TAIWAN-BASED singer Emil Chau Wah-kin has finally found a firm footing in his homeland - well, almost. He has made a triumphant return to Hong Kong, with everyone clamouring for tickets to his 13 shows at the Coliseum. Whether or not these people have been leaving totally satisfied is probably still under debate. While there can be little doubt that Chau puts on a marvellous show, several items in the concerts' composition are out of the ordinary for Hong Kong Canto-pop audiences. To be fair, Chau cannot be simply lumped into the 'normal' Canto-pop genre. Chau kept the opening night enjoyable with a lot of light-hearted banter and great renditions of some of his latest and best hits such as Blame It On Myself, Fire in the Snow, Flirtatious, How Many Will You Like, and Let Me Be Happy Let Me Be Sad. The singer is one of the few in town with an infectious, self-deprecating sense of humour that brought him closer to his audience. Chau turned the tables on Canto-pop conventions, from the stage design to the performance. The stage was a stark, metallic one that functioned more to accommodate his considerable back-up band than to dazzle the audience. As expected, Chau kept true to form and did not opt to make a spectacle of himself bopping to his numbers, as many a Canto-pop star would have. In fact, not a single dancer pranced out on stage in the course of the three-hour long show. There was a considerable lack of fanfare for the star himself, leaving a lot of focus on the music. Chau chose to focus on his group of outstanding Taiwanese musicians several times during the course of the night, leaving them to play long numbers showcasing their talent. In doing so, he also left his audience rather impatient even though they were treated to some dazzling displays of musicianship. But the most confusing inclusion in the concert was an appearance by New York singer Lori Carson, who sang two songs that did not go down too well with the audience. Carson - who sounds a little like Suzanne Vega - is a good singer, but her eclectic music was out of place. Chau's two other guests - new singer Li Dao, who has a remarkable voice, and the sorely-missed Sandy Lam Yik-lin - enjoyed a much warmer reception. Emil Chau, Hong Kong Coliseum, January 27 to February 8
