《情。調》 上架啦！[yudi's album is out!]

yudi and cher siang at bentley's steinway room at yesterday's press conference

this is an album that we can proudly recommend to those who want solo piano with just a female voice.

we think this album is great for late-night reminiscing and nostalgic remembrance. it will expose you in your most naked emotions.

yudi did superbly in conveying the emotional depth in her longings for lost love. it is very intense, at the same time, very very intimate.

cher siang's sensitivity complements well with yudi's delicate vocals, making this a dialogue of interesting chemistry and contrast.

if you can't understand all this music, buy one for your parents!       

黃莺莺回来了 [tracy huang returns]

we have covered her hits in many of our albums and concerts.

she is one of the most versatile singer that has a career span from 70s to 90s. she must be in her late 50s now? we don't know and we don't care. what we want to know is whether her angelic voice has aged/changed.

she has some monumental hits that are in the chinese pop hall of fame. incidentally, she is also a famous student of liu jia chang. winnie ho covered her hit 《云河》(river of clouds) in the "jazzy teresa teng" album. yes, the original singer of this great ballad is tracy huang and not teresa teng!

more when we get hold of this latest album from taiwan!

从这里出发 [start from here]

it is hard to write a review or post-mortem on saturday's concert immediately on saturday night itself. there was so much adrenalin pumping in the body that we found ourselves in restless mood.

restless because we have showed the 300 pax what pop pop music is all about and how do we further capture another 300 crowd to make it 600, and thereafter another 300 to make it 900, so on and so forth. restless because we have now a "product" ready to conquer the corporate world and how do we aggressively market ourselves from here onwards. restless because as we overheard from one first-timer who repeatedly questioned his friend sitting next to him: "why winnie ho is not a superstar yet with such incredible singing?".  

so many many action plans need to execute from now. yes, now.

saturday's concert must rank as our best ever. not only because of winnie ho's superb singing but also the whole production shows maturity, class and precision.　tay cher siang has also assembled a kick-ass quartet that can kick ass all the time.  

it is also the first time we garnared 100% positive feedback, after double take's showcase in april. even uncles and aunties enjoyed themselves. we must have done something right that we didn't do in previous shows.　

but let's not kid ourselves, let's get real: many many challenges remain.

yes, this is malaysia and doing chinese jazz is bordering on suicidal but thank god, we are still alive and kicking. yes, kicking plenty of asses!

就在今晚！[it is tonight!]

路是艰难的 但我们是不畏惧的 不难就不是革命 今晚我们要闹翻天！音乐派对来啦！

the road is long and winding but we are fearless dare devils. it wouldn't be called a revolution if it is not challenging. tonight we are gonna turn the bentley music auditorium upside down！a musical party is promised!

来看我们的十个理由 [10 reasons why you must come]

Dear Music Lover,

It's always tough to promote local artistes, not to mention asking people to pay for their live performances. But ask ourselves, are our artistes any lesser musically than the overseas foreign acts? No!!!!


pop pop music has paved the way for a brighter future for local Jazz musicians. We are beginning to show people what we are made of.

We would like to invite you to our final concert of the year this Saturday, 23rd June: Winnie Ho sings Liu Jia Chang and Lee Zong Sheng @ Bentley Music Auditorium 8pm. We assure you an entertaining and fun 2-hour of Jazzy Chinese Oldies.



10 reasons why you must come....

1） this is winnie ho's latest concert, and her only major concert in 2012, fresh from her sensational solo album! like her or not, you can't deny she can sing and very well at that!

2) it has two fantastic guest male singers in ah worm and ah fei

3) it has tay cher siang yet again. who doesn't know TAY CHER SIANG by now?

4)  we are singing songs from the two most respected and legendary composers in the chinese pop history: jonathan lee and liu jia chang. together these two godfathers are responsible for evergreen classics too many to count!

5) winnie ho and tay cher siang are malaysia's treasures and they will carry the malaysian flag proudly abroad in the very near future. be the early supporters rather than late supporters cos it is cooler that way!   

6) be part of the FIRST CHINESE JAZZ MOVEMENT in malaysia! 

7) it is held in bentley music auditorium again, the 2nd best hall in malaysia after DFP in terms of acoustics

8) ticket price are only RM125 and RM85, well worth the price for a full-scale jazz production

9) you get to meet hundred of like-minded chinese jazz lovers under one roof! and lastly,

10) the organizer is pop pop music, you can't expect anything less from us (ahem, blowing a big trumpet!)

buy your tickets at popular CD-RAMA at ikano power center (IPC) or telephone booking at 012-2083790!

