Performer, producer and philanthropist, 41-year-old Anthony Wong Yiu-ming is a mainstream pop star with a difference. Wong's entry into the limelight came courtesy of popular 1980s band Tat Ming Pair - Wong providing the 'Ming' to Lau Yee-tat's 'Tat'. One of the first alternative bands to win major plaudits and acclaim within the main-stream pop scene, Tat Ming Pair's avant-garde synth pop helped shape Hong Kong's musical development. When the duo disbanded in 1990, Wong collaborated with a host of young and budding musicians, many of whom remain his closest musical allies. As is the custom, Wong has also done his share of duets, partnering the likes of Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, Sally Yeh Chen-ven, Kelly Chan Wai-lam and Sandy Lam Yik-lin. Influenced by everything from 1970s Mando-pop to contemporary western compositions, Wong has emerged as a musician unrestricted by Canto-pop conventions. 'My musical style lies some-where between mainstream Canto-pop and alternative in Hong Kong,' he says. 'I like to explore the music horizon, and that's why people see me as something more alternative.' Wong's refusal to stick within the confines of the genre has earned him the title of 'the David Bowie of Hong Kong'. 'I'm far too flattered, if people consider me that,' he says. 'His music has inspired me a lot. 'In the end, I simply wish for my songs to touch the heart of people, and at the same time make them happy and their mind peaceful. So, in a way, almost all the lyrics of my songs are drawn from the inspiration of social phenomena, ethical values, political issues and human relationships.' Forming his own production house, People Mountain People Sea (PMPS), in 1999, Wong has produced music for numerous artists in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the mainland, including Miriam Yeung Chin-wah and At 17. 'PMPS is my dream production house,' he says. 'Quality and substance are two essential elements that I always strive for in my music - and this is the source of my joy and sorrow within the music production process.' With a new studio album - a concept album celebrating the works of veteran composer Joseph Koo Ka-fai - set for release this summer, along with a Tat Ming Pair reunion concert scheduled at the Coliseum in December, Wong is busy beyond his production duties. His most immediate challenge is a performance with At 17 at a charity event tonight raising funds for Aids Concern. When Wong was approached to perform a concert to benefit any local charity he wanted, he says the choice was simple. As a former director of, and volunteer worker for, the charity, Aids Concern is a beneficiary close to Wong's heart. 'Aids is still an incurable disease affecting the lives of many,' he says. 'It harms the life of people and breeds mistrust. Fear and mistrust break the bond of normal human relationships, which is a very sad thing to see. 'I believe in love, trust and understanding so I just wish for people to get some solace and to learn the right attitude to face Aids without fear.'
