娛樂圈“不老的神話”

LH: Lorraine Hahn (前CNN主播)

JC: Jacky Cheung 張學(xué)友

LH: This week on TalkAsia, a Hong Kong superstar whose soulful songs melt hearts across the world. This is Talk Asia。

Welcome to TalkAsia, I'm Lorraine Hahn, my guest this week is Hong Kong superstar Jacky Cheung. It all began with a singing competition in1984, beating 10,000 contestants; Cheung walked away with first prizeand was snapped up by a record label. His breakthrough came in 1991 with themega-Canto-pop hit 'Loving you a little more every day'. Two yearslater, Cheung became the first Hong Kong singer to win over the lucrative mandarin-speaking market, with the album 'Goodbye kiss'. Since then,he's been showered with multiple singing accolades. And as if releasingmore then 60 albums so far isn't enough, Cheung has appeared in dozensof films to critical acclaim. Music critics say that at 43, Cheung iswithout doubt one of the four if not quote 'the heavenly king' of canto-pop. Jacky joins me now to tell me how he does it and much much more.。。

LH: It's good to see you thank you very much for coming in

JC: No, I've been looking forward to talking

LH: Why do you think you have continued to endure and be as popular as you are -- for so long?

JC: I don't know. Well, the one theory that Ibelieve is that you have to keep working. Well, as in artist peoplejust look at the work. New people might love your new things and somepeople might love the old things, so you've got to keep doing something, keep exploring yourself。

LH: You know there's so much new talent coming intothe markets these days, is that a concern for you? Does that mean youhave to be more on the ball, more on the edge?

JC: Why, I mean, once I was new to the othersinging sections, now I'm one of the very.。。(LH: veteran. Laughs)senior -- senior singer, ok?! -- so, that's quite normal to meactually. And I think the scenes need more new blood。

LH: You are known for your ballads, the songs thatyou sing.。。(JC: I sing fast number. Laughs LH: Yes, you know) I don'tknow why but you seem to be associated with, you know, these slow,romantic songs Why is this? Does it reflect you as a person more sothan the fast pumping songs?

JC: I think the first thing is I didn't dance asgood as Aaron Kwok, that's why! And secondly I think I did have a fewvery, very popular ballad songs and that's why (LH: People associatewith that) people might easier associate me with that。

LH: You have also very successfully broken into themandarin-speaking market -- Taiwan and then China -- was it difficultto make that transition?

JC: It's not why...I have little advantage, becauseI was brought up in a mandarin-speaking family actually -- yeh myfamily is from Tianjin. So my Grandma is speaking mandarin only

LH: You've done different fast songs, rap albums,an English album to you name as well -- why the diversity, is it achallenge for you or...?

JC: I love to keep moving actually, that's why I'vebeen trying different things. I believe in that, it keeps me alive. Imean, as I said, you need to explore yourself, find more about yourselfand try more new things that keep you alive. That's why I'm doing...andI still believe in this, that's why I'm still doing it。

LH: In your last album you wrote all the songs, correct? (JC: Yes. Laughs LH: Wow) I mean, why write, why start writing?

JC:It's all because of...ok, for a certain time there was a feel quitelost in the market and what am I going to do? Ok, if you consider thekind of market -- what kind of album can sell in the market now? Theremight be a lot of reason for not very ideal market sales now, theremight be a lot of reason. One thing I think is you really need to beyourself in the market. That's why I started to write something. Thebest way to tell people who you are is to write something aboutyourself, and tell them about yourself. So I started writing somelyrics and some songs。

LH: And you dedicated one of them to friends, yourvery close friends right -- Anita Mui(梅艷芳) and Leslie Cheung(張國榮)-- whoboth passed away?

JC: Well, this is uhh...I think 2003 is quite aterrible year for many people in Hong Kong, of course, in our scenes welost quite a few friends, actually. It affected me a bit and I justreflected in my album

LH: If you had person in this world -- anyone in this world -- who would you sing with?

JC: Elton John

LH: Elton John? Wow, you know I interviewed him recently, right? When he was in Hong Kong. Yeh, he's wonderful. Why Elton John?

JC: Well, he used to be my idol for so many years,actually, since I was in my teenage. And he's still standing thereremember his song "I'm still standing", he's been struggling and thisis the way I look into life. He's great, he can hold a concert withoutany other musicians, just give him piano he can sit there sing forthree hours (LH: or even more, hit after hit)

LH: Jacky, we're going to take a very short break. Just ahead on TalkAsia, a clip of Jacky's breakout role, and his earlier days. That's coming up。

“不老的神話”電影篇

Plasma shot -- clip from movie 'As Tears Go by' (1988)

LH: Welcome back to TalkAsia - that is a clip fromthe 1988 movie 'As Tears Go By'. Jacky Cheung's performance as afrustrated, low-level triad member won him that year's Best Supporting Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards。

LH: Jacky you've obviously done a number of films and obviously won accolades for it, but what takes precedence -- singing or acting?

JC: I love singing...if I had to chose one betweensinging and acting, I would have to chose singing, of course it's morepersonal. But I like acting, too. You can be another person, that'skind of fun。

LH: Now, you had several desk jobs, one I read waswith Cathay Pacific when you first started. How did you keep that dreamgoing that maybe one day you would make it in the entertainmentbusiness?

JC: That's not my dream (LH: really?) and I darenot to dream about it, you know. I have no relations, I never know anypeople that were related to this business so you had no way inactually, so I love join singing contests because I loved theexcitement that I can get through the process. So, that's the onlything I can get, I think. And accidentally I got a contract and that'show I'm in. I'm a practical person actually, so I stayed with my jobuntil I really got a big success with my first album. Then I startcreating it. So I was in both careers (LH: at the same time?) for thesame time, for a few months, actually。

LH: Wow amazing. Now what about your parents, what did they think from suddenly desk job to, you know, a singing sensations?

