A-Mei
Chang Hui Mei, (
Chinese: 張惠妹;
pinyin: Zhāng Huì Mèi) (born August 9, 1972), better known as
A-mei, is a remarkable aboriginal
Taiwanese pop
singer and is occasionally a
songwriter. She was born in the rugged mountains of eastern
Taiwan and is the third youngest of nine siblings. A-mei made her music debut in 1996, achieved instant mega commercial success. She has been constantly titled
diva in the Mandarin pop music scene, as well as the "Pride of Taiwan" since then, capturing numerous music awards and becoming one of the biggest music sensations within the pop music pantheon of the Chinese-speaking world.
A-mei is an ethnic
Puyuma, just like other
Taiwanese aborigines, and she was surrounded by tribal music throughout her childhood. A-mei's mother used to record herself singing and then play back the tape for her daughters to hear. A-mei had always been fascinated by music; she once said she stuck to the radio and would rush to watch the late night music program introducing English songs when she was a little girl. She also showed great eagerness to perform in public, forcing her friends to listen to her sing.
A-mei first connected to the entertainment business by joining the televised "Five Lights Singing Contest" by TTV in 1994, after encouragment by her father, who was ill at that time. A-mei made all h er way through to the finals but eventually lost in the final round. She then decided to make a second attempt in the following year. This time her stable and superb performances were much appreciated by the judges, and A-mei was awarded the champion. Unfortunately, Amei's father passed away before her victory, making A-mei sad and aimless until she began to sing in pubs with a
rock band formed by her musician cousin. She was later discovered by the popular singer/producer Zhang Yu Sheng (張雨") and started her career.
1996-1999: Commercial Success and Instant Popularity
In July 1996, A-mei and Zhang Yu Sheng together sang the single "The One Who Loved Me Most, Hurt Me The Most,"(最愛的人傷我最深), A-mei had since been noticed. In Novermber, A-mei was invited to sing "I'm a dreamer on air"(空中的夢想家), the theme song of Taiwan UFO radio, her fresh and powerful voice captured much attention from public. A-mei was then signed to Forward Music and hit stardom with her debut "Sisters" (姐妹) released in December. The album topped the Taiwan
IFPI chart for a record of consecutively 9 weeks and earned tremendous success in the Chinese speaking world. The album has a sales figure of 1.08 million copies, is one of the very few albums that has been sold over a million copies in Taiwan. Songs in the album such as "Actually you want nothing"(原來你什麼都不要), "Sisters"(姐妹), "Released" (解脫) are widespread.
Following the big hit, A-mei's second album "Bad Boy" in June 1997 was another boom, besides topping the Taiwan IFPI chart for another 9 consecutive weeks, the sales figure of the album even surpassed that of "Sisters", reaching 1.38 million copies, which is the second highest in
Taiwan history. Again, songs in the album, especially "Can't cry"("不出來) and "Listen to the sea"(聽海) are regarded as classics of the Chinese pop music in the 90s. In October 1997, A-mei released the CD single "Listen to You, Listen to Me"(聽你聽我), as a memorial to her producer Zhang Yu Sheng, who died in a serious traffic accident. In December, she released the innovating album "A-mei Live in Concert 1998 Prelude", exposing the songs to be performed in her coming concert.
Afterwards A-mei soon began her 1998 Asia tour concert, stopping at
Hong Kong,
Singapore and
Malaysia after the highly reputable first show in
Taipei. Along with her astonishing vocal talent, her vigorous and infectious performances on stage became her trademark and further established A-mei's status as a
diva of Chinese pop music. Because of her fame, A-mei was invited by the Japanese TV
NHK to represent Taiwan to perform in the annual ceremony "
Asia Live Dream" in February. In October 1998, she released the album "Holding hands"(牽手), exploring different genres and showing her vocal versatility, though it was commented A-mei's voice was not as clear as in previous albums, "Holding Hands" (牽手) remained hot-selling and was one of the best selling albums in the year. In November, she was granted the most popular singer in
Asia by
Billboard magazine. Meanwhile, the documentary about the "fable" of A-mei, produced by
CNN, was telecasted worldwide.
