THE VIEW OF Yau Ma Tei is the most distinctive feature of Ronnie Yuen Jnr's bedroom studio. Other than that, the 50 sq ft space is fairly nondescript, with a computer, microphone stand, a set of headphones and a wide array of books, CDs and fluffy animal toys.
But a musical miracle has been made in this ordinary setting. This is where He Wants to Take Me to Disneyland was recorded and uploaded on to the internet. The plaintive piano-driven ballad, a collaboration between six musicians who met in an internet forum, has since generated more than 500,000 downloads, according to Yuen's i010 Music Company. This is a significant achievement, given that the number's singer is still keenly awaiting her HKCEE results, and the musicians involved have never released a conventional recording.
The song's success is built on the buzz over the opening of Hong Kong's Disneyland in September, says Chan Hiu-ki, the 18-year-old singer in the band Royals, and who's better known as 'kellyjackie' (an amalgamation of Kelly - as in her idol, Kelly Chen Wai-lam - and her own name).
'The lyrics illustrate the theme of Disneyland, which is the talk of the town. People can imagine a picture in their mind,' the Kwun Tong Maryknoll College student says. 'The theme park also provides a fairy-tale imagery, which makes people feel warm and happy when listening to our song.'
Chan's manager, Charmaine Liu, says the song is timely. 'If it was, say, about Ocean Park, it wouldn't be getting that overwhelming a response,' she says. 'With Disneyland's subtle marketing seeping in from all sides, people are really excited about the theme park. The energy of all that just feeds into kellyjackie's song.'
The catalyst for the song's success, though, was broadband internet, which allows the transfer of large files in quick time. Chan's song was one of the most searched-after items on Yahoo Hong Kong in May. She understands cyberspace.
