Sunday May 13, 2007
S.H.E is blasted
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(From left) S.H.E’s Hebe, Ella and Selina are criticised for being unpatriotic. – AP |
Co-written by a Chinese and a Taiwanese, the song turns Chinese tongue-twisters into rap lyrics like: “How smart are the Chinese people and how beautiful is the language of China.”
The music video, which was shot in Zhejiang, China, shows the trio – Selina Jen, Hebe Tien and Ella Chen – dancing with Shaolin monks.
And some Taiwanese bloggers are seeing red.
One was quoted by Taiwan News as saying: “It is absolutely disgusting to see three Taiwanese women tossing patriotism out the window just for a few lousy bucks.”
Another blogger said: “If an American were to write a song praising the English language, would it be necessary to call it the language of England?”
Record company HIM said the song was meant as entertainment and nothing else.
China and Taiwan split after a civil war in 1949.
As China becomes the biggest market for Mandarin music, Taiwanese singers chasing the Chinese dollar have sometimes been caught in the political crossfire.
Pop star A-Mei was banned in China after singing Taiwan’s anthem at the 2000 inauguration of President Chen Shui-bian.
F4 to JVKV
IT’S not as catchy as F4 but JVKV is the new name for the Taiwanese boy group.
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The artistes formerly known as F4 (from left): Jerry Yan, Vanness Wu, Ken Chu and Vic Chou. – AFP |
He reportedly dropped out of a new idol drama which Chai is producing for Taiwan’s tourism bureau. She was said to have eyed Taiwanese star Mike Ho as a replacement.
But Taiwan’s United Daily News quoted her as saying: “F4 is changing its name to JVKV, so there is no new F4 to speak of.”
She said only F4’s Vic Chou and Ken Chu could act in the new drama as Yan and Vanness Wu were busy.
F4, a name used in Taiwan’s Meteor Garden series, originated from a Japanese manga. The Japanese publisher had allowed its use in the series, Chai said, but since Japan has come up with its own TV series, both countries end up using the same name.
The publisher had asked for the use of the F4 name to be avoided, outside the Meteor Garden series, Chai added.
The name JVKV – standing for the first letters of the boys’ names – was used at an F4 fans’ meeting held in Taipei recently by the tourism bureau.
Lee Hom top earner
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The 30-year-old singer-songwriter, a Chinese-American based in Taiwan, reportedly made NT$285mil (RM29mil) last year, NT$150mil (RM15mil) of it from renewing his contract with music label Sony BMG.
He also went on a concert tour and fronted 10 advertisements, said the report.
Pop princess Jolin Tsai, 26, was second with a reported NT$283mil (RM28mil), ahead of girl group S.H.E with NT$180mil (RM18.3mil), actor-singer Jay Chou, 28, with NT$170mil (RM17.2mil) and actress-singer Angela Chang, 25, with NT$125mil (RM12.7mil).
Tsai had a good year, thanks to a NT$120mil (RM12.2mil) contract she signed with Capitol Records.
Among Taiwanese TV hosts, Chang Fei, 55, showed he was still the Variety Big Brother with a reported NT$116mil (RM11.8mil). Second was Jacky Wu, 44, whose income from hosting was said to have hit NT$100mil (RM10.1mil). But he had to close down loss-making eateries, the report added.
Avoiding admirer
ACTRESS Carina Lau is staying away from Taiwan for half a year to keep her distance from her billionaire admirer, Terry Gou, says Apple Daily.
The China-born, Hong Kong-based star is known to make private visits to Taiwan regularly to meet friends there. But Lau, who was linked to Gou late last year, has reportedly said she will not go there for six months – apparently to avoid more tabloid talk of them.
Lau has said yes, however, to a role in Taiwanese theatre director Stan Lai’s play, Like Shadows, which will be performed in Taiwan in December.
Gou, 56, told the media in March that he was serious about the 41-year-old actress.
But last month, Lau and her actor boyfriend, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, 44, attended the Hong Kong Film Awards hand in hand in a show of unity. Later, she said of their relationship: “We’re like a family.” – The Straits Times, Singapore / Asia News Network
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