In January 1999, A-mei became the endorser of
Sprite in
greater China and
Singapore. She sang the Chinese commercial song "Give me feelings" (給我感覺) for the brand. In June, she released "Can I Hold You, Lover?"(我可以抱你嗎?愛人), the album with a 80s style single and the Japanese song "Want to see you so much" (好想見你), aiming at accessing the
Japanese market. Like her previous albums, it was incredibly selling and captured numerous Chinese music awards. In the following months, A-mei held her second
Asia Tour concert, "Mei Li 99"(妹力99), visiting various cities in
Taiwan and other asian cities such as
Hong Kong,
Singapore,
Beijing,
Shanghai, etc. It was notable that there were nearly 80000-strong audience in the
Shanghai show. In September, benevolently, she sang "Love, never disappears" (愛, 永遠不會消失) to commemorate the "
921 earthquake"(also known as
Chi-Chi earthquake) and donated her concert earning from one of the stops.
Later in the year, A-mei was made the cover of
Asiaweek and her popularity was called "The A-mei syndrome".
2000: The Arduous Year
Things were smooth initially in 2000. In January, she sang the new Chinese commercial song of
Sprite, "I want to fly" (我要飛). Because of her healthy image, A-mei was selected as one of the twelve celebrities to participate in an anti-smoking campaigne. In March, she had two shows in
Hong Kong with
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, singing a wide variety of songs including Mandarin, English, Taiwanese and even Cantonese oldies.
However, A-Mei became the subject of considerable political controversy after she sang the ROC
national anthem at the first Presidential inauguration of
Chen Shui-bian on 20th, May, 2000. This angered the PRC government, which subsequently banned her from visiting
Mainland China. Under pressure from
Beijing,
Sprite also buckled and cut its contract, replacing A-Mei as its endorser. Radio stations in mainland China ceased broadcasting her music.
Meanwhile, her fans were aware that A-mei's voice had gradually become weaker and duller. They were worried that her voice had been overused, due to her nearly unbroken recordings and concerts. As a result, they together wrote to the music company, requesting A-mei should be given a break. The company eventually agreed and therefore, right after the promotion period of "A*Mei with
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra" live album, A-mei seized the precious opportunity, going to
New York and rested for several months. A-mei became active again in December, with her album "Regardless" (不顧一切).
2001-2003: Return With Fortitude
A-mei was made the cover of
Newsweek in January 2001 with the heading "Back In The Spotlight". This made her the first and only Taiwanese singer to grace the cover of the magazine to date. "The lithe 28-year-old singer has been absent from the stage for six months, and her loyal fansare pining to see her again." That was months after the banned from
China in 2000 after she sang at the inauguration of Taiwan's newly elected president,
Chen Shui-bian. Also mentioned, A-mei had sold more than 8-millions copies of album in the past four years since her debut and drew more than 420,000 audiences from all around Asia to her "A-mei Live in Concert 1999 Tour".
In June, A-mei signed contract with
Warner Music,
Taiwan. During the ceremony, A-mei expressed her gratitude to her previous record company, Forward Music for guiding and nurturing her to achieve what she has achieved and at the same time showing her anticipation and excitement for the new music journey ahead with her new record company. A-mei sang the mandarin theme song for the movie, "Pearl Harbor"('山'海) and was included in her album, "Truth"(真實) that was released shortly after.
In 2002, A-mei won the "Best Female Vocalist of the Year" with the album, "Truth" at the
Taiwan most prestigious "Golden Melody Awards". A deserving win after four years of consecutive nominations in the same category since her second album, "Bad boy". Also a performing guest, she put up a showcase titled, "Best of
Asia" that evening. In the same year, she won "Favourite Artist -
Taiwan" in the first MTV Asia Awards held in
Singapore.
|
Asian Heroes 2002: Taiwanese Pop Sensation, A-mei by TIME |
A-mei was named one of the 20 Asian Heroes on the special issue of
Time magazine in 2002. This made her the first
Taiwanese singer to grace this international publication. In the interview, she discussed about her music, on the incorporation of tribal rhythms into some of her pop songs, like "Sisters", which celebrates the matriarchal aboriginal society. Also, her career and personal struggles caused by political-driven issues that led controversy. And, her attitude towards her successful music career and how she could always have her feet firm on the ground despite her
diva status.
