The UrbanWire      

“So, are you as good as Rooney?”

Nike’s latest issue of a challenge to football fanatics out there is part of the Total 90 Laser III football boot launched by the leading sports and apparel manufacturer this year. Now in its third generation, the T90 Laser III features “enhanced accuracy” and “mercurial speed”, yielding triumph at matches with “focused power and precision”.

March 6 is the day to mark on your calendars, because you’ll get to trial the T90 Laser III and attest to the deadly accuracy of the football boot. Apart from that, Nike is giving out attractive prizes to challengers, the first prize amounting to $1000 worth of Nike products. If you’re aged 15 to 24 years and would like to participate, log on to register and you’ll receive a T90 Laser III laser pointer.

Besides the stunning green and red colours of the boot, every pair of the T90 Laser III comes with a specific user-code that provides online access to Nike Football+. It provides a training programme in the comfort of the place of your choice to keep you at the top of your game. With the use of the online platform, users get accuracy training drills and expert tuition imparted by the coaching team at Italian giants Juventus FC. The virtual experience also highlights a “detailed ‘signature move’ coaching session from Fernando Torres of Liverpool FC”.

With the new generation of the football boot, Nike’s design team delved into studying the relationship between the boot and the ball to give players a better playing experience, with “truer strikes and leverage surface friction for maximum swerve”. The fresh configuration of ‘Shot Shield’ aims to do just that, enabling players to connect with the ball, without sacrificing accuracy.

Try out the T90 Laser III and feel like a pro, playing with precision and speed.

Donning a superman-esque shirt on the cover of his new album, Singaporean singer Jing Wong (黄靖伦) aims to be OK Man. The sophomore effort from the winner of the Meritorious Newcomer Award at last year’s Singapore Hit Awards is more than just ok.

The 26-year-old’s claim to fame was his appearance on the third season of Taiwanese reality singing competition One Million Star as a contestant. His easygoing attitude and humorous mannerisms made Jing one of the well-liked contenders of the television programme.

After a successful debut with Jing’s Note (伦语录), which focused on his flair for ballads and downtempo numbers, Ok Man presents more genres of music. “Oh Mother” is one such experimental track with a British rock element. The actor doesn’t disappoint with his vocals in this piece and appears tougher than what we recall him to be. It looks set to be a foot-tapping tune with its catchy accompaniment and repetition of the song title.

Another new endeavour for this recording was his performing a rap segment in “Our Show”. Although Jing had attempted some aspect of rap in “Oh My God” from the previous album, this time it’s more substantial. While a little awkward, overall it was alright, although it’s evident that his gift is really in belting slow pieces.

“Transparent Man”, composed by prolific Singaporean musician and producer Lee Wei Song, has a haunting melody and unique background music. The strumming of a pipa (Chinese instrument with 4 strings resembling a lute) and Jing’s voice create separate sonic experiences but yet work to enhance the melancholy of the track. It’s also with this piece that the Chinese singer invented a new singing technique called “transparent vocals” to hit the treble key. A low-pitched airy tone of a bowed string instrument brings the number to a distinctive close.

Also noteworthy is “Salted Fish”, which is an insert track from the Taiwanese drama Momo Love. Jing’s casting in the show is the first major role that he’s landed since his foray into acting. In the production, he plays Yu Yi (余一: literally translated as extra or redundant one), a character that’s slighted by his 4 elder brothers. This upbeat song describes his role and how he intends to bounce back despite the constant bullying. The infectious chorus will also spur you to get back up and move on when life takes you down.

“Heartbreaking Rain” is a track to look out for in this CD packed with outstanding songs. Written by Malaysian singer-songwriter Wu Jiahui (伍家辉), Jing goes back to his roots, singing a ballad and using his signature falsetto. The talented artiste also brings out the forlorn emotion evoked by the lyrics, “可是寂寞有时太清晰心碎雨将我的心一点一点点 散去” (translated as “But sometimes loneliness is too evident, the rain washes out my broken heart bit by bit”). The riveting composition also draws out the heavy-hearted sentiments with pauses between the touching melody.

The crooner also takes on the challenge of performing a duet with Taiwanese boyband Energy’s Edy Hsiao (阿弟) in “Unrivalled”. The contrast of Hsiao’s baritone voice and Jing’s high-pitched vocals is obvious in this number. A mysterious vibe flows through the track from the start with the mellow pulls of the cello’s strings. It’s a refreshing way to discern Jing’s singing in this musical style and to be amazed by the notes that he hits with his almost flawless falsetto.

