Andy Hui Human Live Online Concert
In his music comeback since the infamous cheating scandal in 2019, Hong Kong singer Andy Hui performed in an online concert on Sept 30, where he sang six songs and shared some heartfelt reflections from the last three years.
Dressed casually in a checked shirt and pants, he opened the show with his 2003 ballad A Step A Lifetime, saying its lyrics represent his current attitude. Also on his setlist was Between People, released in September, which showed off his rich baritone voice, as well as the sentimental 1990s number One Family Minus You.
Hui also gave an emotional rendition of A Bright Future (2006), backed by a guitar, cello and keyboard. During the performance, he shared that he has spent a long time thinking and preparing, and hopes to become a “better Andy”.
To watch the concert on YouTube, go to bit.ly/3Ej2Ef0
Swinging Through Our Emotions
In conjunction with this year’s World Mental Health Day on Monday, the Jazz Association (Singapore), or Jass, is organising an event titled Swinging Through Our Emotions on Sunday to create awareness of the importance of mental wellness through jazz.
The concert-presentation will be led by Jass executive director and music director Jeremy Monteiro, who will be giving a talk and performing on the piano. He will be joined by psychiatrist Kua Ee Heok, who will deliver the keynote speech; counselling therapist Varian Monteiro, who will facilitate the talk; and clinical psychologist Aarti Chidambaram. Complementing the talks will be performances by the Jazz Association Singapore Orchestra.
The event will also feature a segment where members of the audience will compose a blues tune on the spot, which will then be performed by Monteiro and his band.
Where: Zhong Sheng Jian Recital Studio, Level 6 Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, 1 Straits Boulevard
MRT: Tanjong Pagar
When: Sunday, 3.30pm
Admission: $20 (general admission) from https://str.sg/wHfG
Info: The concert-presentation will also be live-streamed on Jass’ and The Straits Times’ Facebook and YouTube pages
Pop
Mallarme’s Tuesday
Wu Ching-feng
4 stars
The new album by Taiwanese singer-songwriter Wu Ching-feng is distinctively influenced by the notion of a salon, a gathering of people discussing art and philosophy in olden-day France. Its title references the 19th-century French poet-critic Stephane Mallarme, who used to discuss poetry at his home with other writers on Tuesdays.
And indeed, every track here is a collaboration with another musician or group.
This old-world concept imbues Mallarme’s Tuesday with a sense of romance and eclecticism. Track titles such as The Great Hypnotist and The Little Shepherd suggest a fairy-tale quality, while the subject matter of the songs is as random as, well, people entering a salon.
Drunkard Ah Q, Wu’s duet with Singapore singer Stefanie Sun, aptly conveys the attitude of indifference by someone who is intoxicated, while groovy jam Dance Of The Gnomes, which features Singapore singer-songwriter Jasmine Sokko, is likely to get you bopping along to its percussive beats.
There is also Siren Salon, a cheerful childlike number featuring Japanese musician Beni Ninagawa, and the pensive Brown Haired Girl, which Wu worked on with Brazilian-Japanese bossa nova singer Lisa Ono. In all, this is a revealing work that provides a peek into the songwriter’s diverse muses.