In October 2002, A-mei released her new album, "Fever" (發') and soon, kicked off her "A-Class Entertainment World Tour", hitting
Taiwan,
Hong Kong,
Mainland China,
Singapore,
Malaysia and the
U.S.A.
In June 2003, A-mei released her new album titled, "Brave"(勇敢) and in the name of the album, she held three concerts on the beaches in
Taitung,
Kaohsiung and
Taipei. Being the spokesperson, A-mei sang the
mandarin theme songs for the A3 (
Korea PC Game) titled, "Brave"(勇敢) and "Seeing myself" (看見自己), both tracks were included in the album.
In November, in remembrance of her music mentor, the late singer/producer Zhang Yu Sheng (張雨"), A-mei participated in the tribute album "City of Joy", singing the work of her mentor, "Tears and Whispers"("泣與耳語) and also, sang on the tribute concert along with some other Taiwanese singers.
2004: Center of Cross-strait Controversy Again
In February, A-mei received the "Favorite Artist
Taiwan" award on MTV Asia Awards held in
Singapore.
In June, A-mei was forced to cancel a concert in eastern Chinese city of
Hangzhou, China after a protest accusing her of supporting independence for the island,
Taiwan. Some of 100 of Chinese ultra-nationalists held up banners and chanted: "Oppose
Taiwan independence, unify
China".
Back home in
Taiwan, A-mei was too under the fire from those who champion
Taiwanese pride. The Vice President
Annette Lu even questioned the patriotism of the pop
diva. Outraged
Taiwanese netizens even voiced to call for a tit-for-tat boycott of China's singers. Meanwhile, Premier
Yu Shyi-kun offered a clarification of his own previous remarks about the singer. He explained that his remarks were intended to criticize China, and that he had not intended to criticize the singer herself. He said local media had misquoted him.
While politics and showbiz are not exactly bedfellows in
Asia, A-mei made it clear that she has no intention of theengaging in anything irrelevant to her profession. In response to the uproar, A-mei called on the media to cease its sensational reporting and stop distorting her words. "What we really need is more peace and love in our society," she reinforced.
Political issue aside, A-mei gave a benefit concert in
Taipei for the victims of tropical storm Mindulle that caused widespread destruction in the same month. The concert was free, but each audience was asked to make a donation of US$30.
On July 31, A-mei set foot on
Beijing once again and held a successful concert, with an estimated 10,000-strong audience. Reported by media, A-mei confessed that she had never felt such great pressure at a concert before when fans begged her not to be disturbed by the raucous protesters.
No amount of negetivity deters the singer, A-mei proceeded to work on her new album, "Maybe Tomorrow" (也許明天) and was released in July. A-mei composed two songs, namely, "Love is the only thing" (愛是"一) and "Critical moment"(關鍵時刻) on the album. Although the album was chosen one of the "Top 10 Local Album Releases for 2004" by the
Taipei Times, the change in music style and direction had much drifted away from the common acceptance level of the mass Mandarin pop music listeners and therefore, it failed to perform on charts.
A-mei was chosen by the
Taiwan Tourism Bureau and took up the mission as the island's tourism ambassador. Three versions of television commercial were filmed targeting audiences from
Hong Kong,
Singapore and
Malaysia respectively. Alongside, she sang and produced the pop-rock and aboriginal music fused theme song titled, "Naruwan". In collaboration with the TV hosts from the three places, A-mei co-hosted a short series of travelogue titled, "Tour
Taiwan With A-mei" to share the island's wonders with people outside
Taiwan. Above all, she toured the three places, making appearances for some face-to-face sharing sessions with her fans and supporters.
As part of the effort for the
Tsunami relief, A-mei participated in fund raising concerts in both
Taiwan and
Hong Kong. And also, together with other celebrities, she sang in the specially written song titled, "Love"(愛), a Mandarin version of "
We are the world".