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Title: OK Man
Artiste: Jing Wong
Language: Mandarin
Record Label: Warner Music
Release Date: Dec 11, 2009

Track Listing
1. 我的妈 (Oh Mother)
2. Ok Man
3. 透明人 (Transparent Man)
4. 我会一直记得 (I’ll Always Remember)
5. 咸鱼 (Salted Fish)
6. 旧伤 (Old Wounds)
7. 我们的 Show (Our Show)
8. 心碎雨 (Heartbreaking Rain)
9. 怎么爱都不累 (Tireless No Matter How You Love)
10. 敌不过 (Unrivalled)

Be entertained by popular tunes from well-liked Korean dramas as composer, arranger and lyricist Oh Joonsung comes to town for a 2-night only concert.

^{Image courtesy of The Esplanade Co Ltd: Oh Joonsung}

The sought-after Korean music producer will lead his 9-piece band Green Cacao and a 23-member strong orchestra specifically put together for this performance. They’ll be playing delightful soundtracks from shows including My Girl, Get Karl! Oh Sujung and Boys Over Flowers, among many others. The gig will also feature guest appearances by award-winning Korean boyband SHINee, singer Bobby Kim and vocal group Mario&.

^{Image courtesy of The Esplanade Co Ltd: Bobby Kim}

^{Image courtesy of The Esplanade Co Ltd: SHINee}

Give your auditory senses a treat at the Esplanade Concert Hall on Feb 1 and 2 with melodies written by the maestro of Korean drama music. Having worked with renowned musicians such as Grammy-winning soprano Sumi Jo, violinist David Garrett and Yuki Kuramotom, Oh Joonsung will present 90 minutes of quality moving numbers together with some of the music videos from the dramas.

Concert details:

Title: Oh Joonsung Drama Concert – Music from Korean Drama Favourites
Dates: Feb 1 & 2, 2010
Time: 7.30pm (90mins, no intermission)
Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall
Ticket prices: $150, $130, $110*, $90**

Limited Concessions for NSF, senior citizens and students: $95*, $75**

Tickets are available at Esplanade Box Office and all SISTIC’s authorised agents.

People around the world are almost as excited to discover how Google has consistently and ingenously and rendered its name using day-appropriate symbols and images, as they are with the search results. The Doodle 4 Google competition, which invites users to share this creative exercise and which has piqued the creativity of contestants from the United Kingdom, Australia, USA and China, is open to Singaporeans for the first time.

^{Image from google.com: 2009 Doodle 4 Google Australia winner}

^{Image from google.com: 2009 Doodle 4 Google US winner}

^{Image from google.com: 2009 Doodle 4 Google China winner}

The inaugural run of the contest on the island kicked off on Jan 19, with a doodling workshop for students from various levels of study. Based on a theme that coincides with this year’s National Day, about 20 pupils from primary, secondary and tertiary institutions had 1 hour to come up with a design that illustrates their idea of ‘Our Singapore’.

^{Image courtesy of Google Singapore: Students with their creative doodles}

^{Engrossed in adding the finishing touches to her doodle 5 mins before the workshop ends}

Also with the launch of the competition, 12-year-old Ryan Lee, who published a 125-page book of original cartoon drawings  entitled The Zoo, in March 2009, revealed his unique doodle for the creative challenge. The young cartoonist incorporated distinctively Singaporean delicacies in his doodle, which, according to him, was inspired by his mother. The other idea integrated into the illustration was given by Ryan’s father who said to him, “Why don’t you add an ‘I Love Singapore’?”

The Lion City is the first country in Southeast Asia to hold the Doodle 4 Google competition and this time it’s only open to students from 4 to 19 years. Of course, irresistible prizes are part of the package for the creator of the winning entry: the top doodle will be displayed on the Google Singapore homepage on National Day this year, and he/she gets to revel in “an all-expenses paid trip worth $10,000 to Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, USA,” accompanied by a parent and a school representative.

Interested participants will have to submit their artistic entries by Feb 26 and they can fashion their doodles any way, be it “using pencils, crayons and even computer graphics”.

Googlers from the Singapore office will select 500 doodles from the pool of entries, after which, a panel of local judges will appraise the works to pick out 50 finalists across 5 age groups. Public voting will then decide the victors of the 5 categories. The board of appraisers include ex-Google engineer Chade-Meng Tan, creator of the weekly comic strip “CHEW ON IT!” Lee Chee Chew and winner of the President’s Young Talents 2009 award Vertical Submarine.

