Jam Hsiao

Infobox Chinese-language singer and actor
name = Jam Hsiao


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chinesename = 蕭敬騰
tradchinesename =
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pinyinchinesename = Xiāo Jìng Téng
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birthname = 蕭敬騰
ancestry =
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birthdate = birth date and age|1987|3|30
birthplace = Taipei, Taiwan
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othername =
occupation = Singer, Student
genre = Pop, Rock & Roll, Jazz
instrument = Keyboard, Piano, Drums, Guitar, Saxophone
voicetype =
label = Warner Music (2008–present)
yearsactive = 2007–present
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website = [http://www.jamsclub.net Jam's Club Official Website]
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goldenbauhiniaawards =
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Jam Hsiao (Chinese: 蕭敬騰; Pinyin: Xiāo Jìng Téng)(Born March 30, 1987, Taipei, Taiwan), is a rising Asian pop phenomenon from Taiwan. In summer 2007, this young talented singer rose to fame with only three brief appearances in the first season of CTV’s star search show,"One Million Star" 超級星光大道", which is a singing competition reality show similar to "American Idol". A self-taught player of numerous music instruments, Hsiao is known for his wide vocal ranges, unique singing style, diverse music genres, and astounding charisma in his live performance.

Early Life

Born to Chinese descendent father and native Amis aboriginal (阿美族) mother, Hsiao inherited beautiful singing voice known for Taiwanese aborigines (原住民). Other family members include two older brothers and one older sister. Hsiao took drum lesson at age 15 after being inspired by a song in a rock CD that Hsiao incidentally found at home – Bon Jovi’s first single "It’s My Life" from the album "Crush" released in 2000. Hsiao’s drum lesson only lasted for three months due to financial reason. After that, Hsiao continued his journey in music by sharpening his drum-playing techniques without any further formal instruction in music.

At tender age of 16, Hsiao has already become an instructor for drum classes in a local music learning center. Meanwhile, he also volunteered to teach drum classes in his community as a way to counsel local troubled teens, which made him a receipient of the "Good Samaritan Award" (善心獎) for two consecutive years. Hsiao also formed a rock band called “Diapason” with his friends and an older brother, which Hsiao was the lead vocals and drummer. With his passion for music, Hsiao started teaching himself how to play a keyboard. At age 17, with only three-month experience of keyboard, Hsiao became a pub singer, and played his own chord while singing. As Hsiao recalled, “I didn’t have much thought...but I knew I love music, so I just kept on singing, playing [music] , kept on practicing [instruments] …often for more than ten hours a day...and often could not stop ‘til I broke my last pair of drumsticks.”

Hsiao appreciated music of Bon Jovi, Mr. Big, Skid Row, Yoshiki of X Japan, Jeff Chang (張信哲), A-Mei (張惠妹), and Jacky Cheung (張學友). These artists have significant influence on Hsiao in his early years.

Rising to Fame

In 2007, Hsiao applied to compete in the second season of "One Million Star". However, the show’s production unit pulled him to appear in the first season as an outside challenger in order to “player kill (PK)” the show’s remaining contestants. The show introduced Hsiao as the “Strongest Challenger in the History” (史上最強挑戰者). In his first PK attempt, Hsiao challenged Stanly Hsu 許仁杰 by singing the song "The Only One In The World" (世界唯一的妳), and won. In his second PK attempt, Hsiao challenged the show’s most popular contestant, Aska Yang 楊宗緯 by singing the song "Betrayal" (背叛) , and won again. The viewership rating for this show reached 4.06 since Hsiao’s presence in May 2007. Encouraged by the high viewership rating, the show’s production unit had Hsiao and Yang compete one more time, head-to-head, by performing the same song, "New Endless Love" (新不了情). After witnessed Hsiao's last two PK performances, the hostess of the show, Momoko Tao 陶晶瑩, nicknamed Hsiao as the "King of Black Spiders” (黑蜘蛛) who imposed real threat to regular contestants. Although Yang got higher score than Hsiao in this round, Hsiao’s extraordinary showmanship immediately won him immense popularity. His fans became organized and founded "Hsiao Band (蕭幫)" to support this talented boy. Although Hsiao is not a regular contestant for the show, he rose to fame so quickly that he was selected by Yahoo! Taiwan (雅虎奇摩) as the third most searched celebrity in 2007. [zh icon [http://tw.promo.yahoo.com/2007/02_hotpeople.html Yahoo奇摩2007之最：十大發燒新聞人物] ]

After merely three brief TV appearances, Hsiao’s fans rushed to the pubs and restaurants, where Hsiao worked, to hear his live performance. Whenever there was Hsiao’s scheduled performance, the pubs and restaurants were over-flooded with people – it was even extremely difficult to reserve a standing spot. Meanwhile, Hsiao’s personal blog got over 400,000 visits within two weeks since its launch.