JC: As long as I can give enough money back tosupport family. My mum always says 'it's ok for a boy to get into thebusiness'. We heard a lot of rumors about the business for the girl,better think more think deeply. You might have to give up a lot ofthings. But for boys, what you got to lose? Just go!

LH: So they were supporting you all the way?

JC: My mum, yes, all the way. (LH: Good, your Dad?)My daddy is an engineer on board -- he's traveling everywhere and allyear. So I didn't have much time to talk to him and of course he didn'tsay anything - didn't say any 'no' this (LH: right, right)

LH: Now, I've read that in the 80s, latter part ofthe 80s, you had some tough times, and things weren't doing so well.Now correct me if I'm wrong, but you started drinking and your careerwas going down -- is that true and how didn't you manage to pull backup?

JC:That's true, and it's all printed (LH: you never believe what you read,right?) Well, those days you can believe some. Well yes and I picked upsome bad habits at those times I started drinking with some friends.The worst part was I couldn't control myself after drinking. Yes, andat that time my career was going down, but it's a normal trend, Ithink. You couldn't just keep your career all the way up there, so itgoes down a bit then you start to pick up something...somebody'smistake, you know what's wrong and then you correct and you climb upagain, so this is how it goes. Again, the thing is, you've gotta keepworking you know that movie that you just showed, that year that's theworst year of my singing career actually, but I'd been doing a lot ofmovies at that time. So you've got to keep yourself busy, either doingthis or doing that. So, of course, if you have a chance you've got tograb it and keep doing it -- no matter what it is。

LH: And how did you pull yourself back up again?

JC: Face. You've got to face the reality; I meanyou can't just bury your head into those bottles. After you're awake,you're still the same person. You're still facing the same problems andthe same difficulties. So you just stand up and face it, and startdoing everything from the very beginning, check what's wrong and fix it。

LH: What has been the biggest price -- you would say -- that you have had to pay for fame?

JC: Well, I'm not this "star" kind of person -- Idon't want to be a star. I love singing and I love acting, and I wantto live a normal life. And that's why I'm actually sending my kids toschool and doing every what all the parents did. If I had to say onething, that I couldn't be as normal as everyone (LH: so privacy wouldbe.。。) I'm ready to give up some of my own privacy, but not my family-- that's the bottom line。

LH: and what is the best part of being who you are?

JC: The best part is you are doing something youreally love to do. That will give you a better standard of living andthat's good (LH: And making money for it?) Well, of course, I have toclear this point that I'm the lucky one and there's a lot of othersingers that I know, or knew before and they've just gone (LH: whodidn't make it, who didn't survive)。

LH: Jacky, we're going to take another very short break when we return a brand new role for Jacky Cheung

LH: That's another one of Jacky Cheung's famous hits, 'A thousandheart-breaking reasons'. Luckily his real life is not so heartbreaking,he's happily married and a proud father of a four-year-old daughter.Earlier this year, Hong Kong Disneyland appointed Jacky as their spokesperson and they say Jacky stands for everything that makes Disney so special。

LH: Jacky, why Disneyland? Why be a spokesperson for them?

JC: They come and look for me and I think, I've been watching a lotof Disney movies with my kids. I think it's about time for me to dosomething that I can share with my kids。

LH: What do you hope to achieve, raising the profile or bringing to the attention?

JC: I just want to do something that I - you know, I've been in over60 movies and sing a lot of songs, but most of them I couldn't sharethem with my kid -- for the moment, actually. Now, as a spokesperson

of Disneyland I can tell my kid what I'm doing now (LH: and she canrelate to it, right? JC: Yes, she can totally understand and I can showher everything that I'm doing for them

LH:You have done so many things in your life, acting, singing, andmusicals. Is there something else that you'd like to do that youhaven't done yet?

JC: A lot. I don't know, I'm thinking of traveling. Really lookinginto the world. Yes, I've been traveling to many many countries -- mostpart of the world, yes but I just work (LH: that's not the same, yes).When I have some time off, I would like see the world with my family,maybe when my kid is getting.。。(LH: a bit older, yes so she canappreciate it, right?)

LH: When somebody picks up a Jacky Cheung CD -- anywhere in thisworld -- what do you hope they will get out of it? What do hope theywill feel when they get into your music?

“不老的神話”家庭篇

JC: I just want them to feel what they feel. I mean, what'simportant about songs, it can make you feel something from it. If youcan feel something from it - that's what I want actually. You can feelfrom my album. It might dig up some of your own feelings aboutsomething, about memories or whatsoever. It can ease your pain, or itcan make you happy for a while or make you relaxed for just a secondand that's good enough, that's what I want。

LH: And it's also so amazing that some people don't understand,let's say, Cantonese or mandarin, but still buy your albums and stilllisten to you

JC: Well, that's good when you've heard something about it theydon't just buy your albums for who you are, but just because of yourmusic your voice and that makes you feel good。

LH: Jacky, thank you so much for coming in to talk to us we really appreciate it. Thank you, thank you。

JC: No, no I was really happy to talk to you

LH: Devoted entertainer, philanthropist,husband and father - Jacky Cheung. And that is TalkAsia this week, besure to check out our website at cnn.com/talkasia for upcoming guests.And you can let us know who you'd like to see on the show at that address 。Thank you very much for joining us, I'm Lorraine Hahn, let's talk again next week。