Thursday February 12, 2009
Happy days for Miriam Yeung
By SETO KIT YAN
Cantopop singer-cum-actress Miriam Yeung has lots to smile about these days.
The stars are shining brightly on Cantopop artiste Miriam Yeung Chin Wah. In addition to regaining her status as Hong Kong’s most popular female singer, the singer-actress is now making inroads into the mainland China market.
Last month, Yeung broke into tears when she was announced as the most popular female singer at TVB’s Jade Solid Gold (JSG) Awards, which is the third of Hong Kong’s four main annual music awards. Doing so, she inadvertently broke fellow Cantopop artiste Joey Yung’s five-year winning streak, denying her the opportunity to top the late Cantopop diva Anita Mui’s record. This is the second time Yeung has won the award; the first was in 2002.
Hong Kong artiste Miriam Yeung will be performing at Genting’s Arena of Stars on March 21 as part of her All About Love World Tour 2009. Still overjoyed with her win, Yeung says that all artistes hope for such recognition. She says that being sidelined for the past few years drove her to work even harder.
“The award is a wonderful birthday gift for me. I feel that I must properly cherish it. It is a very important lesson. Failure helps breed success so one must learn to channel failure into positive energy,” says Yeung in a telephone interview from Hong Kong.
Yeung is quite excited about her latest project in China. “I’ve just completed filming Ji Xiao Lan where I play a female martial arts expert.”
She was in Beijing to film Season 4 of the Chinese TV series Tie Chi Tong Ya Ji Xiao Lan (known as The Bronze Teeth or The Eloquent Ji Xiao Lan).
She plays a skilled swordswoman in the historical dramedy, about a brilliant scholar under the rule of the illustrious Emperor Qian Long during the Qing Dynasty. Her co-stars include Zhang Guoli, Zhang Tielin and Wang Gang, whose dramas receive high ratings when telecast in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Her recent acting stint has whetted her appetite for swordplay. Yeung says she is now raring for more action in her next role. It has been more than a year since she made a movie and her next film will see her playing a female bodyguard. “My male co-stars have not been cast yet but I look forward to working with Daniel Wu and Chinese heartthrob Huang Xiao Ming.”
On the love front, rumours abound of her getting married to businessman Real Ting in June. When queried about her priorities, Yeung says family will be top priority for her. “To me it is the most important thing in life. And everything has to revolve around it.”
When asked about her plans for Valentine’s Day, Yeung says that her work schedule is so packed, she will be in Japan filming a Shiseido commercial on the day itself.
Yeung became the face of Shiseido when she signed on as the brand’s ambassador for Hong Kong and China last year.
It has been almost four years since she last wowed fans at the Arena of Stars in Genting. Apart from songs from her albums, Yeung says that for this year’s concert, she will also include soundtrack from her movies.
Her guest performers are Hong Kong hip hop duo FAMA. She says they will be singing with her but have not decided on the songs yet. “They are concerned that people might think they are talking when they are actually singing,” she quips.
Having already performed with FAMA in live shows, Yeung hopes to collaborate with the guys for her next album.
Yeung was a registered nurse at the Princess Margaret Hospital before she entered the entertainment industry after coming second in the TVB 14th annual New Talent Singing Awards Competition in 1995.
With her happy-go-lucky nature, she has established a unique style and has steadily gained popularity in the entertainment business.
Yeung has over 20 films and 30 albums under her belt. She has starred alongside Asia’s top leading men like Tony Leung Chiu Wai (Sound of Colours, 2004; My Lucky Star, 2003), Tony Leung Kar Fai (Three... Extremes, 2005; Dumplings, 2004), Daniel Wu (Drink Drank Drunk, 2005; Love Undercover 2: Love Mission, 2003; Love Undercover, 2002), Richie Ren (2 Become 1, 2006 and Elixir of Love, 2004), Ekin Cheng (Anna in Kung Fu Land, 2003), Lau Ching Wan (Three of a Kind, 2004), Ronald Cheng (Dragon Loaded 2003, 2003), Louis Koo (Dry Wood Fierce Fire, 2002) and Eason Chan (Hooked on You, 2007).
Miriam Yeung All About Love World Tour 2009, organised by Genting – City of Entertainment, will be staged at Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands, on March 21 at 8pm.
Concert tickets are priced at RM450, RM350, RM250, RM160, RM100. The first 1,000 tickets purchased will be entitled to a 20% discount (except for those priced at RM450).
For details and ticket reservations, visit genting.com.my or call 03-27181118 (Genting) or 03-77115000 (Axcess).
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