Sandy Lam - singer, producer, deejay, mother, winner of countless music awards and I dare say Chinese pop gay icon nonpareil. While the Chinese pop industry churns out nutrasweet young starlet clones by the dozens, Sandy's albums are still flying off the shelves with minimal appearances and promotions on her part, a testament to her staying power.
Not contented with being a mediocre singer, she dieted, went for dancing lessons, picked up a few pointers in fashion, learnt some fancy singing techniques in US, transformed herself into a cosmopolitan gal and re-entered the HK pop scene in 1989 with a Cantonese album, City Rhythm - Part 1. With her follow-up albums City Rhythm - Part 2 and (no prize for guessing) City Rhythm - Part 3, she sealed her status as Cantopop's dance diva and her name became synonymous with Asian pop fused with Western pop elements.
It was at this time when yours truly began to take notice of the singer. Her cassettes (other than Madonna's) were almost a permanent fixture in my Walkman and I would spend numerous afternoons after school gyrating to her dance hits like a possessed medium, lip-syncing to her dance hits in the comfort of my own room. At that age, though I was ill aware of my sexual inclinations, I knew good music when I heard it.
My obsession with her music continued for many years to come as she collaborated with top-notch producers and songwriters like Clarence Hui, Anthony Lun, Dick Lee and Jonathon Lee. With each album, she never fails to impress and intrigue her fans as she experimented with various musical genres. Even when she's doing covers, she managed to breathe new life into the songs with her distinct vocal style.
After her stint with Sony Music, Warner Music and Capitol Records she crossed over to Rock Records, mellowed into a ballad diva and released Love, Sandy which spawned the quintessential recovering-from-a-breakup song Scar. At that point, even Sandy herself would not have guessed the impact the song is going to have on karaoke patrons and the Chinese gay population.
Until this day, you can still find muscle marys in gay karaoke joints or private KTV rooms crooning to this tune with tears welling up in their eyes.
The year 2000 sees Sandy hitting another peak in her music career as she released Sandy's, her first mandarin album with Virgin Music. The album featured the hit At Least There Is You, the "selected" theme song for the movie Anna and the King when it was screened in Taiwan. While the movie bombed in the box office, the song scaled the Chinese pop charts.
When her latest Cantonese album hit the shelves, I almost fainted from hyperventilation. I could not believe my eyes when I look through the track listing. Aptly titled Encore, this album includes reworked versions of dance hits from her City Rhythm trilogy. As if finally acknowledging her gay fans, these classic hits are rearranged disco style, strung together like a megamix and come under the collective title: Mardi Gras.
Presently, Sandy is prepping herself for a concert tour in Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore later in the year. I for one cannot wait to see her perform live in person. You can bet your Guccis and Pradas that I will be there with my bum off the seat, arms in the air, gyrating and lip-synching like a schoolboy in the privacy of his room.
Catch Sandy Lam in concert in Singapore on 23 Nov 2002, 8pm. Tickets at $129, $89, $49. Available from Sistic. There are 2 pairs of tickets to be given away. If you would like a pair, please send an email with your name, contact no. and email address to marketing@fridae.com.
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