Tomorrow, 8pm, Hitec
Sony BMG has made no bones about marketing its latest starlet as Taiwan's answer to either Norah Jones or Japan's queen of bossa nova, Lisa Ono.
When the company released the debut album of 19-year-old Joanna Wang Ruo-lin in January, Let's Start from Here, a lilting female jazz singer with Greater China appeal was exactly what they were going for.
So far, it's worked.
Her husky alto has become ubiquitous in Taiwan, showing up not only in the more typical media outlets, including variety show performances, commercials and a soap opera theme song, but also finding appeal in more cultured channels, such as Taiwanese Public Television, where a song of hers graced a promo spot. Her CD has also fared well in Hong Kong and the mainland.
Tomorrow night, Wang brings her lazy-tempo melodies to the Hong Kong International Trade and Exhibition Centre's auditorium for a one-night performance.
If you're going by the Norah Jones comparison - and it is the most accurate - you'll know what sort of mood to expect from the music. And to push the comparison a little further, it may be fair to say that both singers are somewhat reluctant pop stars.