- Kit Chan
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Kit Chan Chinese name 陳潔儀 (Traditional) Chinese name 陈洁仪 (Simplified) Pinyin Chén Jiéyí (Mandarin) Jyutping can4 git3 ji4 (Cantonese) Origin Singapore Born 15 September 1972
SingaporeOccupation Singer, actress, and writer Genre(s) Pop, Mandarin Pop, Cantopop Label(s) Ocean Butterflies (1993–2004) Years active 1993–present (singer)
1997–present (actor)Official Website [1] Kit Chan (simplified Chinese: 陈洁仪; traditional Chinese: 陳潔儀; Mandarin Pinyin: Chén Jiéyí; Jyutping: can4 git3 ji4; born 15 September 1972) is a Singaporean singer.
Contents
Career
Music
She was a member of the pioneer generation of Singaporean singers to successfully break into the international market, marked in particular by her breakthrough into the competitive and highly critical Taiwanese market with her hit Mandarin album Heartache (心痛) in 1994. She had released an EP "Don't Spoil the Harmony" (不要傷了和氣) the previous year. She is also the ambassador to the Christian relief organization, "World Vision". Fluent in both Mandarin and Cantonese, she is the first Singaporean singer to break into the Hong Kong Cantopop market and the Taiwanese Mandopop markets. Kit was the first local pop singer to have been selected to sing the National Day theme song. In 1998, she was tasked to sing 'Home' during Singapore National Day Parade. In 2004, she was invited to perform this song again. In 2010, she performed the song during the National Day Parade again.[1] In 2007, Kit sang the theme song 'There's No Place I'd Rather Be' during Singapore's 42nd birthday. This makes Kit the first and only singer to have the honour of performing the National Day Parade theme song three times.
In 2004, Kit announced an indefinite break from the Chinese pop scene, to pursue her own interests.[2]
On 30 June 2007, Kit performed "Live Our Dreams" at the closing ceremony of the 34-year-old National Stadium, Singapore, making her the last singer to perform at the stadium.[3]
In 2011, a new arrangement of the song 'Home' was launched on Total Defence Day. Kit was the executive producer of the music video. The new arrangement was performed by 39 local singers (including Kit), and accompanied by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. [4]
Musical
Kit has also managed to display her versatility not only in musical expression, but also linguistic and theatrical prowess, with her Cantopop, and English hits on top of her Mandarin albums. She has held lead roles in the Hong Kong musical Snow.Wolf.Lake with Jacky Cheung – both the Cantonese version in 1997 and the Mandarin production in 2005 – followed by The Legend (where she played the late Teresa Teng), and "Forbidden City: Portrait of An Empress" (where she played the young Empress Dowager Cixi)– first performed in 2002 as part of the Esplanade's opening programme, and again in 2003. Kit has also played the lead in the Dutch-Hong Kong production of "East Meets West", and the Taiwanese musical "What's Love Got to Do with It?".
In Sep 2006, she reprised her role again in "Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress", as part of a plan to make this musical internationally recognised, in the hope of going on a world tour.
Acting
Kit has also been involved in television dramas, being a member of the cast of Healing Hands II, the sequel to TVB's hit medical drama Healing Hands, in 2000. She was also the female lead in SPH MediaWorks Channel U's drama serial Cash is King.
Writing
Kit has also dabbled in writing, having published a collection of her English poems (Cork out of my Head) in 2000 in Taiwan, I Write a Page in 2000 in Singapore, as well as a fiction book (together with friend Siew Fern Yong) called Cathy and Jodie: The Princess and the Flea.[5]
Business
Kit is also a budding entrepreneur, having invested in boutiques in Singapore, namely Flowers in the Attic and Roses in the Loft.[6]
Community
In 1998, Kit was appointed as the first National Youth Ambassador for Singapore's National Youth Council, promoting moral values and a spirit of volunteerism among youths in Singapore, which she served for two years.[6] From 2001 to 2004, she served as a council member with the National Youth Council.[5] Kit was honoured in 2002 by the Commonwealth Youth Programme Asia Centre with an Award for Excellence in Youth Work.[6]
She is also the ambassador to the Christian relief organization, "World Vision".