The talented and lucky winner who would like to take a trip to Google’s headquarters will have to impress Dennis Hwang, the very first Google Doodler, with a doodle that stands out from 50 other qualifying entries.

For more information about Doodle 4 Google, visit www.google.com.sg/doodle4google.

In conjunction with Shaw Organisation, UrbanWire is giving away 5 pairs of movie passes and 5 notebooks for the upcoming thriller, Edge of Darkness.

How to win Edge of Darkness movie passes

Simply provide your answer to the following question and email the correct answer with your full name, NRIC and contact number to contest.urbanwire@gmail.com. Indicate in the subject of your email ‘Win Edge of Darkness movie passes’.

Name any 2 actors starring in Edge of Darkness.

Contest ends Jan 25, 2010 at 11.59pm (GMT +08:00). Each person is entitled to 1 entry only.

About Edge of Darkness
Adapted from a television series of the same name in 1985, Edge of Darkness,reveals the shocking discovery of what lies behind the glass world of corporate concealment, government conspiracy and murder.

Academy Award winner Mel Gibson stars as Thomas Craven, a veteran homicide detective for the Boston Police Department and a single father. When his 24-year-old daughter, Emma, played by Bojana Novakovic is assassinated at the steps of his home, everyone assumes that Thomas was the initial target. But his suspicions tell him otherwise, and sets out on a pursuit to find out about his child’s secret life and her killing. The search leads to staggering revelations about high level cover-ups.

Release details
Opens: Jan 28, 2010
Running time: 108 mins
Directed By: Martin Campbell
Starring: Mel Gibson, Bojana Novakovic, Danny Huston, Shawn Roberts, Frank J. Grillo

In conjunction with Shaw Organisation, UrbanWire is giving away 5 pairs of in-season passes for the comedy My One and Only.

My One and Only will only be shown at Shaw Lido Cineplex theatres.

How to win My One and Only in-season passes

Simply provide your answer to the following question and email the correct answer with your full name, NRIC and contact number to contest.urbanwire@gmail.com. Indicate in the subject of your email ‘Win My One and Only movie passes’.

Who plays Ann Devereaux in My One and Only?

Contest ends Jan 20, 2010 at 11.59pm (GMT +08:00). Each person is entitled to 1 entry only.

Congratulations to our winners!

• Oh Lye Choon
• Cho Cho Nwe
• Ang Ngee Lian
• Kevin Fang
• Goh Ai Cheng

About My One and Only
Loosely inspired by the episodes in the life of actor and Hollywood icon George Hamilton, My One and Only is set in 1953, New York City. Academy Award winner Renée Zellweger stars as the charming but temperamental Ann Devereaux who has just left her philandering husband Dan Devereaux, a society bandleader. Along with her adolescent sons, George (Logan Lerman) and Robbie (Mark Rendall), she’s taken to the road in pursuit of an affluent substitute partner.

Although Ann is confident that her girlish charms will be as adequate as it was 20 years ago, but 2 decades later, it seems that “the losers and playboys outnumber the eligible and willing bachelors”.

Ann never loses hope, but their trip begins to lose its gleam with ever more modest accommodations, romantic misadventures and a succession of new education institutions for the boys.

With the varied personalities of the trio, the impetuous decisions that Ann makes and the downright extraordinary characters they encounter on the road, they travel down a “narrow highway between excitement and panic”.

Eventually, George finds out the resolution, self-respect and love beneath his mother’s narcissistic exterior. “And Ann makes a different future for herself and her sons than any of them had imagined.”

Release details

Opens: Jan 21, 2010
Running time: 109 mins
Directed By: Richard Loncraine
Starring: Renée Zellweger, Chris Noth, Steven Weber, Logan Lerman, Robin Weigert

The combination of legality and art appears to be a mismatched theme, but the sixth edition of the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival will explore the relationship between Art and The Law. From Jan 13 to Jan 24, the Festival will showcase intriguing international and local artistic works looking into and beyond the confinements of law.

^{The Scale of Justice by Burmese artist Htein Lin – Image courtesy of Htein Lin}

For the first time, the Festival will bring unprecedented creations from Burma and a contemporary dance-theatre production by Debris Company from Slovakia. The new installation titled The Scale of Justice by Burmese artist Htein Lin reflects the present-day position of the law in his home country and the rift amid the function of the law and reality. “Based on the concept of a prison”, the installation draws from the artist’s experience as a practitioner of the law and also the time he served in jail.

