'I sing unconsciously'

By Chen Nan (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-06 10:48

Chyi Yu says she feels free to sing with no pressure and no boundary.

It is clear from her surprised and somewhat amused reaction that veteran pop singer Chyi Yu has never been questioned so closely about her voice.

But some longtime admirers of Chyi want to hear her "real" voice - sans synthesizer and computer software, that have become staple features of today's music industry.

She is talking to the media about her upcoming concerts.

Does Chyi use deep breathing as a natural support for her voice, they wonder.

"Rarely," says 52-year-old Chyi, sitting up straight on a couch in a VIP room of a shopping mall near Wangfujing street, looking elegant in a dark dress and blue shoulder wrap. Everything about singing comes to her naturally, she explains, adding that she hardly ever does vocal exercises.

"I'm terrible about speaking or walking around during my performance," she says. "That just distracts me. I sing intuitively, unconsciously. I like that."

Chyi was in the capital ahead of the concerts scheduled for Nov 28 and 29 at Beijing's Exhibition Theater (Beizhan Theater), billed as The Voice - No Boundary. For the first time since 2004, the singer will return to Beijing, this time with the Chinese Orchestra to add a lustrous orchestral sound to her renowned folk tunes.

According to Lao Zai, the mainland music producer and composer, the concerts will feature hits by Chyi over the past 30 years, including the classic The Olive Tree, and tunes remixed with Chinese folk songs and traditional musical instruments.

"Singing folk songs with traditional Chinese musical instruments can add another layer of sounds. The new versions are more colorful than the originals but require more from my singing," she says.

Chyi says she is excited about the crossover project, which she thinks will give fans something fresh.

But the project also carries a risk given that dazzling stage settings and hot dances are what sell today. At Chyi's request, her stage will have few digital screens or colorful lights. Her singing is intimate.

"Some people like the simplicity of just my voice and the instruments," she says.

"That is, after all, the way we started."

Chyi rose to fame after winning two campus folk song competitions in Taiwan in the 1970s. Most of her most popular songs, such as the 1979 The Olive Tree was an instant success and won her many fans.

"I still remember the first time I sang The Olive Tree in 1979. I was just a young girl and didn't expect that the song would go so far. The Olive Tree is a big gift from God," says Chyi, with slightly closed eyes. "It gave me the freedom to make the kind of music I always wanted and without any restraints. I never get tired of singing it and I'll definitely sing it in the concerts."

She says song is a metaphor for her dreams as a musician. But the dream was shattered a decade ago when the music industry was ruined by piracy and increasing commercialism.

"It's sad when all singers go for the same style just because it sells. I thought about giving up, but singing is the only thing I can do," says Chyi.

At a 2002 Hong Kong concert she announced that she would devote her attention to religious and spiritual music instead of pop songs. Since then, she has released four albums featuring Buddhist chants.

"It felt like a door had closed on me, but a window had opened. This music is soothing and helps me continue my singing," she says.

Chyi says her upcoming concerts will include some uplifting chants as well as classic English songs, such as Amazing Grace and Vincent.

"I am not a prodigious singer. The 14 albums that I have made have an equal mix of Chinese-English songs," she says of her preference for English. "Years ago, some of my musician friends told me that my voice is suited to singing English songs, such as the Broadway hit Memory. I gave it a try and it proved to be a success," Chyi says, giggling.

More than the pleasure of singing, it was her ability to use her voice to act, to express herself and convey words, that drew her as a young girl, she reveals. Her younger brother Chyi Qin, a popular Taiwan singer and rock icon, has been inspired by her singing since his teen years.

"I live with my brother in Beijing now and go to Taipei on work," she says.

Her latest album, a collection of songs in English, to do with meditation and healing, will be released at the end of the year.

"I have passed the stage of being a pop singer. Songs like The Olive Tree and Highheel of September can only make a comeback on the CD shelf," she jokes.

"Now, everybody asks me about retirement and I feel grateful for their concern. They want to know whether I am still making albums and doing live performances. All I can say is that I feel free to sing - (with) no pressure and no boundary."