Preview: DJ Sami

By P.Ramakrishnan
Sat, 11 pm, Armani Bar

Just as Hong Kong's handover anniversary is celebrated each year with a dance party, India's Independence Day has also proved to be a good excuse for hedonistic dance-floor fun.

Providing the soundtrack at this year's extravaganza is Akbar Sami, one of Mumbai's best known DJs and provider of countless Bollywood sound-tracks. Sami is one of the Indian entertainment capital's highest paid disc jockeys.

Although he's said to have single-handedly brought house music to Indian dance floors, Sami says his sound resists easy categorisation. "In India, one needs to have a sense of rhythm, know some of the basics of instruments and have a wide collection of different styles - unlike in the west, where they have genre-specific DJs and clubs."

In the world of Indian remixing - where producers often illegally sample movie soundtracks and rework them for the dance floor - Sami is one of the few to work with original composers. He's the official remixer for no fewer than five upcoming Bollywood releases.

"If you hear my remixes, just about everything is new - the range, the instruments," he says. "Film producers ask me to work with them, but I've had to say no because I don't have time to work on bad albums. If the music's bad, you can't do anything with it."

Since Sami first spun in the 1980s, he dreamed of opening a nightclub. He realised his ambition two months ago, with the launch of Synergy, which has rapidly become one of Mumbai's top hangouts.

"I wanted to do it for a long time, but I couldn't find the right place. A friend showed me this property and so Synergy was born."

However, such is the demand for Sami that he hasn't found time to man the decks. "When everthing settles down - the club is still a baby - I'll spin," he says.



Thursday, August 10, 2006

Bollywood voice Powers way to the Top

At 23, Sunidhi Chauhan dominates the Indian charts. Now, her sights are set on the west, writes P.Ramakrishnan.

Long before American Idol, 11-year old Sunidhi Chauhan was shooting to fame on a nationally televised singing competition in Mumbai called Meri Awaaz Suno (Listen to My Voice).

Chauhan, now one of India's most popular singers, won the competition easily. That led to a recording contract with HMV (India) and a spot on the soundtrack to the 1996 film Shastra (Weapon). But then came the lull. "Success didn't come easily and I had to wait," she says. "Then I got the chance to sing the title song of the film Mast [in 1999]. But if a film doesn't do well, the songs can
get lost.

"The movie didn't do well, my voice was changing, I wasn't mature enough, things didn't pick up immediately. Years later, three of the tracks in Mast hit the charts and I've never looked back. But there were years in between when I just did one or two songs. Now I'm in a recording studio every week."

Now 23, and with an unprecedented 11 No 1 songs on Indian charts last year, Chauhan is unquestionably Bollywood's top female playback singer - who provides the vocals that are mimed by actors.

"Singers hope for at least one or two songs a year that will hit the charts and stay there. You can't trust sales figures or what radio shows say is in. Go to any party or club - is the song being played? That's the true mark. I'm blessed because a dozen of my songs have been hits, and not just in India."

Chauhan is an Indian Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and Diana Krall rolled into one feisty package, and her powerful vocals can be heard in almost every Indi-pop-bhangra club.

"My career is what it is because of the big jazzy, pop numbers, but I prefer to sing love songs. I enjoy soft numbers with good lyrics more than the chartbusters."

Like most singers, Chauhan listens to herself rarely. During the interview the strains of British jazz-funk band Incognito drift in the background. "I also love Billie Holiday. I listen to her a lot. One day I hope to cut an English album," she says.

"When I think of Indian artists who've recorded English songs, I think it hasn't emigrated well because the words don't strike a chord, even if the music is good. My interest in western music has always been there. It would be a dream come true to go into a music store anywhere in the world and find an Indian CD sitting alongside Celine Dion or Whitney Houston."

Chauhan now performs about 12 concerts per year around the world. She first came to Hong Kong several years ago as a back-up singer for Indian stars. "But this will be my first solo show in Hong Kong. I'm really looking forward to it, even though I'm visiting for just one day."


Thursday, April 27, 2006

almost famous: Taurus Wah Man-wai

by P.Ramakrishnan.

"The balcony scene of Romeo And Juliet held over a swimming pool where Romeo, in the water, has to look up to Juliet - high up on a diving board. Now that's a scene!" At the risk of offending every traditionalist, scholar or student, that's one of 38-year-old scenographer Taurus Wah Man-wai's visions for Shakespeare's classic play. Not that he has any intention of realising it: it is just something that plays on his mind as he works on any one of the many dance/musical/operatic dramas that are keeping him busy till the end of next year.

"When I see something on stage that's straight out of a book, exactly as written with no changes or innovation, to me, a scenographer has failed," Wah says. "In the United States, a long time ago, I saw an alternative version of Carmen, well, it was Car Man, set in a garage. Didn't like the dances, the songs, the music or anything - but the concept was good. At least it's different."

So what does a scenographer do? "Well, everything. Using the space available on stage, everything that's visible has to be placed by a scenographer. I've created costumes, worked on the lighting, props, decor, picked artists, overseen the make-up - all of it."

Wah is the man behind, above and below some of the most innovative theatrical pieces staged in Hong Kong and Europe, including the Hong Kong Dance Company's Yellow River, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre's Songs Of Wanderers, and his own company Open Daily's Everything that Is Unimportant Falls Away - Arvo Part.

"I created Open Daily, which is an independent production house, because often I am restricted by budgets and other people's visions and have to mend and bend my way across to suit others. Now I can create what I want and get the people I need. Not that I don't have budget issues to deal with. Sometimes I have to pick a second choice, a third, even a fourth."

A former dancer who trained with renowned ballet teacher Joan Campbell in Hong Kong during his teens, Wah also trained and worked as an accoutant before his career changed in leaps and bounds. "I was interested in theatre, opera, the visual arts," he says. "Initially, I didn't get much encouragement from my parents, who wanted me to do something practical, to become a professional. So I did my accounting and worked in London for a year or so. I came back to Hong Kong to work in the administrative department for the Cultural Centre when it opened in the late 80s. At that time it was great - I got to meet Prince Charles, Princess Diana, which was impossible in Britain. To work with all the great international artists such as Cellist Yo-Yo Ma was wonderful."

He later met Willie Tsao Sing-yuen, of the City Contemporary Dance Company [CCDC] and subsequently became the troupe's manager. One of the founding members and resident choreographer of CCDC, Helen Lai, saw Wah's work in various departments and out of the blue asked him to create costumes for a show.

"It was extraordinary. I can't sew or stitch but I could draw and design. So I did and one thing led to another. Word got around and I worked on many shows."

His love of research, however, prompted him to postgraduate studies abroad. In 1995, he won a fellowship from the British Council and the Anglo-Hong Kong trust that led him to a master of arts in scenography at the university of Art and Design in Helsinki, Finland. Now, he is studying for a PhD in the drama department at the University of London's Goldsmith's College. His doctoral thesis is on China's Kun Opera.

His studies, however, have not stopped him from working. He is collaborating with Timmy Yip, the Oscar-winning art/set director of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, on "a grand Chinese musical along the commercial lines of an Andrew Lloyd Webber production" that will be staged tentatively next year.

He is also busy with Fetish: Stories, a physical theatre performance directed by British choreographer Robert Tannion and produced by Wah that is scheduled to play on April 26-27 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, although the dates have yet to be confirmed. With eight local dancers, the dance drama will be jaw-dropper, Wah declares. "We promise the audience an exciting experience such as they've never had before in Hong Kong theatre."

Much Ado about the Meaning of Nothing

Martial arts meets philosophy in Lillete Dubey's play about the life of Bodidharma, writes P.Ramakrishnan.

For many people, Lillete Dubey is the international face of Indian cinema, thanks to Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding and Vanity Fair.

A noted wit off stage and on, her appearances in films, including some memorable Bollywood roles, have given her international reccognition.

"Someone mentioned that I'm in every other film and I was quite taken aback," Dubey says. "I've done about six or seven Hindi and three English films in the last two years. How is that every other film?

"It just so happens that the movies were high-profile stuff. They weren't all box-office hits, but the independent films like My Brother Nikhil [about Aids] and Morning Raga [about the death of a classical singer's son] made a lot of news. I just can't be part of any old rubbish."