^{Taiwanese band katncandix2 棉花糖 – Image courtesy of 亞神音樂娛樂 (AsiaMuse)}

Highlights of the Festival also include performances from Taiwanese band katncandix2 (棉花糖) at the Esplanade Recital Studio. The duo started out as buskers on the streets of Taiwan and now, are recognised in the music scene, releasing their debut album, Little Flight (小飞行) last year and getting nominations for Singapore Hit Awards 2009.

^{Image courtesy of The Necessary Stage}

_____Can Change is one of the highlights as well as a Festival commission put up by The Necessary Stage. The blank in front of the words “Can Change” give the audience the liberty and creativity to fill in whatever they think can and needs change. Directed by Alvin Tan, the world premiere of Can Change will be showcased at the National Museum of Singapore’s Gallery Theatre with 3 plays on the topic of change: Singles Can Change, Homosexuals Can Change and Marxists Can Change.

^{Last Meals, James David Autry – Image courtesy of Jonathon Kambouris}

Other interesting lineups for the Festival include Last Meals, “a series of photographic prints depicting mugshots of convicted killers and their selected last meals before execution”. Presented by American photographer Jonathon Kambouris, it shows what the prisoners heading for the gallows do with the maximum of US$20 that they are granted.

With all the programmes that have been put together for the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2010, there’ll also be new venues for the showcases at the Sculpture Square and ION Orchard’s Art Gallery.

The Festival is organised and curated by local theatre company The Necessary Stage.

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In conjunction with Shaw Organisation, UrbanWire is giving away 5 sets of movie hampers for the sci-fi thriller, Daybreakers.

Each set will include a pair of in-season passes, a movie poster and a notebook.

How to win Daybreakers movie hampers

Simply provide your answer to the following question and email the correct answer with your full name, NRIC and contact number to contest.urbanwire@gmail.com. Indicate in the subject of your email ‘Win Daybreakers movie hampers’.

Name the directors of the movie Daybreakers.

Contest ends Jan 10, 2010 at 11.59pm (GMT +08:00). Each person is entitled to 1 entry only.

Congratulations to our winners!

• Tang Pui Foong
• Mabel Chan
• Nay Oo Han
• Muhammad Azmi Bin Mohamad Aziz
• Zailan Bin Wakam

About Daybreakers

From the writers, producers and directors of Undead, the zombie hor-medy released in 2003, now comes the futuristic sci-fi thriller about vampires. Directed by Michael & Peter Spierig, Daybreakers is set in 2019, a future not too far to envisage.

In the movie, the world is dominated by vampires after a bizarre epidemic strikes the earth. Now, humans are looked upon as second-class species who are on the verge of being wiped out as they’re hunted down and farmed to fulfil the consumption of the bloodsuckers.

While the dominant population pushes the human race to a state of endangerment, a vampire researcher, Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) endeavours to “perfect a blood substitute that might sustain vampires and spare the few remaining humans”. Just when the fate of mortal beings seem bleak, Edward meets Audrey Bennett (Claudia Karvan), a human survivor who leads him to a shocking medical discovery that both men and vampires will kill for.

Edward must clash with his own kind in a deadly conflict with his own kind that’ll determine the destiny of human beings.

Release details

Opens: Jan 14, 2010
Running time: 98 mins
Directed By: Michael Spierig & Peter Spierig

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Claudia Karvan, Willem Dafoe, Isabel Lucas, Michael Dorman

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Picture riding the waves and grooving to ‘live’ music at the fringe of Singapore’s central shopping district. It won’t just be an imagination if you head on down to *SCAPE during the weekend of Dec 18 to 20.

Closure in Moscow (Aus)

WeekendTRIP is back with a lineup of regional and local acts that will have bands like Australia’s Closure in Moscow, Philippine’s The Out of Body Special, Indonesia’s No Talent and Malaysia’s They Will Kill Us All jamming on the same stage with popular local music groups such as A Vacant Affair, Tacit Aria, Trella and others.

Trella

Apart from the gigs that will be staged for all 3 days at the *SCAPE Youth Park and *SCAPE Youth Centre, there’ll be workshops conducted on Dec 19 by experienced music producers and performers in the local music scene such as Leonard Soosay, Esmond Wee and Mike See. They’ll talk about creating good demos and provide valuable advice about being in the local music industry.

