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Although Emil still
talks about his family constantly, he is more cautious about
taking them out with him to functions, following the Bai Xiaoyan
kidnap and murder case in Taiwan. Would he consider emigrating
to another country then? "No, Taiwan is where I realised
my dream of becoming a musician," the Hong Kong-born, 37-year-old
expresses earnestly. "Even my wife says she can't imagine
living in the U.S. anymore. And I want my kids to be bilingual,
I want them to be able to appreciate Shakespeare and read The Dream of the Red Chamber as well."
Later, in a moment
of quiet reflection, he shares his philosophy of life with you.
"I was once told this, and it makes perfect sense to me
--- 'Men are not destined to succeed or fail; it is their personalities
that determine that'. You can't control fate, but you can shape
your personality."
And these aren't
just empty words, either. Emil owes much of his success to his
never-say-die personality and his amazing ability to connect
with people. Here, after all, is someone who rose from a lowly
production assistant to bona fide superstar. A grey Mercedes
Benz sits in Emil's garage, bearing testimony to the camaraderie
he shares with the who tour with him. Reveals a
close friend and co-worker: "We bought it for him as a house-warming
gift 'cos we knew he'd been admiring one for a long time. He
prefers to zip around in his jeep, but we felt it was an appropriate
gesture of our affection for him." ´
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If Emil Chau's recent Taipei concert was anything
to go by, then Singaporeans should have a ball of a time at the
first leg of his world tour kicking off this week.
Yes, he did forget his lyrics, but only
once. And no, he did not engage in as much repartee as usual,
deeming it "more professional" to sing, not talk. Which
is, perhaps, the show's main flaw --- no one can work a crowd
like Emil Chau.
An intimate superstar, if there ever was
one, Emil turns his concerts into two-and-a-half hour karaoke
sessions where even the most inhibited fans find themselves singing
along and cheering him on, waving their arms and shouting his
name.
The highlight of the evening came when he
did a medley of old and new tunes from the '70s to the '90s.
Behind him was a projection of images tracing the significant
moments in Taiwan's history --- "that's what pop music is
all about; certain songs mark the milestones in your life, and
when you listen to them years later, the memories of those events
flood back." He must have touched a chord because he actually
had some people in tears. On his world tour, the Taiwan backdrop
will be replaced by images of global events instead.
Whether it's nostalgic indulgence or inhibition-shedding
sing-along you're looking for, it's unlikely you'll go home untouched
by the magic that is Emil Chau. |
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