The Penang-born songstress has been dubbed Malaysia’s Teresa Teng by well-known Chinese programme judges Bao Xiaobai and Huang Shujun since she was a teenager (Photo: Felix/ Apollo Studio)
A beloved icon gone for longer than fans cared to count suddenly felt near and dear when a band struck up a medley of her hits at Menara KEN TTDI, Kuala Lumpur, on July 21. It took a while for the audience, mostly silver-haired and likely able to sing Teresa Teng’s songs in their sleep, to ease into the charity show. Once they did, the years rolled back and a quote about the singer whose music was deemed bourgeois and explicit and banned by Beijing came to mind: “Old Deng [Xiaoping] ruled the day and Little Deng the night”.
Deng Lijun, Asia’s “Eternal Queen of Asian Pop”, died in 1995, reportedly after an asthma attack in a hotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand. But her romantic, nostalgic ballads, familiar to ethnic Chinese communities worldwide, live on and on. In a 2009 online poll to mark the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, 24 million participants voted her its “most influential cultural icon since 1949” and many believed she did what the politicians could not — bridge political divides between China and Taiwan in the 1970s and 1980s.
Chan Ai Chia, lead vocalist at the Unforgettable Teresa Teng Charity Concert in KL over two recent Saturdays, knows she has big shoes to fill every time she steps on stage.
“It’s a tough act to follow,” Chan says post-concert, “because people will always compare me to the real [singer]. I don’t mind what others say because I genuinely like her songs. And everyone knows she cannot be replaced. So, I always try to perform them perfectly, as a form of respect for her.”
Yes, comparisons are inevitable when what people remember of demure Taiwan-born Teng is laced with sadness over her sudden demise at 42. At the height of her fame, she charmed with her clear, sweet voice and an engaging sincerity that evoked deep emotions, whether she was performing or recording in Mandarin, Hokkien, Cantonese, Japanese, English or Bahasa Indonesia.
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While Chan was not as expressive as her idol, her vocal range and control, and mellifluous rendition of tunes that hold special meaning for many, soon warmed the venue’s 523-seat theatre. Everyone there probably had a favourite number and as she belted them one after another — I Only Care About You; Walking Through Life; Thousand Words; By the Water; Girl from the South China Sea; and Thank You for Always Remembering Me — we clapped for more.
Penang-born Chan delivered, clearly more relaxed with each song she sang. Svelte, elegant and looking like little can faze her, she slowly bridged the space between stage and seats, especially after making her way across the floor to distribute rice dumplings while singing Teng’s evergreen Hot Rice Dumplings.
The musicians for the evening were concert organiser Kok Kee Boon, who was also the pianist; Pearly Wong (lead keyboardist and violinist); Paul Soon (on keyboard); Lam Wai Sing (bass); Jimmy Chong (drums); Ken Leong (saxophone); and Cindy Lim (erhu).
Guest vocalists Katie and Wenny, siblings who call themselves Sisstar, ramped up the tempo with a medley comprising Last Dance, Hot Stuff and Fame, before grooving to Beat It. The first half of the tribute closed with I Smile Whenever I See You, one of many touching classics from Teng’s almost 30-year showbiz career.
The Moon Represents My Heart, the megastar’s signature hit if you ask fans, set the mood after the intermission. Composed by Taiwan’s Weng Ching-Hsi and originally recorded in 1973, it speaks for those lost for words when it comes to expressing love. Teng reinterpreted the piece in 1977, making it her own with inimitable style and heartfelt emotions.
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Host Zack Wong, Chan’s manager and husband, did a duet with her titled Purple Lilac, while the Starlight Dancers from Klang vamped up retro vibes with flouncy outfits, feathers and frills, and snatches of sturdy footwork in chunky, glittery heels, taking us back to a time when Teng’s songs filled the airwaves.
The folksy Tall Green Mountain and melancholic Goodbye My Love — which she released in Japanese in 1974, then Chinese the following year — brought the night to a memorable end. Reports say that singing about the sorrow of the separated lovers in the latter number moved Teng to tears on stage.
By then, the audience had warmed to Chan, Malaysia’s Teresa Teng, so-named by well-known Chinese programme judges Bao Xiaobai and Huang Shujun, since she was a teenager.
The second performance of Unforgettable Teresa Teng was held at Wisma HuaZong, KL, on July 27. Both shows raised funds for the Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation Malaysia set up in August 1997 by the late Ong Eng Joo, who found a lack of support services for those suffering from the disease after his mother was diagnosed. ADFM now has the daycare Rumah Alzheimer and a resource and learning centre in Selangor. It lends a hand to patients and families, trains volunteers and care workers, provides support facilities and disseminates research findings on the ailment.
If practice makes perfect, then Chan is on a firm footing. She has performed in more than 100 tribute concerts in honour of her idol in Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia, focusing on Teng’s repertoire and imitating her style and performance. Her interest in old songs sprouted during childhood because of her parents’ influence and she began joining singing competitions at the age of eight!
“Teresa’s songs have meaningful lyrics and captivating melodies, that’s why I especially like them. I’m very happy to get affirmation and joy from many fans through singing,” says Chan, who has three compilation albums to her name. When not on stage, she helps out at the nail salon she owns.
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Creating a cultural milieu for all
Organising a charity concert is a win-win effort for impresario, pianist, producer and manager Kok Kee Boon, the man who organised the Unforgettable Teresa Teng Concert in Kuala Lumpur. Kok, who often commands the ivory keys at such events, reveals that he has worked with its star performer, Chan Ai Chia, in at least 50 concerts, since he got to know her two decades ago.
Charity can attract human resources and volunteers to help, and there is good content with which to seek donations, he says. “It helps pay the basic costs of the show and I get to stage productions and promote my artistes. Also, the audience goes away feeling gratified and satisfied.”
After teaching and performing for 25 years, Kok gradually moved into full-time production 15 years ago and has been on his feet since, bringing in touring shows from abroad and taking local productions, such as the Teresa Teng showcase, to different countries.
He brought in Men in Tutus by Les Ballet Eloelle from New York, the Lisbon Chamber Choir from Portugal and the All-American Boys Chorus, which plans to return to Malaysia next year for their fourth visit.
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Kok’s goal is to “establish a cultural milieu in the country” for locals and foreigners alike through events, music education and audience-friendly programmes that build rapport between performers, corporate sponsors and government bodies.
He won first prize at the NSW State Conservatorium Piano Festival Competition in 1982 and made Stanford’s Who’s Who in the USA list. In 2006, he received the Outstanding Taiping Personality Award for his contributions to the community, state and nation.
With the Mid-Autumn Festival coming up in September, he is looking to present another Teresa Teng fundraiser in Melaka in October and then, hopefully, take the show to Sabah, Singapore and Penang or Ipoh.
From end-2024 to early 2025, he aims to roll out the “first-ever Nyonya musical theatre, a totally immersive experience” featuring songs in English, Hokkien and a few other languages. It will be based on the popular Beijing opera The Jade Bracelet, and staged at Baba House in Melaka.
There is also his popular Baba Nyonya wedding show, an award-winner in Indonesia, which Kok presents regularly in Melaka.
“I like to create new works, original theatre that no one has done before. Because, once you are a pioneer, you will always be a leader. I like to be ahead of those who only know how to copy,” he shares.
This article first appeared on Aug 5, 2024 in The Edge Malaysia.
