By Sam T.

The last time Emil Chau (Zhou Hua-Jian) was in town was in September, during the Singapore Golden HIts Awards, which he had attended albeit seized with the flu virus.

This time, the guy looked fit and healthy, cheerfully greeting the reporters who had gathered in the living room of a luxurious Presedential Suite at the Ritz-Carlton Singapore for an informal press conference (and informal it was - there weren't even enough seats, so some reporters actually sat on the carpeted floor!)

Born in Hong Kong, Emil is an articulate person who has been known to make tongue-in-cheek statements (an example: When Jacky Cheung received the Best Singer award last year, Emil had reportedly exclaimed, "I don't know whether Jacky's singing has improved, or my skills have deteriorated"). At the conference, he was comfortable with the press, cracking jokes and indeed, acting like th friendly host of a dinner party.

He has been unwinding at home, ever since moving house to Taipei in July. "The pace in '95 was too fast, I felt drained and tired."

Grinning mischievously, he continues, "In a way, I've been 'forced' by my wife to be home more frequently. I didn't manage to sleep in my new bed two months after I'd moved house!"

"Moreover, when I was young, my brother taught me in my studies; my kid just got into Primary I, so we feel it's only right to be with our son." Another reason for taking it easier, he admits, is due to the fact that he has released 20 albums in 10 years, and was starting to run out of things to write about.

His new album, "Emil & Friends," has come about after this more relaxing period. "I've definitely put more feelings into this album. My songwriting during the period of '94 - '96 was too broad, too superficial. In '95 along, I released five albums!"

"I'm a very emotional person, although I don't show it. I've experienced a lot, the sad, the tragic. I've been betrayed by friends, been in love, jilted, got married... What experiences I don't have, I imagine - I've very great imagination - and manifest all that in song."

Emil has written songs for quite a few artistes, many of which became mega hits and brought the singers fame. When asked why Andy Lau wasn't singing his songs anymore, he replies, "If it's a good song, there's no reason to give it to Andy Lau - he doesn't need it. But if my song is of mediocre standard, then it's not nice to give it to him either! The ideal alternative - I don't give him any songs."

Come September, Emil will proceed on his concert tour from Taiwan, to Singapore and Malaysia. "I'm addicted to holding concerts. The next one will be bigger and stronger, the style will change drastically from the norm."

He tries not to let fame get to him, and feels that family life helps him to put things in prospective. Laughing, he says, "I get questions asking me if I fear my wife, as I tend to mention her a lot. The truth is, I respect her - so to some degree, you can call it 'fear'. But she's 'respected' me for so many years. She's stood behind my career every inch of the way."

"I started recording two months after our marriage. She gave me five years, regardless of whether I achieved fame, after which she wanted to go back and do her Masters. It's been 10 years, and she hasn't realised her dream."

"In entertainment field, people can get a bit unbalanced, what with all that fame and fans getting to you. But personally, my fans have been good. They don't usually come screaming when I'm out with my family, or attending school events with my kid. People respect my privacy. It's sad when you can't even leave the house without causing a comotion."

In the film arena, he has guest-starred in many movies, repeatedly turning down offers to star in his own flick.

"It's my choice, really. I'm busy, so as a guest star, there's not so much pressure. I can arrive at the shooting scene and enjoy myself. And I've become good friends with many of the hot shots in the film business, such as Jackie Chan and Chua Lan. "Actually, I think I'm really fortunate. There's not many people in this scene who can choose what they want."

Emil's recording company, Rock Records, has been looking for new blood; as the executive producer, Emil has the joy (or burden, depending on how youlook at it) of searching for that star.

"We want someone, male or female, preferably between ages of 17 - 20, someone with star potential.

"He or she can even be a Singaporean. We just want someone who looks good, and is a born singer and entertainer..." He jokes, "preferably someone who looks like me."

Well, TCS Star Search has recently ended, but among our local youths, could there actually be someone who fits that criteria? Guess we'll wait and see.