We two were first introduced
to the artistry of Emil Chau in the summer of 1999. To escape
the heat while we were out one day, we ducked into a music shop
advertising in the window that it would be closing down its
Asia CD & video section. We found that everything in that part
of the store was priced at more than 50% off: "What a great
deal!" I thought as I began to paw through a bargain bin.
Before long I spotted a music CD titled "Emil & Friends," and
unlike most of the other items in the pile, the song titles
of this album were printed in English. Boy, they looked intriguing:
"Friends," "Coffee, Tea, or Me--I Love You," "Fear," "The Happiness
of the Instant Noodles"...?! We'd not heard of Emil Chau at
all yet, let alone heard him sing. But here was an album only
two years old and full of songs at less than half the price!
My fingers closed around it instinctively, so I continued to
probe the bin with my other hand.....
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After we got home, we casually popped "Emil & Friends" into the player--and we both were instantly amazed and increasingly
delighted by the beautiful mosaic of music that emerged! We were truly
struck by the richness and breadth of this singer and his songs.....it
may sound like I have a rather flowery heart [g], but that's the simple
fact of the matter.
Since then, we've been greatly impressed
by the CDs and VCDs of Emil's that we've acquired so far--no discounts,
no problem! The songs are wonderful and exciting, even though we can't
understand the Chinese titles and lyrics. (It is a small consolation, however,
to have some Japanese kanji knowledge that can give us a hint here
and there: "Ah, he's saying 'I love you'!" we announce in unison as the
subtitles of the karaoke MTVs roll by......)
Compared with Japanese music, Chinese albums
often appeal to us more because their songs have rhymed lyrics, like English-language
music does. Both traditional and contemporary Japanese compositions tend
not to rhyme, so despite the sophistication of the musical arrangement
or the prowess of the singer, the vocals by design are at risk of sounding
disorganized or unpolished. Emil has recorded a few Japanese songs translated
into Chinese, such as "You Make Me Happy and Sad" composed by Ryo Aska
of the duo Chage and Aska. Why do these songs also become huge hits for Emil?
Because he effortlessly breathes a special new life into them, making them
his own.
Certainly we're among quite a few fans
who've been compelled by the particular qualities of Emil's musical mastery
to put some effort into studying the Chinese language. But even with many
of the same kanji characters at our disposal in everyday Japanese,
Chinese seems a tougher row to hoe--and the more we dig in, the more we're
convinced! So it was a relief to discover that Emil releases English-language
albums on occasion, too. Of those in my collection, "Bluebird" remains
my special favorite for featuring some of the finest contemporary classics
on the planet. Emil's touch is velvety smooth on such songs as "Goodbye
Girl" by David Gates and "Drive" by the Cars, then his vocal punch rips
right to the point of John Waite's "(I Ain't) Missing You" and Billy Joel's
"Honesty." (As I consider this, I'm reminded of Emil's 1999 Singapore concert
and how he took his guitar and commenced to sing Kenny Loggins' "Danny's
Song"
so beautifully--afterward launching into a charming few bars
of the sentimental oldie "Sweetheart Tree" before forgetting the rest....!)
Emil's accomplished characterizations of
the songs of other artists, and especially his gift for original compositions,
continue to delight us both. Emil Chau is obviously on very solid ground
in whatever language he makes music!
The
Wakin Weekend Society
July 2000