Dubey has long been associated with some of the best plays from India, including Dance Like a Man, which she directed and acted in.

In Mumbai, as her driver races through the rain to drop her at a movie set ("guest appearance darling, I can't be the lead at this stage"), Dubey is enthsiastic about taking her latest English play, Zen Katha, outside India - starting in Hong Kong this weekend.

"Theatre is my true love," she says. "I'll never leave it and I'm so excited about bringing the play to Hong Kong. Thematically, so much of it is relevant in that part of the world. the story was told to me by writer Pratap Sharma, I was keen to direct this on stage."

Zen Katha traces the story of Dharma, a Pallava Indian prince, recounting his journey from India to the Chinese court in 525AD. Through his tumultuous adventures, including an encounter with Emperor Wu Ti, the peace-loving Brahmin prince-turned-monk founded martial arts and the philosophy of Zen at a Shaolin monastery.

"I was fascinated because its part of our historical legacy," Dubey says. "The founder of Zen and martial arts - all the kung fu, tai chi and everything - can be traced to Maha Malappuram, which literally translates as the city of great wrestlers. It's a part of Indian history that little is known about.

"Bodidharma was originally known as Dharma. When he was prematurely born he was sentenced to death. Born weak, blue in the face, he was thought to be a disgrace by his father, the king who wanted only fighters as sons.

"But a Hindu priest begged the king to hand over the child to him. The priest taught pranaya, yogic breathing skills, and taught him kallaripayattu, a martial art, to gain strength.

"This first part of his life in India, before he headed off to Canton, fell into place as the first act of the play. He left through the Himalayas to learn martial arts that would enable him to fight faster than breath, faster than thought."

The second act unfolds across the borders as Dharma attempts to better himself. "It reveals what happened after he met Emperor Wu, who was surrounded in court by yes-men and sycophants," says Dubey. "The ruler was an extremely pious man, and the monk annoyed him terribly. The king wanted to know how he'd be rewarded in the after life. The monk said nothing. His answer to everything was nothing. The concept of nothingness, Zen, infuriated the king and the monk had to flee."

Writing and research took the theatre production team that Dubey founded in 1991 years. "The very word Zen is derived from Dhyaan - meditation, sharp focus. When you're fighting or mediating, there must be focus."

The multicultural play posed multiple challenges, from casting to tightening the script while preserving the epic nature of the story. "It's a very visual production," Dubey says. "So, my actors had to learn martial arts for months - but just the basics."

Will Hong Kong audiences be treated to high-level martial arts? "They perform some," she says. "But they're actors who play martial artists. The audience isn't going to see the fireworks they might be accustomed to. But our sensei, who taught them the basics, wasn't shy in his praise."

Sunday, September 25, 2005

Bollywood or Bust

By P.Ramakrishnan

Decked out in suits, saris and salwars, Hong Kong's Indian community will get together next weekend for the screening of an epic Bollywood musical as part of the annual Diwali festival. And full houses are anticipated for the three-hour India-Pakistan cross-border love story Veer Zara.

Bollywood king Shahrukh Khan leads a cast that includes Preity Zinta and Rani Mukherjee, with India's finest director/producer, Yash Chopra, at the helm. Rumours that the epic will be the 72-year-old filmmaker's last directorial venture have only raised expectations - and the price of the tickets. At $150 to $180 a head, the screening at Chinachem will be one of the city's more expensive cinema experiences.

Catering to Hong Kong's lovers of all things Bollywood has become a risky business. But the woman behind the Veer Zara screening, Deepa Datwani of Cineworld, is unperturbed: "The tickets have to be high because, unlike English films, the theatres don't share the profits with us. It's a flat price. Whether someone's in a seat or not, we're still paying for it and, us to make any money, we need at least 60 per cent of the hall to be full - which is never guaranteed. And we had to bid highly to secure the rights for the film in Hong Kong because competition has intensified." Indeed it has.

The venues for screening of Hindi films change regularly - from the massive Ocean theatre to the plush exhibition halls at the Hong Kong Convention and Exihibition Centre, and the cost of tickets has remained steep, regardless of the screening location.

"The Hindi movie industry is so unpredictable," Datwani says. "They change release dates at the last minute, so we can't book in advance when it's cheaper. In the past, we've lost deposits because the film in India gets delayed in production and we have to cancel our bookings.

"The venue is the most difficult thing we have to deal with. Whatever is available at short notice, we have to stick to that."

The first Hindi film to be screened in Hong Kong was Hum Aaapke Hain Kaun back in 1994 when, much to the surprise of organisers, all the $100 tickets were sold. Since then, Bollywood's best have made it to our shores reasonably regularly, with screenings held on average about once every four months.

Pamela Kapoor and Kamalesh Kalra were among the first to bring Indian films to local audiences and showed them at the Hong Kong Convention Centre, the Arts Centre and in universities. But they have now backed out of the game.

"There's too much competition, getting a cinema is so difficult and pricey," Kalra says. "And with the success of Indian movies internationally, the prices of buying Indian films have gone up, and we weren't seeing the returns in Hong Kong."

Meghna Agarwal, another organiser of local screenings whose father is a film distributor in India, imported Kal Ho Na Ho last year. "We didn't make a huge profit. We didn't have full houses for all our shows, so we just about broke even. For Indian films, there's nothing like word of mouth publicity, so most of our audiences we get through sending out e-mails and faxes. Advertising in papers and magazines doesn't help much."

Datwani agrees. "People have a general idea of what a film is like. If the cast is good and the music is good then they can predict what the film will be like. But it's a big risk on our part.

"Dev, which had a great cast and good music wasn't that successful. Audiences found the film too slow and attendance for later shows fell drastically."

Not unlike the Hollywood box-office, the only real money made is in the first weekend. "Two days after a film is released in India, DVDs of the film are easily available in Hong Kong. We have to show the film in the first few days, otherwise people will rather pay for $20 for a pirated disc - no matter how good the print - than pay $120," says Agarwal.

Will the gamble pay off for her latest venture? Datwani has her fingers crossed. "It's a big banner, the director is well known and it's a top cast, Shahrukh movies always do well and our biggest success was his last film, Main Hoon Na. With English subtitles, we expect anyone who's a fan of a musical to turn up."

Indian composer has Bollywood dancing to his tunes

A.R.Rahman is known as a musical wizard who has revolutionised film scores, writes P.Ramakrishnan.

Bollywood movies feature an average of seven songs - which means that the Indian film industry churns out about 4,800 numbers a year. But there's only one man who has consistently claimed the No 1 spot on the music charts.

Indian composer Allah Rakha Rahman (A.R.Rahman), has been credited with "changing the face of Indian music" (India Today). His song Roobaroo, from the film Rang De Basanti (Paint It Yellow), has occupied the top spot on the Mumbai charts since its release four weeks ago.

"Rahman is the biggest representative of Indian music," says Bollywood movie mogul Subhash Ghai. "He's an example for future generations. He's the best fusion of art and science in music."

Singer Hariharan, who will visit Hong kong as part of Rahman's troupe this weekend, met the composer when he was working on a cosmetics commercial and says Rahman helped his career.

"After the commercial, he asked me to record a song for the movie Roja [Rose, 1992]," says Hariharan. "Then, in 1994, the film Bombay was released and my song Tu Hi Re became a big hit. It was as if Rahman exhibited my voice and gave it a huge commercial perspective."

A steady stream of hits led Rahman from the mean streets of Chennai to the lavish sets of London musical Bombay Dreams - the first time British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber invited another composer to write for him.

"I think he has an incredible voice," Lloyd Webber has said. "I've seen many Bollywood films, but what he manages to do is unique. He keeps it very much Indian. As a westerner, I can always recognise his music because it has a voice of its own. It's definitely Indian, yet it has an appeal which will go right across the world.

"He will hit the west in an amazing kind of way - that is, if he's led in the right way. He's the most extraordinary composer who is still true to his cultural roots, and deserves to be heard by an international public."

For those familiar with the average length of an Indian movie, it should come as no surprise that the concert at the Convention and Exhibition Centre will run for three and half to four hours.