In December, she accepted the invitation from MTVasia and put up an exclusive showcase,"MTV Live With A-mei", held at Victoria Theater,
Singapore. Together with the band made up mainly of
Singaporean musicians from "Sonic Sanctuary", they delivered a magnificent concert.
2005: The Path To Self-rediscovery
In 2005, A-mei decided to take a short break from her frantic lifestyle. She headed
Boston,
USA for a three months language course in January. Not a mere getaway, it was a journey of self-discovery she saw.
Meanwhile, a
Discovery Channel and GIO collaborated project that spotlights
Taiwanese icons in different field had selected A-mei as the representative of the "Contemporary and Pop Culture" category. This six documentaries were broadcasted across
Asia to tell the stories of outstanding
Taiwanese. Also, A-mei was nominated for the "16th Taiwan Golden Melody Awards" in both the "Best Female Vocalist of the Year" category and the "Best
Music Video" category with the album track, "Love is the only thing" (愛是"一) with her album "Maybe Tomorrow".
A-mei took up the task as the
World Vision Taiwan(WVT) ambassador and headed southern
Sudan with the charitable organization in June/July. On the press conference to launch the
30 Hour Famine campaign, A-mei shared her encounters and experience during visit. "There is a water shortage almost everywhere in
Sudan, and people don't really have a choice. I met an 11-year-old girl named Mary who is so clever and speaks English fluently. She told me that she can't go to school every day because it is too far away, and the school is so primitive. She wants to leave there and go to a place where she can study", she said. In the same month, A-mei visited the aboriginal village of southern
Taiwan - the home to people of the Paiwan tribe. Along with Biung Wang (
Taiwanese Singer) and volunteers, they sent flood relief and moral supports in hoping to alleviate the situation which was badly destroyed by recent flood.
|
A-mei's performance in Golden Horse Awards 2005 |
In November, A-mei was invited to perform on the "Golden Horse Awards 2005". With her band made up of musicians from "DOMS", she belted a medley of 13 classic movie theme songs from the past century. It was an incredibly awe-inspiring showcase regarded by many.
2006-Present: New Challenges: Singing and Beyond
In February, A-mei released her new chart-topping album, "I want happiness?" (我要快樂?), one many see as her come-back piece. Unlike her previous albums, A-mei had only one Music Producer, Eric Chen and a Lyrics Supervisior, Yu-Kang Wu and herself seeing through the production. One of the tracks, "Extrication"(海闊天空) was made the theme song for "Fishing Luck"(等待飛魚), a
Taiwan produced film.
A-mei continued to take on the duty as the island's tourism ambassador for the third consecutive year since 2004. Media reported that she has assisted
Taiwan to achieve outstanding tourism results by promoting the island's numerous tourism attractions to travelers from the region for the past two years.
In June, A-mei was invited to perform on "17th Golden Melody Awards - Music Orz". The self-directed showcase was a fusion of
Puyuma(Taiwan Aboriginal Tribe) music, African drum beats,
hip hop, Electronic music, Afro-Brazilian martial art - Capoeira and the sound of Sitar. A-mei shared that the idea of incorporating different elements of music and performing arts struck her after watching the performances by some street artists while walking on the
Taipei street one evening, and not forgetting the influences she had from her indigenous heritage and those familiar music genres of today.
In preparation for her upcoming musical debut, "Carmen" in December 2006, she headed
New York,
USA for an intensive theatrical training conducted by experienced Broadway instructors and performers.
Promptly after her return from the States, she was back in studio for the recording of a new song titled, "Princess Bannen"(巴冷公主), a duet with Biung Wang. The melody was written against "Princess Bannen", a beautiful myth of the Rukai Tribe composed by Biung Wang. Enchanted by this beautiful melody, A-mei invited her friend and music partner, Yu-Kang Wu to pen the lyrics. The song is recorded in Biung Wang's album, "War Dance"(戰舞).
