Chet Lam

Chet Lam
Chinese name	林一峰 (Traditional)
Pinyin	Lín Yīfēng (Mandarin)
Jyutping	lam4 yat1 fung1 (Cantonese)
Origin	Hong Kong
Born	April 11, 1976 (1976-04-11) (age 35) Hong Kong
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Genre(s)	Cantopop, Hong Kong English pop
Instrument(s)	Singing, guitar, bass, flute, ukulele, harmonica

Chet Lam is a Hong Kong based independent singer-songwriter whose style has been described by many as "city-folk". He is the elder brother of singer Eman Lam.

Biography

Lam is the most successful independent artist in the Chinese music industry in terms of album sales and popularity, constantly releasing commercially and critically acclaimed albums throughout his career.^[1] He calls himself more of a cultural worker than an entertainer.

Lam has started his own label LYFE Music in 2003, with records distributed by Warner Music and East Asia Records. From 2005 he started expanding his label by presenting shows for blooming artists in town such as FAMA, Wildchild, and My Little Airport. Lam has been collaborating every two years with the Hong Kong theatre "W theatre".

Lam has been performing professionally from age ten, in broadcasting drama and TV commercial songs. After graduating from City University of Hong Kong, where he majored in Japanese Business, he started songwriting, and has released more than 200 compositions in the Chinese music industry.

In 2003, Lam's debut album "Pillow Songs" was released to warm reception from critics and listeners. As a result, Lam became one of the best-selling singers in Hong Kong. His second album "Travelogue, One" brought him a Best New Artist Award and a Top Ten Album of the Year in the Chinese Music Media Awards. He was invited to do the opening act for such artists as k.d. lang and Louis Eliot. As a songwriter, he has written many pop hits for such singers as Sammi Cheng, Stefanie Sun, Eason Chan and at17.

Lam has released five written collections, and was the leading actor for two gay-themed independent films.

In 2009 Chet is creating a digital pay download platform, www.hkindiemusic.com, specifically for Hong Kong based independent singer songwriters.

Personal life

In 2005, Chet, who is openly gay,^[2] endorsed the Hong Kong Gay Pride, and made headlines in 2005 having the cross-over concert with Miriam Yeung singing "Boys Like Me", and in 2008 after kissing a male audience member in "the Storyteller Show".^[3] As an honest assertion of his same-sex romantic inclination, he had openly addressed his sexual identity in The Advocate.^[4]

Quotes

"Lam's appearance not only could start a new chapter in the movement of Hong Kong singer songwriters, his subtle tenderness and fragility that set him apart from the mainstream stereotypical pop music emotions could make his success significant." - by Tam Kit Wang, Hong Kong, from Ming Pao

"Chet Lam Yat-fung proves with his latest Cantonese-language album, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, that he is Hong Kong's leading singer-songwriter, capable of conveying a wide range of feelings on relationships and life in a touching and entertaining manner." - Album Review, Hong Kong, from South China Morning Post

Discography Full albums: 【床頭歌】Pillow songs (2003) 【遊樂】Travelogue 1 (2003) 【一個人在途上】Travelogue, too (2004) 【你今日拯救咗地球未呀?】The Soundtrack of Our Lives (Music Theatre Soundtrack) (2005) 【Camping】 (English) (2006) 【思生活】the private life of c (mandarin) (2007) 【一期一会】Once in a Lifetime (Music Theatre Soundtrack) (2007) 【城市旅人】Travelogue, three (2008) 【思路】my lonely planet (mandarin)(2009) 【Back to the Stars】(English) (2010) Live album: 【林一峰遊樂會】Travelling Live (2004) CAMPiNG iN Hong Kong (2006) 【The Storyteller Show】(2008) 【One Cake One LYFE】(with The pancakes) (2008) 【一峰二汶好天氣演唱會】Chet Lam and Eman Lam Live at the Coliseum (2009) Special projects: 【這一路走來】Introducing Chet Lam (Mandarin compilation) (2005) 【夜生活】the night life of c (Limited EP) (2007) 【三種幸福】3 Kinds of Happiness (EP) (2007) 【為你含情】(With My Little Airport) Lyfe music (EP) (2008) 【山谷裡的音樂】Music from the Valley (EP) (2009) 【好天氣】Good Weather (EP) (2009) 【戀愛總是平靜地意外...來臨】Love Comes Slowly, Naturally & Silently (special love song EP)(2009)

Live performances Live in Vancouver/Toronto (2003) Traveling Live, Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Hong Kong (2004) Live in Calgary/Toronto (co-headline with at17) (2005) Camping in Hong Kong, Arts Centre (2006) Singapore Music Festival (2006) Taiwan Music Festival (2006) Camping in Vancouver, SFU & UBC (2006) Make It Happen Series, Arts Centre, Hong Kong (2006) Chinese National Tour (Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Xiaman, Fuzhou) (2007 to 2008) The Storyteller Show, Star Hall, Hong Kong (2008) One Cake One Live, Arts Centre, Hong Kong (co-headline with the pancakes)(2008) Music from the Valley Show, Music Hall of Forbidden City, Beijing (co-headline with Xiaojuan)(2009) Chet Lam and Eman Lam Live at the Coliseum (2009)

Filmography I Am Not What You Want (2001) Buffering (2003) Stage 【馴情記】Best Memories in my Life (2003) 【你今日拯救o左地球未呀】Superman Forever (2005) 【一期一会】Once in a Lifetime (2007) 【戀愛總是平靜地意外身亡】Love Dies Slowly, Naturally & Silently (2009)

Books 【音樂．旅．情】(Music, Travel, Love) (2004) 【隨身聽．隨心唱】(Take it Easy) (2005) 【一人一峰一結他】(One Man One Guitar) (2006) 【思生活】(Never Forget How to Feel) (2007) 【遊子意外】(Travelling Bugs and Blocks)(2009)

Selected awards

• Best Song Written for a Movie - "Turn Left, Turn Right", Golden Horse Awards, Taiwan (2003)
• Best Folk Artist, Chinese Music Media Awards, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (2004)
• Best New Artist, Chinese Music Media Awards, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (2004)
• Top Ten Album of the Year - "Travelogue", Chinese Music Media Awards, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (2004)
• IFPI Best Selling New Artist Award, Hong Kong (2004)
• Song of the Year (Yu Jian), Global Chinese Music Awards, Taiwan (2004)
• Best Folk Artist, Chinese Music Media Awards, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (2005)
• Best Music, Hong Kong Annual Theatre Awards, Hong Kong (2008)
• Best Arrangement for a Song (A Traveler's Heart), TVB8 Golden Awards, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (2009)
• Best Singer-songwriter Bronze Price, TVB8 Golden Awards, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (2009)

References

1. ^ http://cul.sohu.com/20070608/n250456120.shtml
2. ^ "Eastern Promise", The Advocate, October 5, 2007, http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid49576.asp, retrieved 2008-02-29 
3. ^ [1] (Chinese)
4. ^ [2]

External links

• Chet Lam's official website

Persondata
Name	Lam, Chet
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	April 11, 1976
Place of birth	Hong Kong
Date of death
Place of death