As the Queen of Canto-pop you can't afford to turn away from your public, not even for creative purposes, as Sandy Lam discovered. Winnie Chung reports.
SANDY Lam Yik-leen was 20 minutes late, although through no fault of her own. She had been waylaid on her way out of the radio station to do a promo recording.
A year ago she might have balked at doing publicity. But a poor showing at the territory's top three music awards ceremonies this year has driven home the point that a singer needs more than talent to do well on the local music scene.
Until those awards, Sandy Lam, 27, had, after Anita Mui's early retirement, been considered the undisputed Queen Of Canto-pop. But while she took Commerical Radio's Album Of The Year for 1993, an award based more on popularity than achievement, Lam was humbled by accepting the Silver Award for Best Female Vocalist. The Gold went to the younger and trendier Faye Wong.
Lam had always let her talent speak for itself, shunning the limelight and doing little publicity to concentrate on conceptualising. She had for the better part of 1993, worked in Japan 'developing her career', while newcomers like Wong were charging the charts with singles and playing the marketing game.
Now Lam accepts she may, afterall, have to run with pack if she wants to keep ahead of them. Success idoes not depend merely on creativity.