VideoJoyce Cheng on defying the haters and her first solo concerts in Hong Kong
Canadian singer and actress daughter of late comedienne Lydia Sum and singer Adam Cheng has faced her fair share of criticism, from comments about her weight to her Cantonese, but finally she’s come into her own
It’s not been easy for Joyce Cheng Yan-yee. You might think that being the daughter of famous parents – late comedienne Lydia Sum Tin-ha, known as Fei Fei, and singer Adam Cheng Siu-chow – would have helped pave the way for her to easily make her mark in the Hong Kong entertainment industry. But for most of her life it’s been a struggle dealing with criticism.
If it’s not her weight, it’s how her Cantonese is sprinkled with English words, because she was born and raised in Vancouver. Critics had claimed she was arrogant, which is hardly the case for the down-to-earth singer and actress.
It’s been particularly challenging since Cheng’s mother – also known as Lydia Shum – died of liver cancer in 2008. Recently, though, the 30-year-old singer and actress seems to be finally coming into her own and is gearing up for her first solo concerts at the Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom on April 21 and 22.
Even this has been far from plain sailing. Cheng had a major setback last October when she injured her left ankle – at the same time she received approval for her concerts at the Coliseum – a venue typically reserved for the top Hong Kong artists.
On her Instagram account she posted a video of herself in a hospital bed in tears, worried she would not be well enough in time for the concert, but told her fans she would press on and do her best.