No one delivers an inspirational anthem more potently than singer/songwriter Ricky Hsiao (蕭煌奇), who has become a household name over the past few years with his infectious hit You Are My Eyes (你是我的眼) and his stint as a judge on the TV talent show One Million Star (超級星光大道).
Despite losing his eyesight at the age of 15, Hsiao went on to become a star through persistence and sheer talent.
Tomorrow night, he performs his first solo stadium concert, titled The Dreamer, at Taipei International Conference Center. Roger Yang (楊培安), Hsiao’s best friend, and David Huang (黃大煒), Hsiao’s fellow judge on One Million Star, will appear as guests.
“I wrote this song as the theme song for the book I See the Colors of Musical Notes (我看見音符的顏色), my first biography,” Hsiao said of his hit You Are My Eyes in an interview last Friday.
“Originally it was written as a song about greater love,” said Hsiao, who spoke with the Taipei Times after a press conference held to promote his concert. “But then people asked me if it was a song written for a girl I admire. Well, it could be that, too.”
Hsiao has released six albums since 2002, three in Mandarin and three in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese). He has won the Best Taiwanese Male Singer award at Golden Melody Awards twice, for Real Love Song (真情歌) in 2008 and this year for The Dreamer (愛作夢的人).
“I usually write in the morning after breakfast. I write about the life stories I know,” Hsiao said. “I use a guitar to play with the melody and record it.”
When asked about the strength of his passion for music, he replied, “I never really considered other possibility.”
“There are all the different ways to make a living from music: I can sing, produce or teach,” Hsiao said. “As long as there are people who are moved by my music, I will be able to live by making music.”
Besides making music, Hsiao is also a professional judo competitor and has won numerous medals in national judo competitions for people with disabilities.
“My high school teacher would pair us with sighted sparring partners because he thought we should be able to compete at the same level,” he said. “I can sense what move my opponent is going to make with my hands.”
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