Rahman will play keyboards and sing, accompanied by Alka Yagnik, Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan, BlaaZe, Kailash Kher, Madhushree and Sadhana sargam and a full orchestra.

Media-shy Rahman is popular among so-called playback singers, whose songs are pre-recorded for use in films. The singer records, and the actors lip sync for the cameras. He's also popular with Bollywood stars, who often fly from Mumbai to Chennai to record at his studio.

"His strength is the way he designs sound," says Hariharan. "He has revolutionised film music. He's perpetually on a quest to get the best out of you and make you feel at ease. I have sung some of my best songs for him."

Singer Alka Yagnik agrees. "He's a one-man show. Once he's taught you the song, he gives you a free hand. He lets you sing it the way you want to."

For the local audiences unfamiliar with Bombay Dreams, Rahman's work can be found closer to home: he was responsible for the haunting background score for mainland action/adventure epic warriors of Heaven and Earth (2003).


Thursday, February 16, 2006

Out of Character

By P.Ramakrishnan

Most mainstream Bollywood films tend to stick to a formula, reinforcing, good, clean, family values as white sari-clad heroines and dashing young heroes fall in love among fields of sunflowers.

But when 27-year-old Siddharth Anand got approval from producer Aditya Chopra to turn his screenplay into a film, the debutant director chose to push the envelope. Well, just a bit. In Salaam Namaste, the lead couple (played by Preity zinta and Saif Ali Khan) don't get married - they simply live together.

Not long ago, such a thing in a Bollywood film would have been scandalous. But times are changing. "We have to push the audience little by little," says Anand. "A live-in relationship isn't a big deal in Indian cities any more.

"As new directors, we have to push the envelope - but slowly. The film isn't provocative or scandalous. It's a young couple who live together. We're not there to shock anyone just for the heck of it. In fact, no one will be shocked by it in India. It's the NRI [non-resident Indian} market - the Indians who left India 20, 30 years ago and are still maintaining old standards. They need to see how far India has progressed."

Anand's family has a long association with Bollywood - his grandfather Indra Raj Anand was a screen writer in the 70s and is credited with about 120 films - but he turned overseas for inspiration.

"It came from F.R.I.E.N.D.S," he says. "When Star started showing the sitcoms around India, it was incredibly influential. They had the issues that youth did. I think audiences will recognise Monica, Ross and Joey-ish characters."


Big things are expected from Salaam Naamaste! Hong Kong 's Bollywood fans can see it at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Sunday.

The film has come out under the banner of Yash Raj, India's oldest and most successful film production company, which has recorded profits of more than 300 million rupees ($53 million) in the past two years.

"I had co-written Hum Tum [Me and You] and the film was last year's biggest hit for the company," Anand says. "I wanted a young film, but the team of writers I had were just not getting the language right, so I wrote the story and screenplay. I guess script writing is in my genes."

The title uses Muslim and Hindu greetings - leading some people to think the film will be a caste - conflict romance. But Anand says there are none of those cliches.

"I'm glad the title of the film is going to mislead people because they're in for a complete surprise then," he says. "There aren't any fighting parents, no rich and poor tales and no culture clashes. This is a simple, musical romance and the only conflict is the inner conflict between a couple.

"The reason older filmmakers are struggling now is because they haven't adapted to the times - unlike Yash Chopra, who's in his 70s and still makes the biggest success because he's kept up with social and economical changes, and the attitudes and intelligence of the urban audience."

Original Spin

It took DJ Suketu just three years to top India's remixing scene. Now locals can find out why, writes P.Ramakrishnan.

As he prepared to fly to Hong Kong last week, DJ Suketu was caught up in a controversy in Mumbai when Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar denounced the remixing culture "for its utter corruption and hollow value."

Suketu's name was mentioned as Mangeshkar railed against the new breed of youngsters in Mumbai 's burgeoning lounge and club scene, but the DJ thinks he knows the real reason she's upset.

"The only reason - she's not getting any money or royalties from the remixes," Suketu, 28, says as he drives around Mumbai with his own chart-topping song playing in the background.

"Manna Dey said he was thrilled that his songs from the 50s and 60s are being brought to a new generation who would otherwise never have even known he existd. Why not adopt that atttude?"

Suketu is without doubt the hottest name in India's remixing scene, with his reinterpretations of old Bollywood songs combined with house, techno and lounge rhythms finding their way into the charts - and shoving aside new bollywood songs.

"I still remember when my first remix video hit MTV India in 2002. I was flooded with SMS messages within minutes. Since then I've worked in the hottest clubs in London, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia... every month I'm in a different country."

What started as a hobby inspired by a love of old Indian songs quickly turned intto a career when Suketu's remixing skills came to the attention of Indian music companies.

"After just three years I'm working with the best Indian music directors, who want remixes of their new compositions to be included as supplements to their albums."

Suketu's skills behind the turntables have also been recognised. He won the national DMC (Disco Mix Club) headquarters in London. He's also a trained tabla player. "There are thousands of remixes coming out of Mumbai. You really need a sense of rhythm and timing - which is where my background in the tabla helps."

The competition is fierce. What separates Suketu from his competitors is that he gets singers to record new vocal tracks for all his releases, along with incorporating an eclectic jumble of sounds sourced from around the world. "In every country I go, I buy the top 20 hit list and check out the local scene of music. I get new singers to sing the tracks in different styles and then it goes off to the music companies," he says.

Suketu's performance during the Diwali festival will be his first in Hong Kong. "I'm bringing all the stuff I've collected over the year and I carry house, hip-hop and Bollywood. No DJ will prepare everything in advance. You have to study the crowd, try things, see what's working."

Are original songs the next step? "I'd definitely like to do more original songs, but I'll never turn my back on remixing."


Thursday, October 27, 2005

almost famous: Caroline Hu: Hong Kong filmmaker

by P.Ramakrishnan

What Caroline Hu achieved in her first foray into filmdom could be the seed that sprouts into cinematic legend. A first-year student at City University [working on her master's degree in media design and technology], Hu won the best Experimental Film award at the NYU Student Film Festival in New York in October - with her first video project. The university's alumni include Ang Lee, Martin Scorsese aand Oliver Stone.

"I was just thrilled to be in New York ," says Hu, after showing her nine-minute film at the screening room in City U's media centre. It's such a great city. I shot as much footage as possible and didn't waste my time there. At the festival, when they honoured my film, Rememberance, it was completely unexpected. I was proud and thrilled."

After completing a bachelor's degree in comparative literature at the University of Hong Kong, Hu taught English before shifting gears. "I've always been interested in cinema, the arts, literature - and this is a bit of everything. I was fed up with what I was doing. I wanted to do something practical and creative. So I embarked on a media course."

The leap of faith and academic shift paid off. "The film took about four months to make. I shot it, edited it, mixed the sound, wrote the script, typed up all the subtitles. it was a one-woman production, so its merits and its faults are all mine.

"I made the film for my Moving Image course, and when my teacher recommended that I send it to New York for the festival, I had no idea I would return with an award," Hu says.

Shot while walking and riding public transport around Hong Kong, the film [in monochrome, which unfolds into colour] is narrated by Hu and includes classical music from her own collection.

The script is a mixture of quotes, memories and words from letters sent and received.

"I borrowed the camera from the university, It was quite heavy lugging it around. shooting in the tram was not easy, with people bumping into me. but standing at the back of the tram, as the city passed me by, moving away from me, fitted perfectly with my theme of recollection. Remembering what has gone by."

Was she worried that her foreign audience and judges might have misunderstood the movie?

"I think the main reason the film won was that the theme appealed to a lot of people," Hu says. "It was a moody piece about what your city means to you. Hong Kong had gone through tragedies, and so had New york."

Now that her first film has done so well, what's next for Hu? "There is that look of expectation now. I see it around me. My next project is due soon and it's not just other's expectations that I have to meet, but my own as well."

Big words might scare him silly, but just look Wu's laughing now

One of China's best-known conceptual artists tells P.Ramakrishnan the secret of his brilliant career: Take it easy.


In a 1985 work titled The Butterfly of Zhuangzi is a Pair of Scissors, what appear to be Chinese characters on a pitch black canvas turn out to be merely strokes of red oil paint. The only character that has any meaning says "nirvana".

