Denise HoWorking hard to please herself
By Kayu Wong
Kayu Wong Denise Ho admires her singing teacher, Anita Mui. Kayu Wong Denise has experienced ups and downs.
Denise Ho, 25, is a local pop singer famous for her toughness and individuality. Having waited
five years to release her own record, Denise's career in the entertainment industry has never been easy.
She won her first championship in a local singing contest in 1996. Yet, her debut album was not released until last year.
The record company which put her album out, Capital Artists, was soon shut down.
She said, "I regarded those five years as a period to gain experience in stage performance and learn to deal with the press.
"More importantly, my friends in the industry, like local singers Anita Mui, Calvin Choi, Eason Chan and Nicolas Tse, taught me a lot of new things," she said.
Though she is a success today, Denise did not have the talent for singing when she was younger.
She said, "At that time, I was not brave enough to sing. In the school choir, I always stood aside. I didn't think that I had the potential."
During her childhood in Canada, she was more talented in dancing. She performed in a number of communal functions in Chinatown.
"Yet I gave up learning ballet soon because that was rigid and boring. I prefer pop-dancing. For example, I like the dancing of Hong Kong pop singers, like Aaron Kwok and Grasshopper," she said.
Her interest in singing did not develop until she was 16. At that time, karaoke became more popular in Canada. She had lots of chances to sing in front of her friends. Her friends’ applause gave her confidence to sing.
She often chose the songs of her idol, Anita Mui, who later became her singing teacher.
Anita Mui is the one she thanks the most.
"I was very surprised when Anita accepted me as her student at an informal dinner. I thought she was kidding!" said she.
Afterwards, Anita brought her to many special occasions and let her sing background vocals during concerts.
Said she: "Anita never sat still to teach me. Instead, she encouraged me to observe in order to learn.
"Our relationship has been a dream to me. I was once a crazy fan of Anita. I bought all her products and stuck her photos and posters everywhere in my room.
"Sometimes, I imagined being her student. Now, my dream has come true!” she said excitedly.
Denise explained her definition of a successful singer. "If you think being a singer is some way to show off, you can never excel.
"Instead, apart from possessing good singing skills, you must love music."
She also loves playing the guitar, which she learned three years ago. She even composed and performed many songs in her latest album, hocc2.
She said, "To play and to compose all the songs in my records is a goal for me. Yet I won’t insist on doing so. I think it's better to have ideas from different musicians mixed together."
However, she insists upon one thing the most: her songs must express her own feelings and unique perspectives.
In her debut album, First, Denise's image was rock, tough and pessimistic towards love. She described it as 'a bit radical' during the interview. Her image having been changed, she looks sweeter and more positive towards love in hocc2.
"The songs in every album reveal my emotions at different stages," she added.
She said that, compared to seven years ago, the audience's taste is quite different nowadays.
She added, "A beautiful package has always been appealing. Nowadays, however, many people look for more. For example, the true character of a singer."
She explained her views of a quality album.
She said, "Some companies, within a very short period of time, produce lots of songs for only one album.
"But that's not good. I think the qualities of the songs are more important than the quantities. I hope every song in my records lives up to my expectations and standards," she said.
On the other hand, Denise has something to say about the local audience's view on the music scene.
She said, "People like to compare the local music scene with foreign ones. They always criticize that the local one as not diversified enough.
"That isn't fair. Alternative music survives because there are enormous markets to absorb them. But that's just not the case here," she added.
Increasing popularity and expectations from the audience exert pressures on her. Yet she sees it as a motivation to work harder.
"For example, the producer of hocc2, Master Ying, is a perfectionist. He once asked me to play the guitar for a song in the album.
"Playing the guitar chords was so challenging to me. Yet, with his encouragement, I finally made it. Thus, pressure pushed me to excel in something beyond my initial capability.
"However, I work hard to please myself, not others.
"I admit that I am a tough person. I don't like to be blamed. I won't let myself get depressed by pressure and adversity in life.
"During those five years before the release of my debut album, I told myself that every encounter is a valuable experience.
"Besides, I never give up trying. These thoughts always support me through difficult times," she said.
She added after a long pause, "My weak moments may be. . . love affairs!
"I once dated a very pessimistic person who affected my emotions a lot. I was unhappy about that. I hope my next lover will be a cheerful person."