A Vacant Affair

If sports are more your cup of tea, there’ll also be a free Skimboarding Clinic and Competition that will be happening at *SCAPE. Skimboarding is a water activity similar to surfing and expert skimboarders will be there to surf up some tricks.

Prizes are up for grabs at these 2 events with WeekendTRIP participants getting the chance to win a Reverse Flying V Gibson Electric guitar signed by all bands (worth $5900). Skimboarding contestants will also stand to win cash prizes.

Visit http://www.scape.com.sg/ for more details.

Images courtesy of *SCAPE

WeekendTRIP is organised by *SCAPE.

Technical support: AUX Media Group – a creative content development company in events and media production. We become your AUXiliary partner, in creating and executing the special events and media production you and your team desire.

Local playwright and poet, Alfian Sa’at, takes on a challenge in a new instalment that marks the end of his 6 years of absence from the Malay theatre scene. Presented by Teater Ekamatra, Nadirah, will pull at your heartstrings with the discussion of family issues and the all time sensitive and complex topic of religion.

It centres on Nadirah, a university student who heads her college’s Muslim Society as Vice-President. The eloquent leader gathers her peers to speak about their faiths and how they should have regard for other’s personal spaces. But the well-liked girl is thrown into a situation when her mother decides to remarry.

When Nadirah was 8, her Malaysian Malay father and Singaporean Chinese mother who had converted to Islam had a divorce. Thereafter, her mother took her back to Singapore and years later Nadirah’s mother decides to tie the knot again, but with a non-Muslim man.

The young lady suddenly faces dilemmas:

“How does Nadirah negotiate relations between various religions in school when she has problems handling them in her own house? Is her vice-chairmanship at stake? Can mother and daughter worship different gods? Will Nadirah re-join her father in Malaysia?”

Featuring an outstanding cast of Neo Swee Lin, Siti Khalijah Zainal, Tony Quek, Shida Mahadi and Hatta Said, the production is directed by Zizi Azah Abdul Majid. Nadirah is also a tribute to the late esteemed director Yasmin Ahmad for her ethos of bringing people of different race and religion together with her works.

Find out if “love or faith will prevail” in Nadirah.

Details:

Date: Dec 17 – 19, 2009
Time: 8pm
Venue: The Substation Theatre
Tickets: $16 (Concession), $20 (Adults) from The Substation Box Office or through ticketing@ekamatra.org.sg
Language: Performed in Malay/English with English subtitles
Presented by: Teater Ekamatra

In conjunction with Shaw Organisation, UrbanWire is giving away 5 pairs of preview tickets to the paranormal thriller, The Fourth Kind.

How to win preview tickets to The Fourth Kind

Simply provide your answer to the following question and email the correct answer with your full name, NRIC, contact number to contest.urbanwire@gmail.com. Indicate in the subject of your email ‘The Fourth Kind preview tickets’.

What is the name of Milla Jovovich’s character in The Fourth Kind?

Contest ends Dec 16, 2009 at 11.59pm (GMT +08:00). Each person is entitled to 1 entry only.

Preview Details

Date: Dec 23, 2009 (Wednesday)
Time: 7pm
Venue: Lido Cineplex

Congratulations to our winners!

• Lynn Seetoh
• Soh Hwee
• Zulaila Mohd
• Sonia Khoo
• Chan Yoke Hwee

About The Fourth Kind

Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element, Resident Evil) stars as psychologist Dr. Abigail Tyler in this sci-fi film, The Fourth Kind. Said to be based on case studies, the movie is set in the Alaskan city of Nome, where Dr. Tyler explores kidnapping of humans by extraterrestrial beings.

Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, you’ll stumble upon unsettling footage and testimonies of alien abduction as you watch the videos of Dr. Tyler’s sessions with psychiatrically disturbed patients. The title is derived from a gauge that was created in 1972 to quantify otherworldly experiences. “When a UFO is sighted, it is called an encounter of the first kind. When evidence is collected, it is known as an encounter of the second kind. When contact is made with extraterrestrials, it is the third kind. The next level, abduction, is the fourth kind.”

Release Details

Date: Dec 31, 2009
Rating: PG (Some Disturbing Scenes)
Running time:  98 mins

Directed by: Olatunde Osunsanmi
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Will Patton, Elias Koteas

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“In my heart, the essence of the fifth season is that, no matter what colours, when all blended together, the end result is a white hue.”

