

Your latest album 40 Degrees North is described as an excellent blend of Chinese and Spanish music. What elements do you think you have injected into the traditional Spanish music?
I feel that the Spanish repertoire is among the most traditional and in some ways the most ‘authentic’ music for guitar – it suits the instrument so well. Classical guitar is relatively new in China, and so the Chinese repertoire for guitar is also very new. I strongly believe the Chinese repertoire is equally well suited to the guitar, as China has a long history of music for plucked instruments generally. So the idea behind 40 Degrees North was to play two contrasting styles of great music, that are both equally suited to this wonderful instrument. Sometimes when you hear a piece of music on any instrument, you automatically know who the player is just from the style of playing. The great musicians somehow put a bit of themselves into their music, but in a way that is appropriate to the music they are playing – they do it tastefully. These great players have that special ingredient – you can’t explain what it is, but you can hear it. I hope I have been able to add that same special ingredient into my interpretations of these Spanish classics.

John Williams gave you two guitars in 1995. Where they are now?
Those two guitars are now kept at the Beijing Conservatory, where I was studying at the time I first met John Williams. The top students can play them – guitars are made to be played. The guitars were made by the Australian luthier Greg Smallman and Sons. I am still playing the same make of guitar now as it is my favourite for the concert hall. Meeting John in Beijing was a huge encouragement for me in making the step to become a professional musician. It is a privilege to be a friend of his.

You play Addario strings on a Smallman guitar – how would you describe the ‘character’ of your guitar?
I have many guitars that I use for different reasons. For my live solo concerts, I play an instrument by Greg Smallman and Sons. I would describe it as a very powerful instrument, capable of producing a large range of dynamics and colours but you have to be able to control it – it is like a powerful car, you have to know how to drive it well to keep it under your control. With such a large palette of dynamics and colours available to me, I can really express myself musically when I am on the stage. I always think of my guitar as my partner – we make music together.

Premiere Performances of Hong Kong will present Yang Xuefei at the HK City Hall Theatre on December 14. The performance commences at 8pm and tickets are $300, $200 and $150 from URBTIX, 2734 9009.

Playing Beethoven
Since winning the prestigious Rachmaninoff Competition at the age of 19, New York-based pianist Seymour Lipkin has served as the assistant conductor for the New York Philharmonic and is currently the Artistic Director of the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival. He is also on the faculties of the prestigious Juilliard School of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music. As part of the Great Pianist Series presented by the Central Conservatory of Music (Hong Kong) Foundation, Lipkin will visit Hong Kong for a recital of Beethoven’s Appassionata sonata, Haydn’s Sonata in A flat major, Debussy’s 3 Etudes and Brahms’ Variations on a theme by Handel. The Seymour Lipkin Piano Recital will take place at 8pm on December 11 at the HK City Hall Concert Hall. Tickets are $680, $360, $240 and $120 from URBTIX, 2734 9009.