A decade later, the medium may have changed, but the same edginess is evident. A photo shows a family picnicking just a few feet away from a nuclear power plant.

Welcome to the world of Wu Shanzhuan - possibly China's best-known conceptual artist. The 45-year-old from Zhoushan was closely associated with the mainland's Political Pop movement of the 1990s.

His body of work includes paintings, installation art, performance, photos and drawings.

This Friday, Wu will launch his first book, the bilingual Red Humour International, published by the Asia Art Archive. But don't ask him what it's about because you're unlikely to get a straight answer. Wu can be unpredictable and erratic.

"I don't really care about what people think about my work and take away from it," says Wu, who is now based in Hamburg. "I don't define it anyway. Once it's done, I leave it behind. My work stands on its own and there's no word really to describe it. I call it 'Wu's thing'.

"I'm afraid of being serious. I'm afraid of responsibility - that word to me is scary. I always look back on my work, on life, with humour. So the book is Red Humour International. I don't understand these serious, serious artists. Why? Take it easy."

The book, designed by Ou Nign, includes unpublished material and commissioned texts by critics such as Gao Minglu, Ursula Panhans-Buhler and Qiu Zhijie. Long-time collaborator Inga Svala Thorsdottir - who was featured in a 1993 video still and many of Wu's photos - also helped out.

If it's true that all art is self-expression, what do the video stills or photos say about Wu? "I'm not here to criticise or promote, condemn or condone," he says. "But I think there should be an awareness. The picture of the power plant with the family - I'm not saying whether it's good or bad, but I think people should be aware.

"The photograph of a couple about to jump and swim in Hong Kong harbour - there's no judgment. Criticising something or liking something is an easy emotion. It's one step away from... Well, I think it leads to dictating. What you want is imposed on others. I just wantt to share. Getting people to think or do what you want - to me that's politics and I'm not about politics."

Reflecting on some of his more prominent work, Wu says it's strange how the media in the past few years - they use the same pictures of my work. Like the photograph of the room filled with Chinese characters or the canvas with the false red characters. I don't understand why.

"To me, the vegetable piece was interesting. I got a lot of vegetables - some organic; others not. I brought them all to a studio and I left for weeks. It was interesting that some things decayed rapidly, while on others, things started to grow."

Wu says he doesn't seek inspiration from the things he sees around him. Even the term "inspiration" irks him.

"I don't like that word. It's another one of those big words that scares me. I don't find inspiration. I don't have a muse. Everyday things like this table or this chair, we just take it, we use it. I have a use-ology for everything that I see, I hear, I smell. It's just my work and that way, I'm always working."

Musicians without Borders

Two performers from India and Pakistaan with the gift of ghazal are getting together for a one-off cconcert, finds P.Ramakrishnan.

The tensions between India and Pakistan may be palpable at times, but when it comes to creative collaborations, the countries have never had it so good. Numerous musicians have featured in Hindi films during the past two years, and singers, comedians, writers, lyricists and even Pakistani actors have worked in Bollywood. Such cross-border cultural harmony may seem extraordinary, but Indian singer Talat Aziz begs to differ.

"Creative people don't see boundaries and politics," the 50-year-old artist says. "There are many music lovers in India who greatly appreciate the singers and musicians from our neighbouring countries, and producers have invited singers and writers to work with them in India for decades.

"The late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan flew from Pakistan and sang for filmmaker Raj Kapoor in Delhi in the early 1980s. Similarly, someone like Ghulam Ali is a respected figure among all music lovers, irrespective of their or his origin."

Aziz has collaborated with Karachi-born Ali in joint concerts for several decades. "I've been an admirer and friend for years. I met him nearly 30 years ago. The upcoming concert in Hong Kong is a collaboration - a confluence of harmony that has been long in the making."

The two ghazal singers - each considered among the best in his respective country - will give a one-off concert this Friday at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

The ghazal is said to have originated in 10th-century Persian verse, making its way to India in the 12th century. A poetic form of music, it's sung in delicate melodies, with greater emphasis on Urdu words and language than on tempo and beat.

Some consider in to be an elitist form of music, but Ali doesn't agree. "The more youngsters attend, the more they seem to enjoy it. Ghazal isn't elitist. It's not just for those who are well -read. It's for everyone who can enjoy good music."

Ali has performed around the world and has made more than 50 platinum-selling albums during the past three decadess. His fan club is mixed. "I've worked with and met many wonderful Indian artists and it has always been a pleasure to collaborate with them, meet them and exchange ideas," he says. "The warmth and love I've received in my concerts abroad, I can't tell you what it means to me."

At the age of 15, Ali became a protege of classical singer Bade Ghulam Ali khan. He was taught by Khan's brothers and trained in classical mussic for years before he started composing and singing professionally. His compositions are raga-based (traditional melody) and include various innovations.

Aziz, who was born and brought up in Hyderabad, India, learnt classical singing at a young age. He was trained by Ustad Samad Khan and later by Ustad Fayaz Ahmed, then introduced to recording studios by Jagjit Singh.

Although Aziz sang on many private, non-film based albums, he eventually began so-called playback singing for Indian actors. He has also acted in films and television shows - but he says music is his first love.

"There are no rehearsals as such for concerts," says Aziz. "You never know what's going to happen, how we adhere to audience requests, and gauge the mood from their reactions."

From across the border, Ali agrees. "Live shows are a unique experience every time," he says. "I've had requests from audience to sing their favourite song again and again. They never tire of certain classics. Luckily , I enjoy singing old numbers, and popular choices are my own favourites, too."

Aziz is confident that Hong Kong audiences will appreciate ghazals, "Not long ago, I was in Sauddi Arabia for a concert and the audience was a very mixed, international crowd," he says. "The Russian and the Japanese Consulate Generals were attending, with their respective peeople and entourage. I thought they would stay for a few minutes and then leave. But they stayed till the very end and, although I'm sure they didn't understand a single word that was sung, they came up to me. At the next concert, there were more Russians and Japanese peeople in the crowd. What does that tell you about music transcending borders?"

almost famous: Amabel Liu

by P.Ramakrishnan

Amabel Liu may appear one of the fresher faces on the local music scene, but she has a long history in the arts.

Liu, who will perform at the Fringe as part of jazz and blues band Subito, may be familiar to some as one half of the now now disbanded girl group, Sisters.
"Well, I do enjoy singing and my sister and I - we were in our teens - had signed this contract with a company and we had to perform songs in a particular style that was, well, pretty formulaic. I was in it about two years and then... it didn't work out that well, for me at least."

Hence, the repeated appearances on local TV shows and radio petered out. "We wanted to compose our own songs with a bit more diversity, but the compaany wanted us to do just the pop stuff. I really didn't."

So she hung up the microphone and left the music scene. Now she is back.

Much to the joy of the Fringe Club's Catherine Lau who says of Liu: "She's what I want to be - a singer, an artist, a pianist who does jazz. She's studied in New York. She's doing a course here now in fine arts. All this and she's just 21."

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Liu went through the rigmarole of the averaage local student, with school followed by extra-curricular activities that required as much, if not more, effort. "I've been playing the piano and composing my own songs since I was seven. I started learning the piano quite young and I was no genius that learnt everything in a year. I hated going to the exams."

If Liu's relationship with music has been tempestuous, her affair with painting is more stable - even if it's being enforced by her courses at university. "I love music, but that's just a part of me. I enjoyed painting and signed up for a course in upstate New York where I was for a year, and now I've transferred to the Chinese University and doing my bachelor's degree in fine arts."

As a professional singer, it's perhaps easier to gauge one's own success, but what's it like in the finicky and struggle-filled world of the ever-suffering-artist? "I've had my paintings exhibited and sold a few already. It's cool to find someone like-minded, who didn't just say they liked my work, but went out and bought it as well.

"I know I can't just be an artist and live off that, I'm a realist," she continues. "But I have my own studio and I'm there often and the money that I get through sales may not buy me a Mercedes, but I can get my brushes and canvases and paints, things I want and need."

