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Cantopop diva Sandy Lam Yik-lin wows the crowd at the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s 50th anniversary shows
https://www.scmp.com/.../cantopop-diva-sandy-lam-yik-lin...
Published: 5:15pm, 24 May 2024
• Lam was the main guest at the The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s three-night run, singing nostalgia-filled 75-minute sets
• Veteran singer-songwriter Anthony Lun, and Cantopop legends Frances Yip and Elisa Chan, also took the stage to perform reimagined classics
Emerging from a six-year hiatus, Cantopop diva Sandy Lam Yik-lin thrilled the audience over three nights at the Hong Kong Philharmonic’s half-century anniversary shows celebrating the city’s prolific musical history.
Since it became a professional orchestra, in 1974, the HK Phil has regularly collaborated with Cantopop stars, weaving classical and popular music together.
Conducted by Lio Kuokman and directed by Harris Ho Bing-shung, the performances over three nights hit the mark with nostalgia-inducing set lists and an eclectic line-up that also featured legendary singers Frances Yip Lai-yee and Elisa Chan Kit-ling.
Lam, 58, who has spent most of the past decade in London, is known for routine retreats from the limelight over her lustrous, four-decade career.
Since concluding her Pranava world tour six years ago, Lam has rarely been seen in public. Even as her 2018 album 0 swept the top prizes at the Golden Melody Awards – the Grammys of Chinese music – the singer’s manager accepted the honours on her behalf.
At the HK Phil shows, Lam shared the stage with long-time collaborator Anthony Lun Wing-leung, the veteran singer-songwriter behind some of Cantopop’s biggest hits, performed by the likes of Lam, Andy Lau Tak-wah, Anita Mui Yim-fong, Faye Wong and more.
The pair first joined forces with the orchestra for five critically acclaimed concerts in 2004.
Lam, who pioneered R&B and jazz-infused pop songs in the 1980s, has been focused on singing, writing and producing, as many of her counterparts ventured into acting and other areas in entertainment.
The three-night collaboration, 20 years after its first presentation, proved the diva is still in a lane of her own.
Starting her set with a lighthearted rendition of “Good Morning” from her album Grey (1987), Lam’s singing personified the tenderness of the lyrics.
Next came fan favourite “Still” – the Cantonese version of Brenda K. Starr’s “I Still Believe” (1988). Lam recorded the song a year after Starr’s release and a decade before Mariah Carey released her cover version. Lam managed the highs and lows of the track with ease, to roars and applause.
Lam and Lun’s chemistry is undeniable. The pair collaborated on City Rhythm – a trilogy of dance-pop albums between 1988 and 1990, with women’s independence as the theme. From the series, they performed fan favourites “Paris in a Little Shower”, “Escape from the City” and “This Feeling Just Needs to be Remembered”.
On “Paris in a Little Shower” Lun, Ho and Lio, who was previously assistant conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, collaborated for a “six hands” performance on three pianos while the ensemble took a break. The combo epitomised the concert’s mission to breathe new life into generational hits.
Lam and Lun also paid tribute to late lyricist Richard Lam Chun-keung, singing his work “Thank You” (1991) – an Easternised rendition of “Could This be Love” by American girl group Seduction.
Lam dashed off to Nanjing and Tianjin in mainland China shortly after her Hong Kong shows, probably testing the waters for a full-scale comeback – one that is much anticipated by diehard fans across East Asia. Clips from her recent performances are making the rounds on social media sites in China and beyond.
The Hong Kong Philharmonic’s showcase was part of the Pop Culture Festival, which the Hong Kong government hopes will help shape and promote tourism in tandem with culture. The presence of 76-year-old Yip and 68-year-old Chan was very much on brand.
The long-time friends and frequent collaborators opened the show with a powerful set of local hits and theme songs from television dramas.
The highlight of their slot was an emotive 13-minute medley of classics, arranged by Ho, who has directed concerts for Hong Kong’s top singers, from 1980s group Grasshopper to Eason Chan Yik-shun. Yip also performed her signature tune, “The Bund”.
Rising talents Cloud Wan Ho-ying and Oscar Tao, and the more seasoned Jay Fung Wan-him, each performed concise solo sets before Lam and Lun were welcomed to the stage. They were cheered on by their A-list peers in the audience, including Joey Yung Cho-yee and Miriam Yeung Chin-wah.