This would describe Taiwanese singer Angela Chang’s idea of a Fifth Season (第五季), the title of her latest album release. Recently in Singapore to promote her CD, the 27-year-old said, “I feel that no matter what life experiences you go through, you’ll still go back to the simplest, purest thoughts,” relating to the description of her unique season.

It’s been about 2 years since the petite songstress visited the country for Singapore Hit Awards 2007, and with a laugh Angela revealed that savouring the local delights was top on the list of things she wanted to do.

Of course, fans weren’t left out of the picture. The diva of many transformations had an autograph session and a music showcase at The Max Pavilion on Nov 21.

Belting numbers from Fifth Season, Angela kicked off the mini concert with a catchy tune, “Shake your head (摇摆头)”. Decked out in a white off-shoulder dress, embellished with crystals on one side, the powerful vocalist sang and danced along in her black stilettos.

A jam-packed line-up of songs that include “The place we see the furthest (看得最远的地方)”, “Fifth Season (第五季)”, “Occasionally (偶尔)” and “I Started A Joke” followed as fans cheered and screamed in applause.

After 5 tracks, Y.E.S 93.3FM DJ Dennis Chew came on stage to host a game where 6 fans had a chance to interact up-close with the bubbly actress, who was last seen on TV as rags-to-riches heiress Xiao Mai in Romantic Princess (公主小妹). The 3 lucky guys had to saunter across the platform in an effeminate manner while the 3 sporting girls sashayed in a manly demeanour. All the contestants took home an autographed single as an appreciation for their participation.

The artiste then went on to present a medley of familiar favourites with accompaniment from a ‘live’ band. Angela gave a splendid performance that got the crowd singing along with her recital of “Don’t Want To Understand (不想懂得)”, “Invisible Wings (隐形的翅膀)”, “Darling, That isn’t Love (亲爱的, 那不是爱情)” and “My Lost Happiness (遗失的美好)”.

While living up to her reputation as one of Mandopop’s most talented female singers, displaying impressive vocal prowess and hitting the fluctuation of high and low notes flawlessly, the experienced young soloist also maintained composure when the music accompaniment from the band went awry. Angela sustained her beat and pulled off the tunes with ease. Even when the backing disc skipped, she stopped to redo the song and asked the audience calmly, “Do you want to hear “The place we see the furthest” again?”

Fans responded with screams of enthusiasm and the star jokingly answered saying, “This sound isn’t that loud…” Supporters reciprocated with even louder clamouring.

“White (白白的)” was a fantasy-like finale with confetti falling from above, ending the concert on a high note. Also as a bonus, the attendees were given an opportunity to get Angela’s signature on their Fifth Season albums after enjoying 1 and a half hours of her amazing vocal and visual showcase.

One of the biggest local music events held annually, the 15^th Singapore Hit Awards(SHA), featured a star-studded lineup of performances from popular names in the mandopop scene.

Here’s a little treat from UrbanWire bringing you moments from the awards ceremony.

Y.E.S. 93.3FM DJs Wei Bin and Jia Fa tried to get the King of Few Words to speak more, by telling him they would get a $50 increment for every word that he uttered. Jam Hsiao gladly obliged and explained the choice to sing Stefanie Sun’s “What I Miss”.

The winner of the Best Male Vocalist and Most Popular Male Artiste awards kept his thank you speech short and sweet but it was an adrenaline-packed performance of “Collection”, “What I Miss” and “Princess”, from his latest album of the same name.

Looking stylish in a black dress adorned with open-toed boots and a necklace, Tanya Chua remarked that, “it was great to be back home!” This year’s SHA promised more time for the artistes on stage and keeping in line with that, the local singer-songwriter indulged the audience in the strumming of her guitar with 5 songs.

Also as a testament to her decade-long music career, Tanya bagged 3 impressive awards: Best Local Lyrics, Asia Media Award (Female Artiste) and Outstanding Local Music Achievement.

Lala Hsu was 1 of the quadruple to take home the Meritorious Newcomer Award and commented that “it’s worth it to wear high heels” when she received the prize. However, she experienced a sudden mind block while striking off the list of people to thank, but managed to amuse the crowd with her cute mannerisms.

Belting numbers from her album comprising of self-composed songs, Lala impressed the crowd with the strong vocals that made her the victor in Taiwanese singing competition One Million Star.

