For the White Day

Crooner Victor Huang Pin Guan, formerly of Malaysian duo Wu Yin Liang Pin, is set to perform his eagerly anticipated, first solo Shanghai concert soon, writes Min-G Yao.

The Japanese holiday called White Day falls on March 14. While the women give gifts to men on Valentine's Day in Japan, men are supposed to return the favor to those they received gifts from a month later.

On this year's White Day, Malaysian singer Victor Huang Pin Guan will return the favor to all his fans with his first solo concert in Shanghai - "Things that Those Girls Taught Me."

Currently, the Chinese pop music industry is filled with localized hip-hop and R&B songs. The big names like Jay Chow, Lee-hom Wong or Jolin Tsai often have a cool or mysterious public image, far removed from their ordinary fans.

Their distinct characteristics and perceived individualism drive today's teenagers crazy.

It was similar 12 years ago, when pop song arrangements were more complex and stars wore glamorous costumes. Going against the grain then, the Malaysian male duo Wu Yin Liang Pin rose to sudden stardom with their fresh, student-like appearance, professional music training, simple and beautiful melodies and their tender voices.

The duet was formed by Victor Huang Pin Kuan and Michael Wong Guang Liang, both just 20 years old at the time.

The two signed with a record label as independent musicians and had very distinct musical ideas from the beginning.

The success of their first cooperation - a song titled "Palm" that tells a love story through the lines on a girl's palm - cemented the five-year partnership.

From 1995 to 1999, the group released five albums that all sold extremely well, with the first two occupying Chinese music charts for 16 weeks and breaking numerous records in Chinese pop music history.

The two composed and wrote most of the songs on their albums.

They also gradually learned to arrange and produce the songs.

Although not particularly handsome, they were appealing as musicians, especially among university students, one of the biggest groups of pop music consumers.

Complimenting their fresh image, the duo's songs are mostly innocent love stories, written with simple melodies and beautiful lyrics.

The songs are not only popular on TV and radio programs, but are also among the most sung in karaoke bars across China.

The group were frequently asked when they would split up, even from the very beginning.

In 1999, they answered the question with their last album - "Everyone Says that We'll Separate" - and announced that they couldn't get along anymore due to musical differences.

The two then signed up with different record labels and released solo albums.

Differing from the songs of Wu Yin Liang Pin, Huang's solo songs tell love stories in the first person that perfectly match his solo image as a calm and kind young man.

Date: March 14, 7:30pm
Venue: Shanghai Grand Stage, 1111 Caoxi Road N.
Tel: 6448-0898
Tickets: 100 yuan (US$14) - 880 yuan