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SING TO WIN

Return of the Kings killer

Affable singer Emil Chau is back with a probject to make short film loosely based on Bruce Lee

You hear Taiwanese singer Emil Chau, 40, before you see him.

"Booming, "Hello, hello!" from the door at the Conrad Hotel function room, the dashing singer-songwriter strode in to the press conference on Thursady a few seconds later.

And, boy, have Singaporean fans been waiting to hear and see him.

Wise-cracked Chau: "I came out from the arrival hall at Changi Airport, and there were people shrieking for me - for a 40-year-old man! "

You can call him the funny man of Mandarin Pop. Her arrives in a tornado of activity, signing autographs and obliging with quotable quotes - then leaves a wake of laughter behind him.

The popular singer-songwriter of such hits as Hua Xin (Flowery Heart) had been on a two-year hiatus.

He is back with his 36th album called Wangyou Cao (Day Lilies), which has already sold 15,000 copies here.

The Hongkong born-singer, who also goes by his Cantonese moniker, Wakin, had reluctantly dropped out of sight while working with ace-producer Jonathan Lee on the album.

Reportedly, Lee had struck a dry creative patch, and the process had dragged on.

But the affable Chau said he has put his "holidays" to good use. He wrote several novellas, film criticism essays, short stories and even two screen plays.

One of the screenplays will be made into a short film early next year. He will direct the film, which is conceptualised around Bruce Lee.

Always the joker, he hurriedly waved at reporters to put away their pens as he elaborated on his angles: "Everybody can be Bruce Lee." The film will also take a subtle dig at gongfu star Jackie Chan.

He has fomed a five-piece rock 'n' roll band, Hard Band, with whom he hopes to cut an album before the end of next year.

In the past, there had been reports about his gruelling work schedule taking its toll on his marriage to his American wife, Constance. But the break has done wonders for their relationship.

Said the trilingual musician: " I go for walks in the mountains with my wife and children."

"One day, she came up to me, put her hand on my shoulder, and said with much feeling: 'You're a good husband'," recalled Chau, "Whereupon, I got indignant and said, ' I've have always been!' "

The pround father of Andrew, 11, and daugther Anya, 7, watches South Park cartoons with his kids, at his wife's insistence that he supervise them.

" I end up picking up all the vulgar language," he said with his trademark guffaw.

Asked about the young generation of muscians who have arrived on the scence in his absence, he is full of priase for R&B singers David Tao and Jay Chou.

The veteran entertainer brought Jay Chou's album home and said: " Son, listen to this."

The result? Andrew ended up liking Jay's music more than his father's

Of Hongkong singer Eason Chan, who has been accused of arrogance recently for saying he did not buy Andy Lau, Leon Lai and Aaron Kwok albums, he said: " I think he's innocent. Too bad they did not handle the whole thing well."

In the 1990's this talkative, jovial singer - who looks more like someone's big brother than a Mandarin-pop-idol - was called Heavenly-King Killer.

He joked: " When I was being called that, I often saw a lot of Heavenly Kings' backs," suggesting that they ignored him at award shows.

"But I don't understand why we can't just talk and laugh about the whole matter?"

He mimed biting his nails in fear.

So what's next for Chau? He toys with the idea of becoming a record company boss, a talent scout, or a star-father ("If my child can sing well").

He mused: " But whatever the ease, I will always want to be involved in the creative process. To challenge myself by constantly experimenting with new musical styles."