令一个人快乐 [make somebody happy]

photo credit: nasier lee, thanks nasier! 

one man from indonesia made our trip to kk jazz fest worthwhile. not to discredit other credible musicians who shared the same stage, it is HIM who stole the whole show.

rio sidik, trumpeter extraordinaire from indonesia, makes you wonder how many more talents you could uncover from indonesia, the land fertile with musical geniuses. and when you hear the indonesians play, we feel so small. we think the standards are so high in indonesia that you pick any 1st or 2nd tier bands they would come out stunning. we think indonesians are asia's best. thailand and japan are close to.

last year we wrote about R&B crooner lucky octavian who performed the same stunt at kk jazz fest by mesmerizing all and sundry. this year, the trophy goes to rio sidik.

how could a trumpeter be so magical? well, no words could suffice except by being there to witness him. rio sidik does not only play like a maestro, he plays like a superstar ready to win the crowd! that's what separate maestro from the superstar.

thanks for the good times, rio, we will always cherish those goose bump moments we had on saturday night.

note: the below video is not from kk jazz fest but rio sidik did play this santana classic on saturday night. 

亚庇， 我们又见面了！[KK, here we are again!]

credit to nasier lee for the beautiful photos.

in aonther 48 hours, winnie ho would be performing in this beautiful stage @sutera harbor at kk jazz festival, bringing her "jazzy sounds of teresa teng" to kk music lovers. KK, are you ready?

according to the organizer, the vibes are good this year, with many people anticipating this annual music extravaganza.

looking at the way KK folks do their work (look at the impressive stage!), we can only say "KK do it better!"  

it is gonna be one helluva musical weekend for us!

终极发烧版 [the definitive audiophile version]

bottom remarks are excerpts from reviews in HK hifi magazines

when we did the first version in march, we aimed it at music lovers and pop fans, who comprise more than 95% of the buying population.

but what about the fussy audiophiles?

so, here is it. the definitive audiophile version, aimed at those who want more in terms of sound quality. apart from remixing the tracks, we have also learned a new mastering technique that  would improve the sound tremendously.

this special edition will be launched in end july/early august to grace the following 3 major events:

1) popular's annual book fair at KLCC (attendance of 700, 000 people!)
2) Singapore's MOD DAC (digital audio convention) at raffles convention centre (see the award ribbon on the album cover)
3) KL international AV show    

the retail price, uncertain at the moment, is gonna be more expensive than the normal version.

we are also thinking of putting a unique serial number on the cover but we are still uncertain of how to do it properly.

also, we plan to release two tracks for high-res 24/96 download like before.

this is the first time we release an enchanced version of our album. for a music label who doesn't even believe in releasing "best-of compilation", this is certainly a great move for us.

"the jazzy sounds of teresa teng" is our best resume to-date. it is the album that replaces all our previous albums, in terms of corporate profile and label representation. admittedly, it is slightly ahead of its time and avant garde, as far as average malaysian listening standards are concerned, but we are confident that in time to come it will receive the accolades that it fully deserves.

like all good things, it takes time.  

 

何芸妮慈善演唱熱爆‧歌聲繞樑‧觀眾陶醉 [fully conquered!]

 何芸妮慈善演唱熱爆‧歌聲繞樑‧觀眾陶醉

（霹靂‧怡保8日訊）大馬歌手何芸妮“靡靡之音”演唱會移師怡保舉行，她以爵士風格重新演繹鄧麗君經典名曲，在唱到《月亮代表我的心》和《甜蜜蜜》時，更是引起共鳴全場大合唱，讓觀眾從歌聲中緬懷一代巨星鄧麗君。

星洲為媒體伙伴

這場配合怡保三德學校慶祝創校60週年紀念，並為怡保三德中小學和穆文常教育基金籌款的舊曲新唱慈善演唱會，由安達集團呈獻，Pop Pop Music製作，而星洲日報為媒體伙伴。

以歌聲為華教籌款

這場高水準的演唱會，昨晚在怡保舜苑酒店宴會廳舉行。何芸妮以歌聲為華教獻力籌款，獲得熱烈反應，現場座無虛席。這也是何芸妮第四度舉行“靡靡之音”演唱會。

出席嘉賓包括三德中學副董事長拿督林國璋和拿汀蔡淑芬夫婦、穆文常教育基金主席陳錦亮、財政黃春蘭、三德校友會主席許聖傑、三德中學家教協會主席陳治強、副主席黃滿堂和黎詩韻夫婦、三德小學家教協會主席黃一豪和伍月芬夫婦；以及三德中學校長劉瑞文和甄寶蘭夫婦。

三德合唱團為演唱會掀幕

在三德中學合唱團和唱下，何芸妮先帶來一首《溫情滿人間》，為演唱會掀開序幕；過後陸續唱出《忘記他》、《風從那裡來》、《南海姑娘》、《雲河》、《淚的小雨》等；接著還有讓人耳熟能詳的《一個小心願》和《路邊的野花不要采》，讓場面熱起！

在中場休息15分鐘後，本地著名吉他手羅傑獨奏《月亮代表我的心》，全場觀眾的情緒融入輕輕柔柔的吉他聲中；然後何芸妮在羅傑伴奏下，幽幽地唱出《千言萬語》，感性的聲音和動人的樂章，令全場觀眾陶醉其中。