Although Liu's shifted focus slightly, she's never let go of her musical roots. "Music is very much a part of me. I get it from my mum. She has all kinds of music and I'd go through the discs and find something odd and old and I'd really like it. When people come to a performance, I think they are taken aback by my choices. I love Julie London - she has the sexist voicce ever. I just love it. Billie Holiday, June Christie. The golden oldies."

Subito was born after a series of fortuitous meetings and now consists of Liu on vocals, Chris Gordon on guitar, mandolin and banjo, joined by Julian on double bass and Les on drums [both say they prefer not to use their surnames].

"During the breaks, each individual performer has a chance to showcase their solo pieces too so I get to present my compossitions or just play what I want to play. This freedom is much more fun then constantly being told what to do."

almost famous: Rani Asra Gidwani

by P.Ramakrishnan.

Eight days before she delivered her beautiful baby girl Raina, Rani Asra Gidwani was squatting on cushions on her mother's living-room sofa, addressing a room full of dancers. Gidwani teaches Indian dance all year round but she's busiest during the months leading up to Diwali, the Indian new year, which falls on October 25 this year.

"I said no to everything but when people want you, they want you," she says. "I had an assistant; I showed them what to do and taught all the way till my last trimester."

With no formal training but with three decades of experience behind her, Gidwani combines Bollywood-style "filmy" dancing with MTV-inspired sequences and dollops of originality and style.

Officially, she's been instructing for nine years at her Kowloon School of Dance but as far back as she can remember she's been grooving to music. "I've been dancing since I was three years old choreographing my own dances since I was five," says the 33-year-old. "I've always been one of those people who leads the dance; I can't follow other people and copy them. That's not my style. What I have to offer is unique and original. I can't blindly copy what's on TV."

Apart from the vast number of youngsters she's taught over the past nine years ["Ninety-five per cent of the Indian kids in Tsim Sha Tsui who dance have come to some class or another with me"]. Gidwani's worked with Chinese, Japanese, Russian, British and Americans, enthused by the exuberance of Bollywood musicals' and joie de vivre.

"For the older ladies especially, or couples who just want to look good when they're dancing at events, it's a great workout. with Indian dance, bhangra especially, you shake everything. Bhangra-cise is huge in Britain and I'm sorting out a scheddule in Hong Kong too.

"Indian music has crept in to so many remixes. From Eminem to Ricky Martin, the influence has spread into the club scene as well so when people want to learn to move to it, they come to me. I'm sure I was the first person to mix hip-hop and Indian songs and teach dance."

A voluminous file reveals her students' information - an age group from three to 60. "I worked with an international school last year, with teachers, students, all of whom were putting on a Bollywood show after Moulin Rouge I think. They were eager to learn and that made it fun for me to teach. The best part was that there were no hassles because they were so enthusiastic."

Opportunity to work in Bollywood, the world's largest film industry, came often, but she didn't grab the offers. "I've had offers to work in showbiz many times but I wasn't ready to leave home - I was born and brought up in Hong Kong. To live in Mumbai and cater to stars and their egos and try my luck - I wasn't sure. Deep down, I didn't have the confidence then."

And now? "Now, I'm happily married and a mother of a 10-month-old. I still get to do what I love and seriously have no regrets."

Keep Your Hat On: Photography book with tasteful nudes hits Hong Kong: The city's biggest stars, models and socialites in the buff

Noted Hong Kong-based photographer Ike Eichensehr is scheduled to release a book this coming January that's bound to raise... a few eyebrows. Over the last decade, he's travelled all around Asia taking pictures of the most incredible scenery for his compendium. And some very naked people. P.Ramakrishnan gets behind the seams.

All images by Ike.


We've had ugly hiccups with beautiful nudes. Frantic calls from models that, in whatever state they were in, decided to shed their inhibitions for a photographer and as publication dates crawled closer, they got cold feet. Tears, fears and hysteria resulted in last-minute changes to layouts and overtime that crept well into the night. A ban on any kind of nakedness in our magazine ensued. Just not worth the grief.

Ike Eichensehr is confident that there won't be any such trouble ahead. "The book is mostly a collection of my photography over the last 10 years and I've never had any trouble with the people who have posed for me. In fact, all of them did it for free and have seen the results. There's nothing hardcore, it's all very sensual stuff, more like foreplay, nothing too sexual or dark. And there's no in-your-face nudity, no fake massive breasts. That's just not my style."

The Chicago native came to Hong Kong eight years ago with his then Chinese wife. With a BA degree in advertising from Columbia, the artist simply known as "Ike" fell into photography when he was in the Navy. "I didn't really go out on ships and was taking very basic photographs of helicopters and stuff. It was for catalogues and references I think, but I really enjoyed taking the pictures and of course I love what I do now."

Why wouldn't he? He's constantly travelling to incredible locations, shooting gorgeous people, film stars and the like. 

"I was really inspired by the early works of Herb Ritts, the lighting that brought out the sensuality, and the tone of his images. It's a lot easier to get nude models now than it was when I started, but then that's expected of course as Asia is more conservative. Before each shoot, I showed them my earlier work and explained the shot to them. It's never anything too complicated so they agree. I have never had to really convince even reluctant people to pose. The book, "Eight Characters of Asia," sort of just happened. I have always wanted to put out a book and it took this much time to come up with a cohesive theme and style."

Over time, surely styles have changed, the equipment, the quality, the budgets, not to mention the radical revolution of images brought on by the advent of Photoshop that even a 10 year-old has access to? The pro photographer disagrees.

"The shots I took years ago or the one last week, there isn't much difference in style. I like to keep it really simple. Natural light, not a lot of hair and makeup drama - just people on beaches and the rocks, taking in the environment."

Reeling back for a second, Ike says with a chuckle, "Once I shot a girl at the beach in Guam and my dog Antonio, a Jack Russell, went up and bit her breast! I don't know what brought that on but I was very proud of my dog! The girl wasn't too happy though."


"Well, just trying explaining that to the doctor.

With a laugh Ike says, "On location in Lantau, I was shooting a girl, au naturelle in nature and we got a little carried away and lost track of time. When I turned around about 20 boy scouts were standing around. I was embarrassed beyond belief and had to throw my shirt on the girl. But it wasn't anything raunchy, they very artistic shots, so we apologised and left."

For the record there are some men in the book in the buff too. "When shooting in this style, you really want toned and athletic bodies and there are some people that just shouldn't get naked on film, ever. While shooting men, I had them do more physical activities like climbing, and crazier things to bring out their athleticism."


So what was the challenge in putting this together? "Getting a publisher wasn't easy," he responds. "At first no one would return my calls or e-mails, but now, somehow everyone's calling. I just don't understand the sudden change."

Another book is in the offing, even if it's in its most nebulous state at the moment. 

"Over-the-top excess is the theme in mind. The filthy, young rich, like the Asian Paris Hilton, but sexy. Oh, but no more nudes in that book."

Spontaneous construction

This city's almost seamless building sites offer an exciting medium for a special artist. He tells P.Ramakrishnan why jackhammers are music to his ears.

Even if you've walked past 102 Austin Road, Kowloon, you've probably missed the large canvas of Stanley Wong Ping-pui's latest art work. You're not to be blamed.

At a glance, a myopic eye will not recognise what it is-the large "canvas" of red, blue and white stripes made of the same woven material used primarily in construction sites to prevent debris from falling to the pavement actually sits on a building that is under construction. Why would anyone look at Building HK04 Tsim Sha Tsui for a second longer?

Another example of his work was inconspicuously displayed last year in the lobby of G.O.D., the furniture warehouse in Causeway Bay. The "installation art" looked as if the lobby had been left incomplete for days on end. But the scene - a mess of wires and dust - was actually painfully created. Entitled Building HK01 Causeway Bay, the only thing left from the project are photographs in Wong's office.

Deceptively straightforward, Wong's theme, Building Hong Kong, derives from a city in constant motion and growth. While most people will moan at the sight of yet another pneumatic drill, Wong delights in further opportunity to create his distinctive art.

"Hong Kong is about constant growth. Why don't we celebrate that?" he asks. "For a few years, I lived and worked in Singapore and I came back to Hong Kong just in time for the handover and realised how much I missed this placee."