Hong Kong’s “Lion Rock Spirit”, which highlights the city’s resilience and solidarity, was in evidence throughout the show – aided by well-placed graphics on a gigantic LED screen. The theme might have been even better embodied if Lam and Lun were also present for the finale of “A Thousand Suns”.
That the attendees were mostly middle-aged and mature adults speaks to the shifting appetites and consumption habits in Hong Kong. While interest in and nostalgia for music from “old Hong Kong” have grown overseas, the local market appears too saturated with dancey, K-pop-borrowing idols for the average listener to care about poetic oldies being reinterpreted in “highbrow” ways.
Author :
Cyril Ip
Cyril Ip joined the Post in 2021 after graduating from the University of Bristol with a degree in Sociology, specialising in postcolonialism. He wrote opinions for Young Post between 2016 and 2020 and has interned at the Trade Development Council and the New People’s Party
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Profile | Who is Sandy Lam? Cantopop diva of nearly 40 years has gone from strength to strength since idol days but has never cared to ‘live in the public eye’
Trailblazing artist Sandy Lam began her career as a teen idol in the 1980s and has drifted in and out of the limelight since
The singer is not a fan of publicity – ‘I just prefer to live in private’ – but continues to put in surprise appearances, such as in a singing contest in 2017
Mabel Lui
Published: 7:15am, 15 Mar 2024
This is the 20th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades.
While there have been many Cantopop divas down the years, one name that never fails to appear on lists of Cantopop queens is that of Sandy Lam Yik-lin.
Known as one of the most versatile singers of the 1990s, Lam began her career as a teen idol singing Japanese-style songs, before becoming one of the most trailblazing artists of her time with a distinctive R&B sound.
Today she maintains a low profile, but there is often no telling when she will be back with her next appearance.
Born in Hong Kong in 1966, Lam grew up with two musical parents – her father played the erhu, a traditional Chinese instrument, and her mother was a Yue opera performer. When she was 16, she began working as a disc jockey at Commercial Radio Hong Kong, and was signed to Sony as a singer in 1985.
While Lam’s early songs – mostly upbeat Japanese-style songs that were trendy at the time – did not garner her much success, she began gaining mainstream popularity with the release of the album Grey (1987).
A year later, she put out City Rhythm, which was viewed as the first Cantopop concept record. Consisting of various pop songs and covers of English ballads, the album reflected the trials and tribulations of a modern young woman.
Although Lam had an opportunity to become a film actress following her musical success, she notably chose to dedicate herself solely to music, unlike many other Cantopop singers.
“She had a lot of film offers but turned them all down and instead spent four days a week taking singing lessons from [Hong Kong singers and actors] Kong Wa and Teresa Carpio,” songwriter and long-time collaborator Anthony Lun Wing-leung told the Post in 2004. “She was always learning and she hasn’t stopped since.
“Not many singers today would be willing to put in that much.”
In 1991, Lam expanded on City Rhythm’s concept with the critically acclaimed coming-of-age album Wildflower, which cemented her status in Hong Kong’s music scene.
By then, she had just released her first Mandarin album, Home Again Without You (1990), which expanded her reach to Taiwan. She went on to release Japanese songs as well, releasing two albums in 1994 and 1995.
The singer became well regarded for her powerful, versatile voice, and for avant-garde songs with R&B and jazz-fusion elements that strayed away from typical Cantopop ballads.
“Her range of musical knowledge is amazing because she has exposed herself to Western music,” Lun told the Post back in 1994. “She is one of the most hard-working artists I know. And she is always striving for self-improvement. Those are her main ingredients for success.”
During these golden years, Lam was known to avoid excessive publicity, choosing instead to place public focus on her music and talent.
“I have not been the kind of artist who maintains a high profile. I don’t live in the public eye even when I am in Hong Kong,” she told the Post in 1994. “If you have the right kind of promotion, that should be enough.
“The most important thing is the songs. I don’t think it boosts my popularity if the audience sees me 365 days a year.”
Lam applied a similar philosophy to the awards circuit. “The meaning to my career is not how many awards I can win,” she said. “They are just an encouragement and stimulation for people to produce something good.