Albums
*姊妹(
Sisters; 1996)
*Bad Boy (1996)
*妹力四射1998""會提前先聽版 (
A-mei Live in Concert 1998 Prelude; 1998)
*牽手 (
Holding Hands; 1998)
*Feel A*Mei 感覺張惠妹 (EP 1998)
*我可以抱你嗎愛人 (
Can I Hold You, Lover; 1999)
*妹力新世紀 (
A*Mei New Century; Collection; 1999)
*歌聲妹影 (
A*Mei with Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra; 2000)
*不顧一切 (
Regardless; 2001)
*旅程 (
Journey; 2001)
*真實 (
Truth; 2001)
*發' (
Fever; 2002)
*勇敢 (
Brave; 2003)
*也許明天 (
Maybe Tomorrow; 2004)
*我要快樂 (
I Want Happiness; 2006)
DVD/VCD
*金曲精選影音 ("Bad Boy" & "Sisters" Karaoke MV)
*妹力四射Live (Live in Concert 1998)
*牽手"翻天 ("Holding Hands" Live in Concert & Karaoke MV)
*妹力99Live (Live in Concert 1999)
*我可以抱你嗎愛人 ("May I Hold You, Lover?" Karaoke MV)
*歌聲妹影 (A*Mei with Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra)
*不顧一切 ("Regardless" Karaoke MV)
*真實 ""會 ("Truth" Live in Concert)
*真實 ("Truth" Karaoke MV)
*發' ("Fever" Karaoke MV)
*A級娯楽 世界巡廻""會 (Live in Concert 2002)
*勇敢 ("Brave" Karaoke MV)
*勇敢 MSN線上""会 ("Brave" Live on MSN Online Concert)
Others
*紅色熱情 "最愛的人傷我最深" (Duet with Yu-sheng Chang)
*給雨"的歌 (Tribute to Yu-sheng Chang)
*手牽手 (All Stars "Hand in Hand" Against SARS)
*雨"歡禧城 ("City of Joy" for Yu-sheng Chang)
*戰舞 "巴冷公主" (Duet with Biung Wang)
*
Portraits: Taiwan: A-mei - Discovery Channel
*
Discovery Channel, GIO team up to spotlight Taiwanese icons - TRO of United Kingdom
*
Taiwan targets Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia markets - ASIATravelTips.com
*
Asian Heroes 2002 - A-mei - TIMEasia.com
*
Always A-mei - China View/Xinhua Online
*
World Vision Taiwan launches annual `30 Hour Famine' drive - Taipei Times
*
China extends welcome to Taiwan singer - Asian Economic News
*
Taiwan pop princess A-mei gets go ahead for Beijing concert - Agence France-Presse
*
'Radical' A-mei cancels show in China - Taipei Times
*
A-mei blasted for not taking a stand - Taipei Times
*
Taiwan star silenced by China row - BBC News
*
Back In The Spotlight - Newsweek
*
People: A*Mei Touched By Nostalgia - Newsweek
*
Jackie Chan, A-mei among influential cross-strait figures - Asian Economic News
*
The Muzzling of A-mei - Newsweek
*
Amazing A-mei - Asiaweek
*
Hong Kong, Taiwan battle for music dominance in Asia - CNN
*
China bans Taiwan's Madonna - BBC News
*
The Star Has Landed! - CNN
*
Taiwanese pop star becomes Chinese sensation - CNN
Official Website*
Forum: A-mei - Warner Music, Taiwan
Fansites*China(Mainland):
A-mei China A-mei Sky A-mei Fans*Hong Kong:
A-mei Page A-mei HK forum*Japan:
A-mei Project Power of A-mei*Malaysia:
A-mei Club Malaysia*Taiwan:
A-mei Club Taiwan Meistudy Mei Lee BlogEndorsements*
Taiwan Tourism Bureau: Ambassador 2004-Present*
Taiwan Beer: Spokesperson 2006Others*
MTV Live with A-mei 2004 - MTVasia
*
Youtube Group: A-mei*
Askmen.com: A-mei*
Yesasia.com: A-mei*Singers/Musicians mentioned:
DOMS Sonic Sanctuary Yu-sheng Chang Biung Wang