Looking at his prospective plans on a digital disc, Wong, who is also an award-winning graphic designer and ad-film maker, says he wants to bring his art to all parts of Hong Kong. If all his visions come true, his work will be displayed in parks, commercial centres, temples and mosques. All the works will bear his favourite colour motif of red, white and blue, which carries a sense of unity, or does it?

"No politics, please. My work is not confrontational," he says, while an image superimposed on an government building appears on the digital-display screen. "It reflects my version of utopia and peace. Peace and politics don't seem to mingle much these days. When a French guy sees the work, he thinks it's somehow related to France. Same with an American. Foreigners relate to the work with their own homeland in mind. To anyone from Hong Kong, these colours are an instant portrait of Hong Kong."

He is right. Red, white and blue are also the colours of the ubiquitous, and often derided, rectangular zip-up canvas bags favoured by Hong Kongers as holdalls. To Wong, it's really a "made-in-Hong Kong" symbol, and a good one.

"There is nothing stronger, nothing will last longer, it's efficcient and inexpensive. To any person anywhere in Hong Kong, it's symbolic of where we come from," Wong says. "I am working on a book and trying to trace the history and origin of this material - why these elementary colours were chosen? To me, it's a local icon."

It has not been easy to put his works on public display. He laughs when a reference is made about the similarities between him aand the "King of Kowloon'" graffiti artist Tsang Tsou-choi, whose "canvasses" are walls on public sites. "The idea's the same - but my work would be legal of course!" Wong says with a chuckle. His company staff try to get permission from owners and management companies around town.

"The museum and gallery audience are a secondary target, they don't concern me as much as regular people do. How maany people are willing to go all the way to Sha Tin to look at the art on display other than a few well-intended art lovers and tourists," Wong says. "It's not the gallery cult I seek. Anyone should have the opportunity to see my work, not just the people who pay to see it in a controlled environment. At bus stops, in malls, in office buildings - where the real people are, that's where my work should be."

Gazing out towards Victoria Park from his office near Tin Hau temple, he says "I don't even like the word 'art', as I am a communications major," Wong says. "Paintings, sculptures aren't art to me. Every piece is an individual and personal communicaation."

He won the gold award at the Provisional Regional Council Asian-Pacific Poster Exhibition in 1997 for his two-set posters "1 Country 2 Systems" and "50 Years Remain Unchanged". Since then, his work has travelled to Berlin, Shanghai and Taipei to glowing reviews and a slew of awards.

The goal of his latest project is to give people a positive outlook about the land they inhabit. "We've got to have faith in our country, our society, our work, our lives, ourselves as individuals. The country is a reflection of us - the big picture telescopes to us, not the other way around."

Survival of the Coolest

Tired of mainstream fodder? Join the fetival with a difference in a celebration of all things audio and visual. P.Ramakrishnan picks some highlights.

It is not what you can expect to see at this year's Sound And Vision Festival that will make it a genuine music lover's gathering, but rather what you won't see. No one-hit wonders who've never touched a musical instrumment, no mediocre poster boys, no airbrushed calendar girls.

The third annual festival is co-founded and directed by the husband-and-wife team of Wong Chi-chung, Universal Music's international repertoire manager, and promoter Yvonne Siet. Fuelled by passion and caffeine, the pair have jumped hoops, and dodged wars andd disease to put this year's event together. "When we had our meetings in March, we were debating whether to move it to a later date. We thought last year was bad when our sponsors abandoned us. We had to get money from friends and family. If people had $20 to give, we were happy to take it. We had a company to sponsor the paper for the 8,000 programmes. Everything was done with a smile on our face and a very big please," Siet says.

This year, it was nearly strike three. "The financial situation hasn't picked up. Then Sars hit hard... we considered cancelling the event, but everyone said, 'Let's do it, by August, it'll be gone'."

It sounds quixotic, considering the number of large-scale events that were pulled, after multimillion-dollar campaigns and advertising, particularly for an event that began with a "zero budget".

One of the names returning to Hong Kong is Victor Hugo, the Venezuelan-born singer and composer who has helped spread the Latin music message in Europe and collaborated with legendary "Salseros" such as Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Oscar D'Leon among others. Hugo will be supported by his regular sidemen, The Mambo Boyz, who have earned a reputation across Europe as hardy party starters.

"Victor Hugo and the band were going to visit in April and I told them not to come. It wasn't because of Sars initially, but the war. They had to fly over some iffy areas, which bothered me," Siet says. "They loved it here when they came last time and they were waiting for me to give them a firm date."

Local indie darlings Uncle Joe will join a raft of performers at the festival's finale concert. Guitarist and songwriter, Andrew Gardener, says, "The standard of Hong Kong bands has improved in leaps and bounds from when we first started playing a few years ago. Most of them are amateurs. The indie band thing is still very underground... it's for people who have a passion for music and love to play. We're not the bubble-gum attraction.

"Events like this are good for the performers too. You get to see a variety of styles, to see what's out there and what's popular," says Gardener, who also sees the festival as an opportunity to push their recently released full-length debut (go to www.unclejoeehk.com).

And while music-biz executives will be scouting for talent at the festival, Gardener insists this is not the motivation for taking part. "The Sound And Vision audience is your 20- to 30-something crowd. It's a good mix of Chinese and western people."

Local classical composer Kung Chi-shing agrees. As the festival's musician in focus he is looking forward to the range of events on offer. "I strongly believe there's a need for this sort of gathering. The music scene is dominated by Canto-pop which is very commercial and doesn't have much to do with music or art."

Kung will be leading a lecture on how film enhances an audience 's experiencee of music. "Films like Apocalypse Now, Clockwork Orange or [Japanese director] Akira Kurosawa's films have shown how a visual medium can enhance the musical experience. I don't much care for something as obvious as Chicago, or the main-stream film world. The producers may claim it was a big risk to make a musical in these times, but those films are the result of a lot of calculation. It's an adaptation of a very successful Broadway musical, has a popular cast to entice the audience. It may have been well made and entertaining, but it's superficial."

This year's festival has a few more surprises up its sleeve. Wong explains the theme ("Survival Kit") as he hands out brochures. "The Sars theme was an idea we played with, but it was dropped. Everyone was jumping on the bandwagon. It was something that happened and we didn't want to capitalise on it. Plug into some music and leave your worries behind. That's one way to survive, isn't it? This is our survival kit."

And it'ss an aural and visual smörgåsbord that's being served up. Fusion, indie, pop, rock, salsa, documentaries, films, seminars, lectures, multimediaa shows, interactive events, the list goes on.

Wong says: "Festivals are great place for people from everywhere to mingle. For local bands to get out there, to play in front of crowds of 500 or 1,000. People look forward to this every year. Everyone gets to interact. There will be a lot of crossover acts. It also gives artists a chance to experiment, to do something they wouldn't do at their normal concerts.

"Audiences must bring their mobile phones into the auditorium" is a line in the catalogue that will have everyone scratching their heads. Bring your mobile to a concert?

"Well, even I was surprised to hear that tri [a French multimedia group performing on August 29] want people to come with their phones on. They are a very interesting group-one member is a writer, a critic, another member is an installattion artist and the other is a musician. So it's an audio and vision show. They've been performing all around Europe and they're planning to be here and to interact with local audiences," Wong explains.

indie-pendant

It is something of a tragedy that in the wide world of music, Hong Kong is best known for Canto-pop of capricious quality, when the spotlight should really shif its focus on to the independent music scene. Schtung Music has been creating original melodies for more than two decades and collaborating with stalwarts in the independent arena, yet the Hong Kong-based company remains inches away from the spotlight. P.Ramakrishnan puts the focus where it firmly belongs and gets an earful.

There is a certain cradle of cool between Central and the lower Peak Tram terminus. Concealed in a private enclave not far from Government House and an Episcopal church, behind a wrought iron gate that escalates up to a private recording studio, is the headquarters of an extraordinary recording company.

With a clutch of characters oozing urban chic through a soft haze of cigarette smoke, a cornucopia of musical instruments litters corners, beside stacks of CDs and old black vinyl records, music books and memorabilia, listening to the throb of a drum as an acoustic guitar marries the chords of a traditional sitar, it's surreal to the point of being a scene lifted from a film about the music industry.