Dressed in a classic gold dress, Rachel Liang swept 3 awards including the Most Popular Female Artiste Award.

At the start of the event, Zhang Yun Jing exclaimed, “I’m very excited now, I hope to rock the stage later!” And she did just that, going down to the artistes sitting area at one point of her performance to give her favourite band, Mayday, a high five.

The tomboyish singer’s popularity is apparent as fans chorused along with Jing’s forceful vocals. The winner of the Meritorious Newcomer Award also drew laughter as she expressed gratitude for the accolade. She went up on stage confident and cool, but as soon as the 26-year-old reached her second line, she spontaneously said, “My heart is beating really fast now.”

Local vocalist Huang Jing Lun who rose to fame on One Million Star as well, took home his first music award in his career with the Meritorious Newcomer trophy.

After presenting his medley of songs, Huang sat quietly in his seat at the front of the stage. Even the hosts were amazed at how he could stay in the same position the whole night without a toilet break.

Taiwanese heavyweights, Mayday and S.H.E were the highlights of the evening. When it came to the announcement of the Most Popular Group/Band, it came down to these 2 well-liked ensembles. The presenters gave a clue saying that the winner’s name consists of 3 words. Subsequently, S.H.E stood up and looked ready to receive the award, even taunting Mayday. But in the end, it was made known that the group’s name started with a number, disappointing S.H.E and giving Mayday triumph.

Before going up on stage, the rock band returned the playful goading to fellow artistes, S.H.E.

It was full of giggles and cheer when Aunty Lucy (Y.E.S 93.3FM DJ Dennis Chew’s alter ego) came on stage with Michelle Chong to present the Best Band and Best Group awards.

Aunty Lucy complained that Mayday was scared of her and none of them dared to give her a hug after receiving their award. Upon hearing that, bassist Masa returned on stage and gave Aunty Lucy a squeeze.

S.H.E also had fun imitating Aunty Lucy’s characteristic action and tomboyish member Ella even gave Aunty Lucy a koala bear hug. The lively triad also tickled the crowd with antics like imitating Mayday’s thank you speech for the Best Group Award.

The vivacious trio hyped up the gala event with a blast of great music and got the stadium of people up on their feet dancing and jumping. The vivacious trio also cackled on stage when Ella broke out into Taiwanese accented Mandarin while singing. Ella fell to the ground in embarrassed laughter while Selina regained composure to continue singing.

Not forgetting our local artistes, Olivia Ong sang the theme song of local drama The Little Nyonya, which won Best Local Composition.

First season Project SuperStar winner, Kelvin Tan performed a series of songs and garnered the COURTS MV Award and Inspirational Award. The unassuming singer was happy to receive his first music awards and said, “There’s a challenge that I have for myself, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do it. That is to learn how to dance.”

Local band Mi Lu Bing attended SHA 2009 as performing artistes and rocked the stage with the other stars. Mayday’s Ashin even praised the band who gained fame after winning the first season of music competition Superband.

Here’s a gallery of pictures for your viewing pleasure. Click to view a larger image.

Big names in the mandopop scene, including Taiwanese band Mayday, girl group S.H.E, and solo artistes like Jam Hsiao and Tanya Chua gave power packed performances at the 15th Singapore Hit Awards last night. Mayday swept the most awards, 5 to be exact, including Album of the Year Award, Best Band Award and Most Popular Group/Band Award. Living up to their title as the most popular band, Mayday rocked the Singapore Indoor Stadium with 3 songs, “Important Little Things”, “Angel” and “Stubborn”, which got fans screaming and cheering from all around the place. For more on the scoop of Singapore Hit Awards, click here.

^{Rock band Mayday was the biggest winner with a total of 5 awards.}

Local singer-songwriter Tanya Chua also walked away with 3 impressive awards, namely the Best Local Lyrics Award, Asia Media Award (Female Artiste) and Outstanding Local Music Achievement Award. Back in her homeland, Tanya gave the audience a treat with a medley of numbers from her new album If You See Him and others from her 2008 release, My Space. Accompanied only by 2 guitars, of which she was strumming one, Tanya’s laid back mood engaged the crowds in the music.

^{Local singer-songwriter Tanya Chua clad in a sexy black dress for the occasion.}

One of the highlights of the annual Singapore Hit Awards is the announcement of the Most Popular Male and Female Artiste awards. This year, Jam Hsiao beat strong competitors like Jay Chou and Wang Lee Hom to clinch Most Popular Male Artiste Award, while Rachel Liang went against diva A-mei and ballad queen Fish Leong to win the Most Popular Female Artiste Award.

