Chet Lam
Encyclopedia
Chet Lam is a Hong Kong
based independent singer-songwriter
whose style has been described by many as "city-folk
". He is the elder brother of singer Eman Lam
.
Lam has started his own label LYFE Music in 2003, with records distributed by Warner Music and East Asia Records. From 2005 he started expanding his label by presenting shows for blooming artists in town such as FAMA, Wildchild, and My Little Airport. Lam has been collaborating every two years with the Hong Kong theatre "W theatre".
Lam has been performing professionally from age ten, in broadcasting drama and TV commercial songs. After graduating from City University of Hong Kong
, where he majored in Japanese Business, he started songwriting, and has released more than 200 compositions in the Chinese music industry.
In 2003, Lam's debut album "Pillow Songs" was released to warm reception from critics and listeners. As a result, Lam became one of the best-selling singers in Hong Kong. His second album "Travelogue, One" brought him a Best New Artist Award and a Top Ten Album of the Year in the Chinese Music Media Awards.
He was invited to do the opening act for such artists as k.d. lang
and Louis Eliot
. As a songwriter, he has written many pop hits for such singers as Sammi Cheng
, Stefanie Sun
, Eason Chan
and at17
.
Lam has released five written collections, and was the leading actor for two gay-themed independent films.
In 2009 Chet is creating a digital pay download platform, www.hkindiemusic.com, specifically for Hong Kong based independent singer songwriters.
gay
, endorsed the Hong Kong Gay Pride, and made headlines in 2005 having the cross-over concert with Miriam Yeung singing "Boys Like Me", and in 2008 after kissing a male audience member in "the Storyteller Show". As an honest assertion of his same-sex romantic inclination, he had openly addressed his sexual identity in The Advocate.
- by Tam Kit Wang, Hong Kong, from Ming Pao
"Chet Lam Yat-fung proves with his latest Cantonese-language album, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, that he is Hong Kong's leading singer-songwriter, capable of conveying a wide range of feelings on relationships and life in a touching and entertaining manner."
- Album Review, Hong Kong, from South China Morning Post
Live album:
Special projects:
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
based independent singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
whose style has been described by many as "city-folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
". He is the elder brother of singer Eman Lam
Eman Lam
Eman Lam is a Hong Kong cantopop singer and musician. Lam and Ellen Joyce Loo form the group at17.- Background :Eman Lam is the sister of Hong Kong based singer-songwriter and musician Chet Lam. Probably influenced by her brother, she began performing music early in life...
.
Biography
Lam is the most successful independent artist in the Chinese music industry in terms of album sales and popularity, constantly releasing commercially and critically acclaimed albums throughout his career. He calls himself more of a cultural worker than an entertainer.Lam has started his own label LYFE Music in 2003, with records distributed by Warner Music and East Asia Records. From 2005 he started expanding his label by presenting shows for blooming artists in town such as FAMA, Wildchild, and My Little Airport. Lam has been collaborating every two years with the Hong Kong theatre "W theatre".
Lam has been performing professionally from age ten, in broadcasting drama and TV commercial songs. After graduating from City University of Hong Kong
City University of Hong Kong
City University of Hong Kong is a comprehensive research university in Hong Kong. It was founded in 1984 as City Polytechnic of Hong Kong and became a fully accredited university in 1994. It has achieved fast growth in recent years and received international recognition for its academic achievements...
, where he majored in Japanese Business, he started songwriting, and has released more than 200 compositions in the Chinese music industry.
In 2003, Lam's debut album "Pillow Songs" was released to warm reception from critics and listeners. As a result, Lam became one of the best-selling singers in Hong Kong. His second album "Travelogue, One" brought him a Best New Artist Award and a Top Ten Album of the Year in the Chinese Music Media Awards.
He was invited to do the opening act for such artists as k.d. lang
K.D. Lang
Kathryn Dawn Lang, OC , known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress...
and Louis Eliot
Louis Eliot
Louis Robert Eliot is an English singer, songwriter and former guitarist of the now defunct bands Kinky Machine and Rialto. In 2002, he released his first solo EP, Everybody Loves You When You're Dead, and in 2004, he released his first solo album, The Long Way Round...
. As a songwriter, he has written many pop hits for such singers as Sammi Cheng
Sammi Cheng
Sammi Cheng Sau-Man is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress. Having enjoyed much success in the Hong Kong music industry, Sammi has been known as a diva and has been one of the most successful female singer in Hong Kong since the 1990s. Her albums have sold more than 25 million copies through...
, Stefanie Sun
Stefanie Sun
Stefanie Sun was born Sng Ee Tze on 23 July 1978, and known to fans as 13姐 , is a Singaporean singer-songwriter. She has sold over 30 million copies of her albums during the span of her career thus far. She does the majority of her recording, and conducts most of her publicity events, in Taiwan,...
, Eason Chan
Eason Chan
Eason Chan Yik-shun is a prominent male singer in Hong Kong's music industry. Undoubtedly one of the most dominant male singers in the post-1997 era of Hong Kong music industry. Eason Chan has been praised by Time magazine as a front runner in the next generation of Cantopop...
and at17
At17
at17 , consist of Eman Lam and Ellen Joyce Loo, is a Hong Kong based Cantopop and folktronica girl band managed under production company People Mountain People Sea.-Biography:...
.
Lam has released five written collections, and was the leading actor for two gay-themed independent films.
In 2009 Chet is creating a digital pay download platform, www.hkindiemusic.com, specifically for Hong Kong based independent singer songwriters.
Personal life
In 2005, Chet, who is openlyComing out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, endorsed the Hong Kong Gay Pride, and made headlines in 2005 having the cross-over concert with Miriam Yeung singing "Boys Like Me", and in 2008 after kissing a male audience member in "the Storyteller Show". As an honest assertion of his same-sex romantic inclination, he had openly addressed his sexual identity in The Advocate.