But here, it's the real deal. This is the music industry, an independent beacon, shedding light on rarely seen but well heard musicians and artists. The hybrid sonatas spring from original creations that are freshly baked in the very studio by some severe mixing gadgetry, all under the aegis of Founder and Managing Director, Morton Wilson.

"We just find them," Wilson simply says when asked how he discovered the voice of a hauntingly beautiful chorus girl, as she reaches a crescendo on a track that is part of an independent album that Schtung made. "They come through word of mouth, recommendations, being in the right place at the right time. There's no proper talent search for these singers, we just hear them somewhere and if we like them, we track them down and ask if they would like to collaborate."

'Jam Bangle - Club 21,' a tropical club track, spins and as crystal clear notes boom through the room, it's easy to get lost in the moment, but Wilson continues, "There are times when we do work with people who are really well established in the field already, like David Bowie or Robbie Williams or Asian artists like Asha Bhonsle. Having hit the charts and made the money and the career, they don't need to work on these smaller albums but that's where the artistry comes in. When they want to try something new, they've got nothing to lose. The creative spirit takes over and we try something unique with them and sometimes they like it, and if they don't, we try something else.

As a quirky yet rhythmic duet comprised of Britpop star Williams and India's septuagenarian nightingale Bhonsle infiltrates the air, it's a strange marriage of melody that works incredibly well. Why it works is inexplicable; one chants in lyrical English, whilst the other enchants in pure Hindi.

"We've all heard the cliches about music crossing borders, but when you hear something like this, well, of course it does," says Wilson. "One half of the audience will only understand half of what's being sung, but does it really matter if it sounds good?" he asks rhetorically.
This year marks Schtung's 25th anniversary. When Andrew Hagen and Morton Wilson landed in Hong Kong back in 1982, they were composers, trying to break into the creative business. Schtung was originally a rock and roll band formed by the duo in New Zealand, and they even have a remnant of the era; a vinyl disc in a paper jacket stamped with their black and white portraits. The mop of 70s hair dates it, but the music still works, even today. Whilst they didn't exactly displace The Beatles or The Stones, the band was popular enough that commercial directors asked them to store original music for them. So the rock'n' rollers became Schtung Music.

Providing music for the film, television and advertising industries, the company has worked with the best talent Asia has to offer. As time evolved, Schtung became a creative hub that discovered and gave breaks to new talent across the region. Before the expression became tired and overwrought, the small company truly married the 'East meets West' concept of music. As its official website states: "If you need a live erhu player in Shanghai, or the sound of the Star ferry crossing Hong Kong Harbour, or Donald Sutherland's voice for your next TV spot, give us a call and we'll arrange it for you."

"The album that started it all was 'Languages' for Joyce Boutique," says Wilson pulling out a CD cover bearing a simple black and white image of a flower. "When Joyce Ma opened the new Joyce at The Galleria in 1992, Schtung developed the Joyce theme (featured on its award winning TV commercials even today), into a full-length album with an ambient East-West vibe. There was no looking back after that."

What followed were albums like Set Your Own Boundaries for Festival Walk (a limited edition CD to celebrate the opening of Festival Walk in 1998), Bar Savanh for Indochine (original Vietnamese & Souteast Asian inflected chill tracks for the Singapore based Indochine Group of clubs and restaurants, in 2002), and Omotesando Volume 1 for Giordano ladies.

With ISDN-linked networked studios in Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai and Los Angeles, Schtung is a muti-national entity. On a visit to the Hong Kong studio, there were people working on keyboards, and computers seemingly editing and composing as elements arrived from LA, London and Beijing. The studio is veritable orgy of cross-cultural harmony.

"It's just a matter of co-ordination," says Wilson, mapping out the international co-ordinates where his artists are located. "For example, for Giordano, we also created Three Wishes - Giordano Ladies, Volume 2 and the team expanded to include contributions from Audiomatic, a production duo in LA and Shanghai-based violinist and arranger Peng Fei."

One of Schtung's off tangent successes has come from creating branded music for retailers, spas and restaurants. Quizzical it may seem, but is there really a great challenge in creating a disc of sound for someone while they're getting their back waxed?

"You'd be surprised to learn that we had to re-work an album compilation, and it came down to a note. Someone presumably getting a massage or something, complained about finding a particular note too sharp and disturbing as they were trying to relax. It's not just about whale sounds and the repetition of a few bars on the piano and violin. People forget that everything has to be composed, there's real talent behind an orchestra of sounds. It's not that easy and it can take weeks and months until we get the perfect result."


Ever on the trail of new sounds, originality and ideas, Wilson's talent hunt has him going everywhere, and he's not just looking at vocals and instrumentalists from around Asia, but also at archival music. As one of the man behind the cult smash Shanghai Lounge Divas, a re-mixed enterprise of classic Chinese songs with modern sounds, he is now working on a similar, follow-up project. Hopefully sequels to the haunting Nomad Voices (the music of the Orochen Tribe from the forested areas in Northern China, close to Siberia) are also in development. Also being cooked up are further collaboration with leading musicians, but Wilson remains tight-lipped about them for the time being. "It's all about timing you know."

According to the New York Times, the independent label sector accounts for 30 percent of the music sold worldwide, but as major labels struggle on crutches as illegal file sharing rages rampantly and is seemingly unstoppable around the globe, Wilson appears calm and collected about people downloading music companies' prized possessions.

"Of course it isn't right that people are doing this kind of thing [stealing music online], but with our music I'm not that concerned," he says. "The underground music scene and the independent circuit thrive on people sharing ideas, sounds and music. The more people hear our products, hopefully the more creative they will be, and more talent will emerge from it. At the end of the day, we just want to be heard."

To Coin A Face: Hong Kong's finest Makeup Artist Karen Yiu in conversation with Kee: MUA to the stars

Hong Kong has a spiraling number of fashion magazines, an endless supply of writers, a smaller number of good photographers, an even tinier number of decent stylists, and just a handful of good makeup artists, which makes Karen Yiu a rare gem, confirms P.Ramakrishnan. 

All images by Ike. 

It's hard for her to pin down the exact number of faces she's held in her hand - oily, dry, clear, tan, pale, Asian, Caucasian, African-American, female, male, smooth or rough - and converted the often questionable canvas into a flawless piece of art. Sound hyperbolic? 

Just visit her website as faces are converted into showcases for her extraordinary talents with a brush. Karen Yiu, 28, does hair and make up. Sound simple enough? Well, there's more to it. 

If you've ever seen a perfectly attractive girl look ordinary or, conversely, an ordinary looking girl out-pout Angelina Jolie, then credit artists like Yiu who highlight the good, hide the bad, and get rid of the ugly altogether. She can make an acne-stricken male teenager look like an Italian stud or an anemic model seem to be in the pink of health, all within an hour. Having seen her in action at various shoots, what never ceases to surprise, the way she maintains her genial spirit while working with difficult people (not all models are as pretty in person as they are in print) needs to be rewarded. 

Under the constant stress of limited time and merciless working conditions, her unwavering hand can provide astonishing results, delivering exactly what the art directors and editors ask for, mostly going beyond expectations. 

"I love what I do" says Yiu with her ever-present smile. "I used to be a social worker until 2001 as I have a degree in social work, but then I decided that I wanted to do something creative. I like colouring and drawing so when I first enrolled at the London College of Fashion, I studied fashion design. But I didn't get the chance to draw everyday, so I studied the art of makeup and finally I got to do what I like - so I switched courses." 

I wonder if she looks at the visage of a woman as one would a large jigsaw puzzle that requires assembly and construction, where every 'body' is just a 'body of work' that needs to be done? 

"When I look at a person, I don't know immediately what I'm going to do with their face," she confesses, adding that she likes to study her subject before the first touch of powder ever hits the epidermis. "I talk to them, ask them what they like, find out more about their personality, what their favourite colour is, and so on. Some makeup artists know instantly what to do when they see a face, but I need some time to absorb all the information." 

In her unaffected manner, she earnestly says, "I want to make people happy by creating something new for them."