^{Popular Taiwanese singer Jam Hsiao spoke in short sentences, true to his reputation as King of Few Words.}

^{Most Popular Newcomer Rachel Liang stood out in the fashion department by dressing in gold.}

To end the gala event with a big bang was S.H.E, who brought the house down with catchy numbers like “Beautiful New World” and “Superstar” that got many fans out of their seats to groove to the songs. The girl group also secured the Best Group Award, Asia Media Award (Group) and Most Versatile Artiste of the Year Award.

^{S.H.E were in very high spirits, especially Ella Chen (left), who gave hilarious thank-you speeches every time the girls receive an award.}

^{Images taken by Janelle Li}

Image courtesy of HIM International Music

Fans had to wait an extra 3 months for Yoga Lin’s (林宥嘉) new album, Senses Around (感官/世界), which can be described as laid back and a breeze to listen to. The release was expected in July, but the 22-year-old Taiwanese singer and his record company, HIM International Music, were insistent about its quality and continuously rearranged and re-recorded the tracks, resulting in the delay.

This is the second album from the winner of the first season of popular Taiwanese singing competition One Million Star (超级星光大道). Following a successful debut with 神秘嘉宾 (translated as Mystery Guest) in 2008, a thematic approach is taken on his sophomore work.

The attention-grabbing Ziploc® package is enough to make it stand out on the shelves at CD stores. 4 poster-like 40cm by 41cm sheets of paper, featuring images that are associated with the human senses, for example, a picture of Yoga covering his eyes, or fireworks in full array in the sky, are included in the bundle. Words denoting mortal emotions and senses are also printed in bold on the lyrics page, highlighting the overall thrust of the album.

Interpersonal communication is the topic that the songs broach and each of them specifically relate to the human senses and emotion. From singing of “Heartbreak” to the sense of hearing in “Deaf in Love”, Senses Around is an interesting one to listen through.

“You Are What You Eat” with its experimental mix of music elements and catchy tune might be a new experience for your ears. The boogie-woogie dance track presents a jazzy feel with heavy use of brass instruments and it’s laced with subtle rock ‘n’ roll riffs. The distinctive walking bass [a rhythm of notes that progresses up and down the musical scale] in the beginning and even the way the song ends evoke memories of the unique style of the late King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley.

Also noteworthy is “China Town”, which talks about the places that Chinese people residing in foreign cities such as Berlin, Milan, Kyoto or Cairo congregate in. It’s a district that the Chinese can call home with the characteristic red lanterns and antiques that are representative of their distinctive culture. This number cleverly incorporates an oriental melody into a contemporary tune. The Asian undertone in the music adds that touch of ethnicity, yet not overpowering, which strikes the balance between traditional and modern sounds.

“Sense” is yet another song that stood out. With the music score by Skot Suyama, who also composed Eason Chan’s “Sorry, Thank You” (对不起 谢谢), and words by award-winning lyricist, Lin Xi (林夕), this would impress you with its rock element that gives a refreshing take on Yoga’s voice. Figure of speech was used in the lyrics, such as the first 2 lines “有谁流过眼泪 请说, 有谁没有哭过, 请说” (translated as “who has shed tears before, please answer, who has never cried before, please answer”).

While fairly fresh in the music scene, the young artiste has been dubbed the Prince of Psychedelia. In line with this designation, the album also features tracks like “Gone With The Wind” and “Fairy Tale”, which have a psychedelic mood exclusive to him. Comparing his performance in this release with that of his debut, there’s not much difference. Yoga stayed true to the style that won the hearts of many and got him the top spot in One Million Star.

Title: 感官/世界 Senses Around
Artiste: 林宥嘉 Yoga Lin
Language: Mandarin
Record Label: HIM International Music
Release Date: Oct 30

Tracklist:

1. 关于我 Something About Me
2. 解high人 The Spoiler
3. 看见什么 吃什么 You Are What You Eat
4. 耳朵 Deaf In Love
5. 飘 Gone With The wind
6. 说谎 Fairy Tale
7. 心酸 Heartbreak
8. 唐人街 China Town
9. 歇斯 底里 Hysteria
10. 另一个自己 Another Me
11. 感同身受 Sense