“You can’t judge an artist’s achievement with just an award. At the end of the day, you can only treat it as a report card.”
During the mid-1990s, Lam began a relationship with Taiwanese composer and producer Jonathan Lee Chung-shan, with whom she collaborated for her album Love, Sandy (1995). Featuring a range of ballads and pop songs with R&B influences, it quickly became a hit and sold over three million copies in Asia.
Lam also had a brief stint in musical theatre, when she acted in Snow Wolf Lake opposite Jacky Cheung Hok-yau. When it opened in 1997, the production was considered Hong Kong’s first modern musical.
Lam went on to marry Lee in 1998, and together they had a daughter, who was born the same year. To take care of her growing family, the singer withdrew from the public eye, going on hiatus for two years. She would divorce Lee in 2004.
In 2000, Lam returned to the limelight and began releasing a string of Mandarin hits, including the smash single “At Least I’ve Got You”, which topped the KTV chart for eight months.
Before long, she retreated from the limelight again, staying not only out of the public eye in Hong Kong but out of the city entirely. The singer spent prolonged periods of time in Taiwan with her husband, in Shanghai to care for her sick mother, and also in Beijing.
“I’m not fond of the limelight,” she said in 2004. “I just prefer to live in private. There are many things I would like to do. I want to be free but there are certain things I know I can’t do.”
Getting married and becoming a mother also gave Lam new perspective. “[In] hindsight, I felt I made things difficult for myself and for other people by indulging myself too much in my artistic world. That’s why marriage, motherhood and my mother’s illness brought me back to reality,” she said.
“I value people around me a lot more now. Previously I would always say, ‘I want to do this, why can’t you see it my way?’ Of course, you’re younger then and full of yourself.”
After years of releasing Mandarin songs and going on hiatus, Lam finally returned to her Cantopop roots with True Colour (2005) – released nine years after her previous Cantonese single. She once again went on hiatus in 2006, but returned six years later in 2012 with Gaia, an album themed and named after the Greek goddess of the earth.
It went on to win top honours at the Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan, taking home the best Mandarin album, best producer and best arrangement awards, while Lam was also recognised as best Mandarin female singer.
Lam has once again drifted in and out of the public eye in recent years. She shocked fans when she appeared as a contestant in mainland Chinese broadcaster Hunan Television’s show Singer 2017, which she won. A year later, she released 0, a Mandarin album that also received nods in the Golden Melody Awards.
Although she has not released new music since then, Lam has continued to post regularly on her Instagram page. Earlier this year, in February, she returned to the stage for the first time in four years, singing four songs in Macau.
Lam and Lun’s next performance together is likely to be at a series of three concerts to be held in late April to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
Mabel Lui
Mabel is a reporter on the culture desk. She graduated from Scripps College in Claremont, California with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies and Art. A bright-eyed kid at heart, she loves the feeling of discovering something new and finding underrated restaurants in her beloved home city of Hong Kong.
Many of the original Canto-pop stars from the 1970s and ’80s still pull in the crowds, while others who stopped performing still make public appearances
We take a look back at their stellar careers and where they’ve been seen recently, including several that have spoken out over the city’s recent protests
Published: 3:00pm, 18 Aug, 2019
9. Sandy Lam Yik-lin
Lam became a radio DJ for Commercial Radio when she was 16.
She launched her singing career in 1984 and became popular with a string of hits such as Colour of Grey.
Lam, now 53, stands out with her R&B style, while her songs often reflect the city’s rhythms, mirroring the modern society of Hong Kong.
Lam has won numerous awards throughout her singing career and in recent years she took part in Chinese TV station Hunan Television’s Singer 2017, where she won the final.
Hong Kong singer Sandy Lam wins top music awards at Taiwan's Golden Melody Awards
Hong Kong singer Sandy Lam wins top music awards at Taiwan's Golden Melody Awards
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Published: 1:49pm, 7 Jul 2013Updated: 4:13am, 29 Aug 2013
Veteran Hong Kong singer Sandy Lam won top honours at the Golden Melody Awards for Asia’s best Mandarin chart music in Taipei on Saturday.
Lam, who was absent from the ceremony in Taipei Arena, was crowned best female singer for her environment-themed album , named after the goddess of earth in Greek mythology.