New and innovative was the theme of Yiu's recent exhibition where she displayed pictures of her work over the last year. Together with fashion photographer Ike, the duo hosted the event entitled, 'Second Skin'. The evening coincided with the release of a photo book, 'Oriental Eye', a stunning showcase of Ike's trademark black and white images, described as "an intimate look at Asian beauty". 

Consisting predominantly of images of Asian nudes, Yiu's within the collaboration was a bare necessity as she did most of the creative makeup and body art, molding the entire naked body to create erotic, aesthetic human landscapes. "Makeup design cannot work on its own; it needs a photographer to capture the images," says Yiy. "Photography plays a very important part in the whole process; therefore makeup artists and photographers need to have good communication and a connection. Ike has been one of the most important and significant people in my career so far, as he gave me a chance when I was a fresh graduate. I would have an idea when I was walking down the street, and then I would call him, he would get a model, set up the shoot and we would do test shots. He did the same with me and I'd come up with ways to put his ideas into makeup." 

As an image of a girl, bearded with gold dust comes into view on one of the pages of the book, it's easy to see why the novel odd couple (he's a tall Chicago native, she's a petite Hong Kong resident), somehow gel and mesh together so well. "We've worked together on many projects and I'm so grateful he gave me my break." 

In addition to focusing on fashion and bridal makeup, as well as body art, Yiu says on the record that nothing beats editorial work with creative magazines and daring photographers. "I like editorial work more because you can create something original and through a magazine people will know that," says Yiu. 

"I don't like to look at other magazines or the work of other artists or stylists for inspiration, because you can just end up copying them and what's the point in that?" 

Did Yiu always have a particular passion for makeup? "I have always liked beautiful things," she says with a laugh and then drops the bomb. "But actually, I have only been doing professional makeup in Hong Kong since last April." 

In such a short period of time, being counted among the best in the field is a grand achievement. 

"Trying new looks and testing images is not common practice for most photographers or magazines in this town, and I consider myself lucky that I've met people like Ike, and worked with creative magazines and visionary people to produce original images." Lucky indeed, but Yiu's sheer talent is what it's all about. 

 Contact Karen Yiu: Karen Yiu: The Art of Makeup

Colour me Funny: Interview with British comedienne Gina Yashere in Hong Kong

The adage is:"'Dying is easy, comedy is hard", and it rings true if you've ever had the misfortune of listening to a bad stand-up where even the alcohol can't help inducing laughter. But when they're good, as British comedienne Gina Yashere, 33, undoubtedly is, it can be belly-achingly brilliant. P.Ramakrishnan meets the woman who is a laugh-a-minute.

Born to Nigerian parents, with her red Mohawk and her distinct British accent, Gina Yashere, the fine celebrity impersonator and casual observer to the inanities of life has a faithful following. Ever-tickled by her take on all things in contemporary life, celebrity-dom and what's on reality television's latest burp, Big Brother, Yashere is never short of material to poke fun at.

"Big Brother is so stupid, I don't understand why I watch it," admits Yashere confessing to viewing  drivel on the idiot box. "There's no justice in this world - the no-talent freak parades on reality TV land up with contracts and are given shows - when others who've been working hard in this business for years can't get a meeting with producers. No justice. But then, they have a career lifespan of about a season, if even, and they die off don't they?"

If only.

Familiar to those with access to the comedies on BBC, with appearances on shows like The Lenny Henry Show and Up Late with Gina Yashere, she's getting more visible than risible, as cameos in films such as Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (as 'Polythene Pam' the murderess specialising in plastic bag suffocation) and in Mr In-Between. Then there's that penultimate testament to modern-day acting, a role in the highly successful play, The Vagina Monologues, at The West End in London.

But make no mistake, Yashere's a comedienne at heart and as her cracking performance at Punchline in Hong Kong proved, she takes no prisoners. Bulldozing in after an act that , um...er...didn't go well, she stood her ground, even though a semi-hostile and semi-inebriated crowd awaited her.

"I had a feeling things might get a bit iffy," she says, being one of the few female comics to make it on the jet-set league of a working stand-up. "The first act didn't go train 'em like dogs. There were a few in the front rows who thought they could heckle me but I let them know who's in control."

Control is key.

With a rich source of materials collected over the last decade ("I've got a mental Roladex of material"), she could be having a burger minutes before going on and never breaks into a sweat before heading to stage. The only time a doubt crept in, was in Montreal on an urban ("Can you substitute that word 'urban' with 'black' please? They call us 'urban' now!) comedy show. She followed a host of American comics, unsure and self-admittedly, a little shook up.

"Usually, I'm never ever nervous. I love it out there. I know my material. But at this event, all these Americans took the stage hostage, they were all bling-bling, mother****ers this and what up n***?!"

"And then I came on with my accent and there was a bit of a silence," she says with a dramatic pause and mouth agape. "They kept staring at my lips because they couldn't believe I could speak like this and I don't do sex jokes and politics and mouth off. But they came around. I wanted to do well because if I failed, not only would I flop in front of thousands of people, but also among a row of well-known comedians, my comrades. And I didn't want that.

It went really well. My material is pretty clean I guess, mostly from life and television and of course my mother! I'm not that political, except I think that Blair is George Bush's bitch and we should have never gotten into this war."

Riding through the labyrinth roads that lead from Le Meridien Cyberport to Central, ("nice hotel but it really is in the middle of nowhere ain't it?") in a speeding cab, Yashere 's as ebullient off stage as she is on. There is no topic that's taboo under the spotlight, so why would it be in an interview?

"When asked to go to Iraq to entertain the troops a few weeks ago, I originally thought, 'No way!' This is a stupid, pointless war that's brought nothing but death to our own people -  you can quote me on that Blair Bush bitch comment by the way - but then I kept thinking about our soldiers there, what were they doing all these weeks and months?" she says, playing with the diamond encrusted 'G' pendant around her neck.

"I was there for a week and there was nothing to do, and it did my head in. But I'm glad that I went, the guys were great, and the responses I got were brilliant, but am never going back to Iraq."

What made her decide to go to the war-torn venue in the first place?

"The money, of course!" The car almost shakes as everyone in the cab, laughs. "You don't think it was for the good of mankind do ya? No. Seriously, I'm so glad I did it. But again, I'm never going back! Can you write that down please? Never. Going. Back."

Winner of the best female Stand-Up at the Black International Comedy Awards in 2002, the former lift engineer is riding high and unshackled from a desk job. Looking back at her strict upbringing, her family, and mom in particular, is a rich source of material.

"My mother wants gadgets she can't use, 'What is theese idop? Everyone has one, I want one!' So I got her an ipod and its still in the box. Anything she sees at my place she wants. My mother wants. Wants me to get married, have kids, but once I was on television, she said, 'No she's busy having a careeeer. Keedz can come later!' Still in that thick, Nigerian accent She left Africa 40 years [ago] but still can't shake it off! But once the TV gigs run out, I'm sure she'll be back on the baby track."

Does mama Yashere mind being the butt of many a routine? "Oh God no. She always tries to come to my shows, I point her out, she stands up, and gets a standing ovation! Loves it. Loves the attention." she says with a laugh. "My brothers and sisters, they just want to hide! I'm the only one in showbiz, they have real jobs."

A decade ago, Yashere went the proper route of studying Physics, Maths and French, and was an engineer for four years but a comic sketch she did with two other friends, which she wrote, was staged for a small charity event. When the audience went wild for it, the trio went around small theatres and venues around the UK, performing the same skit again and again, and winning accolades and awards in competitions.


"One night, one of the girls couldn't make it 'cause she was working, and the other girl got sick so I ended up alone at the event," recollects Yashere as we walk up Lan Kwai Fong, looking for a place to eat. "I still had to go on, and I just started talking about all the funny things that happened to me. And they loved it. I really enjoyed the audience laughter. You know what? I was kicked out of that group even though I did all the writing. But I didn't get knocked down, I went solo. My own Diana Ross moment!"

Swinging out her arms in a dramatic fashion, lunch at Post 97 is suddenly a private performance of tales and anecdotes.

"But there's no bitterness. A while ago, I ran a comedy club in London and I invited them to perform. No grudges. I'm bigger than that!"

Were they any good?

"Utter crap!"

 Gina Yashere appears at The Punchline Comedy Club for two more shows - more info here.