Anyone can be a star

Renee, Hilda and Carpo (from left to right), aged 12, 10 and 11, respectively, are all members of Cream, the youngest pop group in Hong Kong show business. (Courtesy of Artist Group Entertainment)

By Cindy Pat & Winki Kok

The stage. The bright lights. The audi-ence. Being a singer is regarded as a glitzy job with enormous income.

Singing well is insufficient for singers nowadays, however.

Dai Si Chung is a singing teacher in the local music industry. His students include pop singers Leon Lai, Faye Wong, Aaron Kwok and Sally Yip.

“Most of my students were not pop singers when they approached me. But they were all eager to enter show business,” he said.

Mr. Dai considers a person’s character, appearance, luck and ability as the four main elements for success in show business.

Ruth Tseng became a singing teacher after releasing six records in the 1980s. She has taught singers Sandy Lam, Cass Pang and Kelly Chen.

She thinks that it is essential for every pop singer to receive professional training.

“No one is born a singer.

“No matter how sweet your voice is, you still have to receive training to become a professional,” said Ms. Tseng.

According to Mr. Dai, many newcomers in the industry today are “packaged” as idols. Fans often support a singer not because of the music, but because of the “wrapping” they come in.

“I think that many newcomers in the industry today should receive more training to get the basic qualifications.

“If you do not improve, your life as a singer is bound to be short. You can only remain in the industry if you are qualified to.

“Time will prove everything,” said Mr. Dai.

Ms. Tseng stressed that a singer has to be all-rounded and multi-talented to survive in the competitive show business climate.

Apart from dancing and acting, there are others skills that singers should learn, such as how to present themselves in front of cameras and how to deal with reporters, according to Ms. Tseng.

But, she stressed, “Of all the things a singer should learn, music should still be the first priority.”

She criticized most singers today for relying too much on management companies.

She recalled, “In my generation, there were no such things as artist management companies. Singers were independent and arranged all their gigs themselves.

“But now the singers just follow what the management companies tell them to do.

“They not only sing, but also participate in movies and TV dramas, working long hours without rest.

“It only hurts their voices and shortens their careers in the music industry.”

Yuen Chi Chung is the publisher and chief editor of Music Colony Bi-weekly, a local music magazine. He said that many record companies now demand that singers perform multiple tasks, because selling records alone does not bring in substantial profits. This is largely due to the effects of pirated CDs and the emergence of MP3 technology in the late 1990s.

“Maybe it is better to call them artists rather than singers,” he joked.

Today, a singer’s main source of income comes not from the sales of records, but from the endorsements of advertisers.

“Therefore, record companies encourage their singers to keep appearing in all the mass media to grab the attention of the advertisers,” explained Mr. Yuen.

“Sometimes, the companies also help their singers to get music awards in order to increase their bargaining power.”

Many “professional” singers are now recruited in modeling agencies because good looks are guaranteed.

“They care little about their musical accomplishments, as long as the person can sing.

“When they find someone suitable, they introduce them into the market as soon as possible to test the response of the audience.
“Singing is now only a part of a singer’s career,” he said.

Fung Lai Chi has been working as a music critic for more than 20 years. He said that there has been a growing number of teenage idols entering the music industry in the past 3 years.

“Due to the recent economic downturn,” he said, “most record companies prefer promoting a new singer to an experienced singer because it is less costly and risky.”

With the booming success of teenage idols like Twins and Cookies, many record companies channel a large amount of resources to create similar teenage idols.

For example, Emperor Entertainment Group, the record company representing teenage group Twins and Boyz, recently introduced 15-year-old female singer Isabella Leung.

Meanwhile, Artist Entertainment Group is promoting Cream, a young pop group with three members all age under 12.

According to Jims Yeung, manager of Cream, the group is the youngest in the history of Hong Kong’s music industry. Although Cream has no specific target market, most fans are junior secondary school students.

The group is just one of many young singers who are struggling to enter today’s youth-driven music industry.

The three members practise singing and dancing once a week. They are also learning to play musical instruments.

Cream member Hilda explained, “Carpo and I are learning how to play piano, while Renee is learning how to play drums.”

Yuen Chi Chung said that he is not surprised to see so many young singers entering the music industry.

“I think it might be a good thing, because their songs target the youth market and satisfy their demands.

“I can’t imagine teenagers still listening to sad love songs by the Four Heavenly Kings,” he said.

“The Four Heavenly Kings” refers to Aaron Kwok, Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung and Leon Lai, four male singers who dominated Cantopop in the 1990s.

For many, becoming a pop star seems to be nothing but a faraway dream. But with the advancement of technology, entry to the entertainment business is becoming increasingly easy.

Explained Mr. Fung: “In the past, it cost at least $50,000 to produce a record.

“Now, if you have a computer and certain equipment, you can make your own record at under $10,000.”