Khalil Fong (方大同) is definitely not your average pop singer. With his less-than-sculptural face, mop-top hair, black-rimmed glasses and waifish body, Fong looks more like your high school geek than a singer on MTV.
However, on the strength of his smoldering voice and his beautifully crafted R ’n’ B songs, he has been conquering radio and television in Taiwan, and his output has even been covered by contestants on the red-hot talent show One Million Star (超級星光大道).
Born in Hawaii and having lived in Shanghai and Guangdong before relocating to Hong Kong in 1998, Fong sings in Mandarin and English. A sort of music prodigy, Fong taught himself to play guitar at the age of 15 and piano at the age of 18.
His debut album Soul Boy was released in Hong Kong in November 2005. With rapid fire speed, his sophomore album This Love (愛愛愛) was released a year later, followed by a live album, This Love Live 2007, in August 2007.
Because of his impressive musical background and R ’n’ B style, Fong was dubbed by Hong Kong’s media as the “David Tao of Hong Kong” or “Jay Chou of Hong Kong.”
Popular recognition did not come until the release of his third studio album, Wonderland (未來), in December 2007. Wonderland was Fong’s initial foray into Taiwan’s music market. The lead single, Love Song, an infectious and highly stylized paean to the joy of love delivered in old-school R ’n’ B style, became a mainstream hit and was widely played on TV and radio. The success of Love Song made an unlikely pop star out of Fong.
With his latest album, Timeless (可啦思刻), which was released last month, Fong has made an unusual move for a singer-songwriter by recording a cover album. To the surprise of many, rather than obscure, high-brow R ’n’ B oldies, Fong has chosen to cover tunes familiar to most people.
“I have always wanted to do a cover album,” said Fong in a phone interview last week. “I chose some very famous songs because the other meaning of this album is to cover classic songs.”
Despite a list that is chock-full of all-too-obvious song titles, Fong manages to turn several hackneyed songs into surprising winners with highly original arrangements. He injects new life into Faye Wong’s (王菲) KTV anthem Red Bean (紅豆) with an R ’n’ B interpretation. With A-Mei’s trademark ballad Remember (記得), Fong turns the originally heart-wrenching mourner into a laid-back and pensive musing on love with his jazzy vocalizing. There’s even a convincing, soulful rendition of Michael Jackson’s Bad.
“I chose Faye’s Red Bean because when I first moved to Shanghai when I was 17, I used to go to KTV to sing songs with friends and see friends imitating Faye,” Fong explained. “I wasn’t exposed to Chinese songs that much while growing up, and KTV was one of those chances I had.”
“Choosing Bad was a tough choice because Michael Jackson has too many classic songs for you to choose,” said Fong. “I did this music arrangement because I felt that deep down, Bad is very much a funk song with 70’s style.”
“Georgia on My Mind is a song by Ray Charles,” added Fong. “It’s part of history and such a classic that I feel it’s a must-do.”
Fong’s concerts are cherished events that attract industry people and music aficionados as well as average fans. “With this concert, I want to put the focus on music as usual. Jam Hsiao (蕭敬騰) will be my guest,” said Fong. “There will be minimal effects and dialogue. I will sing some songs by myself and cover some new songs and hopefully my fans will like it.”
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