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Winnie Chung

It has taken seven years, but singer Edmond Leung Hon-man has finally stepped out of the shadows of his good friends Andy Hui Chi-on and Sammi Cheng Sau-man, to forge an identity of his own.

 Discovered at the annual TVB-organised New Talent Singing Contests, the trio became good friends and colleagues when they were all signed up by the same record labels.

 In the minds of Canto-pop audiences, the three are almost always inseparable, especially with Leung and Hui having rather similar singing styles.

 But Cheng's and Hui's moves to different record companies have given Leung the chance to strike out for himself.

 'I know people used to say I sound a lot like Andy. In fact, when I listen to my old albums I have to agree that I sounded a little like him,' admitted Leung.

 'When I realised it, [with] the later albums such as Breathe I slowly tried to change and pull away from the same singing style.

 'I think things like this take time - you can't do it overnight. When Anita Mui [Yim-fong] first started singing, she sounded like Paula Tsui [Siu-fung]. It also took her some time to shake that shadow.'  For his new - and ninth - album, Leung has made a complete break by experimenting with a Broadway-style single, Stop Breathing, which features strong organ strains reminiscent of Phantom of the Opera.

 'So far, I have always been singing karaoke-style songs and ballads, but I have grown bored with it. In the case of Stop Breathing, no one else has attempted to use such an arrangement and I think it is worth a try. Also, it would be good to have different styles which will come in useful for my concerts next year.

 'My greatest weakness at the moment is that I don't have enough up-tempo songs. I have tried recording fast numbers before but it is easier said than done. It is not easy finding the right style.

 'A lot of genres have already been adapted so successfully by others. For instance, Alex To [Tak-wai] has cornered the black music or hip-hop genre, and the really techno-pop stuff has been done so well by Aaron Kwok [Fu-shing]. If you want to find a special style, it is very difficult.'  The risky decision taken to plug Stop Breath- ing as a sin gle in the saccharin-driven Canto-pop market has paid off for Leung: fans have given it a warm reception, and driven it up the singles charts.

 'The decision wasn't made because we hoped Stop Breathing would help push album sales but I thought that it would at least let Canto-pop fans listen to an alternative genre,' added the 25-year-old, who released his debut solo album in 1991.

 Away from the shadow of Hui, Leung is now viewed by the industry as the 'big brother', or favourite, of his record label. Leung says he is some way from justifying this accolade. 'I don't think I deserve that 'title' yet because I haven't achieved that much more. In fact, I think being regarded as such does not help me because it only adds some pressure,' he said.

 But Leung is philosophical about it, adding that the pressure probably gives him extra motivation. 'It's made me be more serious about singing lessons and made me practise the piano again, and also to try some composing.'  The pressure of competition is a new feeling for Leung. He entered the New Talent Singing Contest at the behest of his singing teacher who was emigrating.

 He was only 16 then, and, though he did not win the competition, he impressed record companies easily enough to win himself a singing contract.

 Although he has been releasing albums steadily for seven years, he has always treated recording more as a way of having fun.

 'I didn't really feel the pressure or the competition: I didn't really care. I always thought that, as long as I was happy doing what I was doing, it was enough. It wasn't that I didn't work hard, but I can't control the results. But now it's slightly different. I want to work harder than before and I care more about what the results are. I feel that I was too easy-going last time but now I think that maybe because of that I may have lost out on some things.'  Leung put this developing insight down to 'growing up', and said that doing so had brought other great changes in his life.

 'I used to feel uncomfortable if I had to stay at home alone, but now I enjoy having time to myself. I have gone back to singing lessons and practising the piano.

 'And, most amazingly, I have even developed a passion for reading.

 'I'm a little slow but I only recently read Chicken Soup for the Soul. I found it really good, and it made me realise a lot of things about life. Changes like these are gradual but I can feel them working.'  Unlike most of his fellow singers, Leung has made less of an impact on the big screen: 'I've just finished a television series but I have stopped making films in the past year because I wanted to concentrate on the new album and did not want to grab just any role that came my way.'  But Leung realises that in Hong Kong an acting career is of equal importance to singing for someone trying to establish a firm footing in the industry.

 'Film roles are very important. Overseas singers can afford to release one album a year: in Hong Kong everyone releases two or three albums.

 'So you have to do a lot to leave a stronger impression, especially since Hong Kong audiences have a very short memory.

 But having said that, though, if you choose your roles unwisely it can kill your career. Since I didn't feel I knew how to choose the roles that could help me, I decided to stop for a while.

 'Unless I come across a role that I am very confident in, I won't take it.'  He has taken on a film, yet to be named, which will start filming in December but does not think he will be taking on any more acting for the time being as he reckons his musical career is likely to keep him busy.

 Plans are under way for his first solo concerts at the Hong Kong Coliseum next October. Also in the works is the prospect of the release of his first Putonghua album, to penetrate the more lucrative Taiwanese market.

 'We've discussed it before but our company does not have a branch in Taiwan so we've been negotiating with Taiwanese companies.

 'Unfortunately, every time we seem to get somewhere, I could not spare the time to do that record because of prior commitments.

 'But things are looking pretty good right now.'  The same could certainly be said of his singing career in general.

The entertainment pages are edited by Winnie Chung. Tel: 2565-2216; Fax: 2562-2485.



Leung's career finally kicks in