In 2007, Kit was appointed to the board of the National Heritage Board, for a two year period to reach out to Singapore audience and link with the creative industries.[7]
Public Relations
In 2007, she joined a Public Relations firm, Hill & Knowlton, to work as a campaign specialist. She worked on the Ministry of Defence's 2009 Total Defence campaign, 'What Will You Defend?'.[8] The stint lasted 19 months.[2] She left the company after 19 months.[9]
Education
Kit studied in Raffles Girls' School, Raffles Junior College and Lasalle-SIA College of the Arts.[6] During Kit's six years' hiatus from the music scene from 2004 to 2010, she returned to LaSalle as a mature student. She wrote a thesis on the psychology of performance and graduated with first-class honors.[8]
Personal life
Kit has three sisters and grew up on Trengganu Street in Chinatown.[8] Kit has a long-time banker boyfriend.[9]
Discography
Date of release Title September 1993 - Do Not Destroy The Harmony (EP) 不要傷了和气
November 1994 - Heartache 心痛
June 1995 - Cornered 逼得太紧
June 1996 - Sadness 伤心
December 1996 - Don’t Let Me Hate You 别让我恨你
December 1997 - Revelation 揭晓 (Cantonese)
May 1998 - Home 家 (Single)
May 1998 - Dreams and Memories 有你愛过 (Cantonese)
August 1998 - Too Deep In The Act 入戏太深
August 1999 - Dazzling 炫耀
January 2000 - That Day, That Night 那天那夜
April 2000 - Best 最好 (Cantonese)
June 2000 - Lola 萝拉
March 2001 - Numbness 麻醉 (Cantonese)
January 2002 - Like Kit 喜歡.潔儀.喜歡 (Compilation)
September 2002 - Dreamscape 异想世界
28 September 2003 - Understand 懂得
July 2004 - East Toward Saturn 东弯土星
August 2008 - Kit Chan Selections 私房歌 (2CD)
April 2009 - Kit Chan Selections 私房歌 (24K Gold edition)
April 2009 - Wait and Wait 等了又等
25 January 2011 - Re-interpreting 重译
15 October 2011 - Re-interpreting 重译香港版《重奏》(CD+DVD)
Stage
Year Performance type Title Location 1997 - Musical (Cantonese)
- Snow.Wolf.Lake《雪狼湖》
- Hong Kong
1998 - Musical (Cantonese)
- The Legend 《漫步人生路》
- Hong Kong
2002 - Musical (Cantonese)
- East Meets West 《千里情牽》
- Hong Kong
2002 - Musical (English)
- Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress 《慈禧太后》
- Singapore
2003 - Musical (Mandarin)
- What's Love About? 《愛情有什麼道理》
- Singapore
2003 - Musical (English)
- Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress 《慈禧太后》
- Singapore
2005 - Musical (Mandarin)
- Snow.Wolf.Lake《雪狼湖》
- China, Hong Kong
2006 - Musical (English)
- Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress 《慈禧太后》
- Singapore
2009 - Concert (Mandarin / Cantonese)
- Join Love Club Concert 情牽女人心演唱會
- Hong Kong
2010 - Musical (Mandarin)
- December Rains 《雨季》
- Singapore
2011 - Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese)
- My Musical Journey 《我的音乐之旅》
- Singapore
2011 - Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese)
- The Music Room 《想象空间》
- Singapore
Filmography
- Lover's Discourse' (2010)
Awards
Years Awards 1994 - Singapore Hit Awards, Media Recommendation—Best Newcomer
1995 - Singapore Hit Awards, Best Local Artiste
1997 - 8th Gold Awards, World Best Chinese Female Artiste
1997 - Hit Radio Pop Music Awards, Outstanding Female Artiste
1999 - Singapore Hit Awards, Best Local Artiste
2000 - Singapore Hit Awards, Best Local Artiste
2000 - COMPASS Award, Top Local Artiste of the Year
2000 - Hit Radio Awards 2000, Best Chinese Artiste Outside Hong Kong & Taiwan Territories
References
- ^ "Get ready for bigger, bolder, grander NDP". http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20100708-225866.html.
- ^ a b "Kit is back in showbiz". http://www.divaasia.com/article/7891.
- ^ "The Final Roar at Singapore's National Stadium". http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/284931/1/.html.
- ^ "Singapore classic "Home" gets remade for Total Defence Day". http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1110936/1/.html.
- ^ a b "CREATIVE YOUTH XCHANGE @ HELLO KITTY WINNERS UNVEILED". http://www.mica.gov.sg/creative2006/press/2006-11-23-creative%20youth%20exchange%20results.pdf.
- ^ a b c d "Kit Chan : first Youth Ambassador". http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_429_2005-01-14.html.
- ^ "NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD CHARTS FRESH DIRECTIONS WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS". http://www.nhb.gov.sg/WWW/pr/pra/07/NHB%20New%20Board%20Members.pdf.
- ^ a b c "Kit Chan". http://is.asia-city.com/events/article/first-person-kit-chan.
- ^ a b "Kit Chan: From showbiz to office and back again". http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainmentfeatures/view/1071120/1/.html.
External links
Categories:- 1972 births
- Living people
- Singaporean people of Cantonese descent
- Singaporean composers
- Singaporean female singers
- Singaporean Mandopop singers
- Singaporean people of Chinese descent
- TVB actors
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