何芸妮也演繹了《月兒像檸檬》、《我只在乎你》、《再見我的愛人》，並和本地另一歌手欣彥合唱《君心我心》。

欣彥較後也以甜美的歌聲獨唱《初戀的地方》，她更在台上公開徵求男朋友，詢問現場是否有單身男士。

何芸妮也在演唱會中唱出由大馬爵士鋼琴手兼這場演唱會音樂總監鄭澤相作曲、管啟源填詞的本地原創曲《青鳥》，並以這首歌向鄧麗君致最崇高的敬意。

與觀眾合唱鄧麗君名曲

鄧麗君的名曲數之不盡，其中以《月亮代表我的心》和《甜蜜蜜》最朗朗上口；何芸妮在獻唱這兩首歌時，特別走下台，與全場觀眾一起大合唱。

演唱會也穿插了電影《甜蜜蜜》部份片段、鄧麗君演唱會片段等，讓現場觀眾緬懷這名已離世17年的巨星。

何芸妮最後唱出《世界多美麗》，在溫馨感人的氣氛下，為演唱會畫上美麗的句點。（星洲日報／大霹靂）

征服怡保 [conquering ipoh]

perhaps one of the most enticing aspects of music making is organizing concerts. one must really be involved to understand the fun and excitement in the game. the fun starts from song selections, video editing, practice, programming, setup, all the way to the final moment of execution on the event day itself.  there is a lot of adrenalin rushing in our blood but when you see appreciative audience (or most importantly, appreciation from our sponsors), you feel like this life is worth living! trust me, it has certain magic that is addictive.    

the fun is doubled when you travel outstation or overseas to do your concert! our team will be visiting many foreign countries in the coming months with winnie ho having been invited to many jazz festivals across asia.

but this week we must conquer ipoh first! with two consecutive big-scale charity concerts this week, ipoh folks, sam tet alumni, in particular are gonna have a musical feast!

yes, music is tough business. every opportunity we have, we indulge in the joy of music making. this week we want to conquer ipoh, at the same time savor the glorious food there! our team of singers and musicians, please use the power of music to impress and charm ipoh music lovers!

旧爱重温 [recapturing that old lovin' feeling ]

the time was 1950s. the place was shanghai.

it was a night after she had put her daughter to sleep, she decided to tidy up the letters which had been scattered randomly on the make-up table for as long as she could remember. inadvertently she saw a letter with faded yellowish stains, which carried a stamp of malaya, with handwriting so familiar it was uncanny. it took her a few seconds before she realized it was his writing which she was so used to. he used to write at least 4 times a week when he was working as the sailor for a shipping company in malaya. he used to tell her all the things he saw and he ate in the foreign land of malaya. he said he wanted to earn a lot of money to afford her a good life back in shanghai. he would always end his letters with the words: "wish you were here".

tears ran down from her cheek as she recalled how one fateful morning a telegram from afar brought the news of his sudden death when the ship had a major collide. she broke down and cried and cried. she didn't break the news to her then 2 year-old girl. when asked why papa didn't come home for the longest time, she just told her "papa is very busy. he will only come back to see us once he has finished all his work".

it has been almost 5 years since that day. for the past year, she had been living a life of solitude with her girl. she never sought new partner in her life for she believed he had never left her in spirits, eventho' physically he wasn't with her. some nights, she would play the slightly out-of-tune upright piano in the living hall, which he used to serenade her with songs of zhou xuan and lee xiang lan, nights after nights of loving romance.

tonight, her memory flood gate is wide open, she is again overwhelmed with the memories and longings of her man. she slowly proceeded to the piano in the living hall filled with darkness, except a dimly-lit lamp shade next to it, and started singing those favorite tunes that both of them cherish so much.....

this is the sound.....  

             

有进步 [we call it progress]

she is everywhere

two charity concerts in ipoh next week!

transform, transform, transform.

judging by our latest survey on supporters' and buyers' demographics, we are no longer an "audiophile" music label as we started out to be.  if winnie ho's latest album is an indicator, we have become just a "good music label", which is exactly what we wanted to transform to.

audiophile buyers are but just a very minor percentage, majority of our supporters are just, err, music lovers. what is even more pleasing is, even pop music lovers are starting to buy our CDs. this is no small achievement (think converting a jay chou fan to listen to jazzy sounds of teresa teng) , we have to give a pat on our shoulders!   

this bodes well for our future, really. much broader scope, with enlarged market. in fact, in our future albums, we would engage more local original compositions because time is ripe now, the label is widely recognized now.  

yet we remain humble and true to ourselves. the journey is still long, profits are still not consistent.

our biggest challenge remains:
1) those who buy CDs don't go concerts
2) those who go concerts don't support local artistes
3) those who support local artistes cannot afford our tickets

so, it is not easy.

if it was easy in the first place, we won't be the only one doing this!