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A concert to touch your heart

The dessert that best describes Ellen Joyce Loo's voice is pave au chocolat et au rhum - a piece of rum chocolate cake. Mellow and not too sweet, her voice sweeps you to paradise.

Loo's solo guitar concert, 'This Land Was Made For You and Me', is her best show to date. The singer showed a lot of courage in conducting the whole gig on her own, with just her voice, her collection of guitars and an echo recording machine.

Loo began the musical feast with a version of Tat Ming Pair's Beautiful in Heart () played on an electric 12-string guitar. She continued with Choked , William So's That Person () and Tat Ming Pair's Autumn With No Breezes ().

I loved her adaption of the songs. They were sung with subtle emotion, and her gentle guitar strokes tugged at my heartstrings as well.

I was impressed by Loo's performance of her original song Say No to Non-fat (), with its layers of echoes building up the harmonies.

After a few more songs, Ellen introduced her guest, Fergus Chow, bass player of the Ripples Band. Together they performed a reggae version of Ellen's latest song, You're a Nobody (), which got everybody moving along with its pulsating beat.

Loo told us about her desire to produce a richer texture of music. Using a 10-cent coin, a can cover and a clip, she made a tiny drum that she stuck onto her guitar and then produced crispy sounds by hitting it with her fingers. She demonstrated flawless drumming skills in the breathtaking Song of the Big Thumb ().

The show used lighting to good effect too. Loo made use of shadows and splashes of coloured lights to set up the background.

I loved the projection of lyrics onto the stage during her performance of Nicolas Tse's Playground (). The singer touched our hearts when she said: 'Life is like a playground, so why not enjoy our every moment here?'

Loo dedicated the concert to her cousin, who died of cancer early last year.

'My cousin grew up with me,' she said. 'She is an illustration of the greatness of life. Treasure it, for this land was made for you and me.'

I was on the verge of tears as her music lingered in the air.

What I think attracts fans to Loo is her passionate devotion to music. Her concentration and drive for perfection captured our hearts.

The concert was a sheer delight. I got drunk on her music, but was eager for a refill.

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