“I want to thank the judges ... all my teachers and every single musician I have met. I have learnt so much from them,” Lam said in a statement read by the album’s producer Chang Shilei, who accepted the award on her behalf.
Singer Sandy Lam promotes album … and awareness of breast cancer
Singer Sandy Lam promotes album … and awareness of breast cancer
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Published: 12:00am, 31 Oct 2012Updated: 3:54am, 31 Oct 2012
Despite plugging her new album, , Canto-pop diva Sandy Lam Yik-lin still found time to promote awareness of breast cancer.
"Very often we take a lot of things that are happening around us for granted, like our loving family members, good friends and colleagues. We often see flaws in things and don't learn to cherish them until we lose them," Lam said.
She was in Taipei at the weekend, where Estee Lauder was celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Pink Ribbon breast cancer awareness initiative. Lam is a world pink ribbon ambassador for the beauty brand.
Canto-pop diva Sandy Lam Yik-lin has been making headlines lately for her rumoured romance with vocalist-drummer Jun Kung, who is about 11 years younger than her.
But her new Mando-pop album, set for release next month after a six-year hiatus, is perhaps a bigger reason for her fans to get excited.
Lam spent the past two years working on the album, titled . Instead of turning to famous producers and musicians, she wanted to make the album more personal and worked on the lyrics and music herself.
For some of Canto-pop diva Sandy Lam Yik-lin's peers, it would be a fashion faux pas to wear the same dress for more than one public appearance.
But the singer said she was prepared to recycle her clothes to do her bit for the environment.
At a press conference on Monday to launch the second annual Redress EcoChic Design Award in Central, Lam showed up in an old chiffon dress 'upcycled' into a flowing top.
Japanese beauty brand MTM invited veteran singer Sandy Lam Yik-lin to plug their latest custom-blend eye mask at a cocktail party on Wednesday. It seems, however, that the 44-year-old's secret to porcelain skin has more to do with her healthy lifestyle.
Lam said she'd been a vegetarian for years. 'Being a vegetarian makes me feel more energetic and healthy. I hope my friends can also join me.'
The star, who turned up in a body-hugging dress for the event at Azure bar, said she stayed fit by doing yoga. It should keep her photogenic figure in shape for the launch of her new album at the end of the year, after a four-year break from recording.
Play it again, Lam
Play it again, Lam
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Published: 12:00am, 8 Feb 2004
The timing of singer Sandy Lam Yik-lin's comeback could hardly be better. With the lamentations of Canto-pop pundits that there are no real stars in the business any more, following the untimely deaths of Roman Tam Pak-sin, Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing and Anita Mui Yim-fong, it was only natural that Hong Kong's hungry press should have taken more than a passing interest in Lam's return to the stage.
Two months ago, the name Sandy Lam might have resided in the 'where are they now?' section of artists. She had 10 years at the top, from the late 1980s to the 90s, with a string of hit albums and sold-out concerts. And just when she was at the pinnacle of her profession, six years ago, she gave it all up for love and motherhood and seemed to fade out of the spotlight. Her most recent original album, Truly Sandy, appeared in 2001, the same year she last performed in Hong Kong. In an industry where fame is measured by one's visibility, some thought she had moved on.
Brand New Sandy Lam
Brand New Sandy Lam
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Published: 12:00am, 26 Feb 1999
Sandy Lam Yik-lin - The Brand New Sandy Lam (Rock) Don't be put off by the painfully literal title. This album is definitely worth a listen. The Hong Kong singer's first album in two years signals a musical metamorphosis which recalls the one Madonna went through with Ray Of Light.
Like the international diva, Lam - reborn as wife and mother - has come out with an album that is both upbeat and spiritual.
This is good news for legions of Sandy fans who have found the past few albums too heavy with saccharin ballads.
Loyal fans spark promise of comeback
Loyal fans spark promise of comeback
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Published: 12:00am, 13 Jan 1998
The appearance of Sandy Lam Yick-lin at Commercial Radio's annual awards presentation ceremony brought the house down.
Lam was once a very popular female singer in Hong Kong but her career simply ran out of steam in recent years.
Her last creative output in the SAR was her involvement in the Cantonese pop musical Snow.Wolf.Lake with Jacky Cheung Hok-yau.
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