Plenty to Cheer about

She is ultra-slim and has such a slight frame that Chen Qizhen (also known as Cheer Chen) seems too small for her big guitar. But her harmonious voice and skilful hands help to convey her innermost thoughts to her audience.

Today and tomorrow, the 33-year-old folk rock player and indie pop songwriter from Taiwan will hold her debut solo concert in Chinese mainland with her trademark Gibson Hummingbird acoustic guitar. She has just performed in Hong Kong and wowed the fans so much she was ushered back on stage to give no less than five encores.

Armed with a pure and innocent voice that has been described as "black coffee with powder donut", Chen is one of the few Taiwanese singers who started in folk music. From her early days in indie folk to her present rock-driven style, she has gained popularity in the independent music scene. She first established her popularity among university students through many campus concerts before releasing her bitter-sweet first album Demo 1 in 1997. She came of age when she won the Best Singer Award at the 17th Golden Melody Awards in 2006.