Quotes
"Lam's appearance not only could start a new chapter in the movement of Hong Kong singer songwriters, his subtle tenderness and fragility that set him apart from the mainstream stereotypical pop music emotions could make his success significant."- by Tam Kit Wang, Hong Kong, from Ming Pao
Ming Pao
Ming Pao is a Chinese language newspaper published by Ming Pao Group in Hong Kong. In the 1990s, Ming Pao established four overseas branches in North America, each provides independent reporting on local news and collect local advertisements. Currently, only the two Canadian editions remain: Ming...
"Chet Lam Yat-fung proves with his latest Cantonese-language album, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, that he is Hong Kong's leading singer-songwriter, capable of conveying a wide range of feelings on relationships and life in a touching and entertaining manner."
- Album Review, Hong Kong, from South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
Discography
Full albums:- 【床頭歌】Pillow songs (2003)
- 【遊樂】Travelogue 1 (2003)
- 【一個人在途上】Travelogue, too (2004)
- 【你今日拯救咗地球未呀?】The Soundtrack of Our Lives (Music Theatre Soundtrack) (2005)
- 【Camping】 (English) (2006)
- 【思生活】the private life of c (mandarin) (2007)
- 【一期一会】Once in a Lifetime (Music Theatre Soundtrack) (2007)
- 【城市旅人】Travelogue, three (2008)
- 【思路】my lonely planet (mandarin)(2009)
- 【Back to the Stars】(English) (2010)
Live album:
- 【林一峰遊樂會】Travelling Live (2004)
- CAMPiNG iN Hong KongCAMPiNG iN Hong KongCamping in Hong Kong is the eighth album and the second English language album from the Hong Kong English pop/Cantopop singer-songwriter Chet Lam, released in 2006 under record label of LYFE Productions, and distributed by Warner Music Hong Kong....
(2006) - 【The Storyteller Show】(2008)
- 【One Cake One LYFE】(with The pancakesThe PancakesThe Pancakes is a Hong Kong based, award-winning one-girl band consisting of independent singer-songwriter Dejay Choi. The music of the Pancakes is characterised by Dejay's very innocent, almost child-like voice with bright and catchy melodies...
) (2008) - 【一峰二汶好天氣演唱會】Chet Lam and Eman Lam Live at the Coliseum (2009)
Special projects:
- 【這一路走來】Introducing Chet Lam (Mandarin compilation) (2005)
- 【夜生活】the night life of c (Limited EP) (2007)
- 【三種幸福】3 Kinds of Happiness (EP) (2007)
- 【為你含情】(With My Little AirportMy Little Airportmy little airport is a Hong Kong-based indie pop band. Their lyrics are marked by spelling, grammar, and rhythm inflected by Hong Kong English. Ah P writes the lyrics and the music, which he also plays, while Nicole sings...
) Lyfe music (EP) (2008) - 【山谷裡的音樂】Music from the Valley (EP) (2009)
- 【好天氣】Good Weather (EP) (2009)
- 【戀愛總是平靜地意外...來臨】Love Comes Slowly, Naturally & Silently (special love song EP)(2009)
Live performances
- Live in Vancouver/Toronto (2003)
- Traveling Live, Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Hong Kong (2004)
- Live in Calgary/Toronto (co-headline with at17) (2005)
- Camping in Hong Kong, Arts Centre (2006)
- Singapore Music Festival (2006)
- Taiwan Music Festival (2006)
- Camping in Vancouver, SFUSimon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
& UBCUniversity of British ColumbiaThe University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
(2006) - Make It Happen Series, Arts Centre, Hong Kong (2006)
- Chinese National Tour (Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Xiaman, Fuzhou) (2007 to 2008)
- The Storyteller Show, Star Hall, Hong Kong (2008)
- One Cake One Live, Arts Centre, Hong Kong (co-headline with the pancakes)(2008)
- Music from the Valley Show, Music Hall of Forbidden City, Beijing (co-headline with Xiaojuan)(2009)
- Chet Lam and Eman Lam Live at the Coliseum (2009)
Stage
- 【馴情記】Best Memories in my Life (2003)
- 【你今日拯救o左地球未呀】Superman Forever (2005)
- 【一期一会】Once in a Lifetime (2007)
- 【戀愛總是平靜地意外身亡】Love Dies Slowly, Naturally & Silently (2009)
Books
- 【音樂．旅．情】(Music, Travel, Love) (2004)
- 【隨身聽．隨心唱】(Take it Easy) (2005)
- 【一人一峰一結他】(One Man One Guitar) (2006)
- 【思生活】(Never Forget How to Feel) (2007)
- 【遊子意外】(Travelling Bugs and Blocks)(2009)
Selected awards
- Best Song Written for a Movie - "Turn Left, Turn Right", Golden Horse Awards, Taiwan (2003)
- Best Folk Artist, Chinese Music Media Awards, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (2004)
- Best New Artist, Chinese Music Media Awards, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (2004)
- Top Ten Album of the Year - "Travelogue", Chinese Music Media Awards, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (2004)
- IFPI Best Selling New Artist Award, Hong Kong (2004)
- Song of the Year (Yu Jian), Global Chinese Music Awards, Taiwan (2004)
- Best Folk Artist, Chinese Music Media Awards, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (2005)
- Best Music, Hong Kong Annual Theatre Awards, Hong Kong (2008)
- Best Arrangement for a Song (A Traveler's Heart), TVB8 Golden Awards, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (2009)
- Best Singer-songwriter Bronze Price, TVB8 Golden Awards, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (2009)