Post-Talent-Show Career

Although Hsiao did not have any record company contract for almost a year since he became famous, many TV variety programs invited him to their shows because whenever Hsiao was the feature guest, viewing rate hiked. Media reported that Shin Band 信樂團 had invited Hsiao to join their band as the lead vocals. In addition, Hsiao’s powerful vocal and sudden popularity got A-Mei 張惠妹's attention. A-mei is known as Taiwan’s Queen of Pop. A-Mei asked Hsiao to be the feature male vocals for the duet “Moment of the First Sight” (一眼瞬間) in her 2007 music album "Star". In December 2007, Hsiao performed a medley of four nominated original themes in the "Golden Horse Award", which is the most significant event for film industry in Taiwan. At this time, Hsiao was still an ordinary 20-year-old student with no record company contract. Needless to say, many record companies fought to recruit this young and fresh talent.

In March 2008, Warner Music and Hsiao entered a four-year contract. Rumor said the initial contract bonus from Warner Music reached NT$30,000,000. [zh icon [http://news.sina.com/sinacn/204-000-103-107/2008-03-11/2345507794.html 蕭敬騰正式進軍華納 笑納4年千萬簽約金] ]

On June 16, 2008, Hsiao’s debut CD album, “"Jam Hsiao Same-Name Album"” (蕭敬騰同名專輯), was officially released. Hsiao's debut album includes two songs written by himself, as well as the works of several famous song writers in Chinese pop music industry, such as A-Shin 阿信 of Mayday, A-Chin 阿沁 of F.I.R., Gary Chaw 曹格, Ching-Feng 青峰 of Sodagreen, etc. Hsiao's debut album ranked number one on the G-music and Five Music billboards at the same time. This album also claimed the number one place in Mandarin album charts in several Asian countries. Hsiao’s "New-Song Outdoor Concert" (新歌發表會) took place on July 6, 2008 at Tamshui Fisherman's Wharf (淡水漁人碼頭) in Taiwan. In addition to performing the new songs from his debut album, Hsiao also sang a duet with each of his three guest singers, Vivian Hsu 徐若瑄, Khalil Fong 方大同, and Daniel Powter. Both Hsiao’s debut album and first solo concert enjoyed huge success. [zh icon [http://www.warnermusic.com.tw/news/read.asp?id=1511 史上最拉風新歌發表會-蕭敬騰漁人碼頭演唱會] ]

On August 1, 2008, the revised version of his debut album, “"First Live"”, was released. This revised album not only includes the original debut album CD, but also an audio CD and a DVD of his live performance at Tamshui Fisherman's Wharf. The Limited- Edition, “"Ultimate Version" (終極收藏版), of this album was released on September 26, 2008. In addition to what were included in the "First Live" version, the "Ultimate Version" also offer music videos, behind-the-scene videos, and Hsiao’s own photography and sketching works.

Currently, Hsiao is very popular not only in his native Taiwan, but also in other Asian countries, such as China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. His fan base is large and growing. Fans of Hsiao often call themselves members of “Hsiao Band (蕭幫)”. At the age of internet and global networking, members of Hsiao Band also exist in North America, South America, Australia, and Europe.

Characteristics

Hsiao’s solid and manly vocal carries an explosive force, yet it is also sensational and often touches the deepest heart of his audience, especially through his live performance. Hsiao is a soul of rock; nevertheless, his performance for songs of other genres is just as impressive — including love song, pop, jazz, R&B, oldies, and even Taiwanese country, to name a few. One of the judges in "One Million Star", Kay Huang 黃韻玲, once said when she heard Hsiao’s voice for the first time, "I was so carried away… I felt intoxicated…it’s sentimental”.

Contrary to his powerful performance and breath-taking charisma on stage, Hsiao is soft-spoken, quiet and shy off stage. Many journalists stumbled or faced hurdle while interviewing him; therefore, the media named him the “Number-One Guy With Least Words (省話一哥)". Hsiao admitted he is slow to warm up to people; however, he explained, once he is better acquainted to people and the environment, he can be very fun-loving and become more open to conversation, just like any boy at his same age.

Hsiao plays drums, keyboard, piano, guitar, flute, and saxophone. His other hobbies include sports (eg. table tennis, billiards, badminton, basketball, ice skating, biking, and skateboarding), magic, sketching, photography, and Rubik's Cube.

Representative Works

Music Singles

*“Lonesome For You" (寂寞還是你) – A single released in September 2008 through digital downloading in Jam Hsiao’s official website and a promotional CD for HTC Touch mobile phone; this is the first song that was published with both music and lyrics written by Hsiao.

*“Loving Each Other” (相親相愛) – A charity single that is a collaborative work of a group of pop singers contracted with Warner Muisc Taiwan, released in June 2008, as an effort to raise funds to help the victims of the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, China.

*“How We Roll - Follow Me” (跟著我˙鼠來寶) – A charity single only available in the limited-edition promotional DVD for the movie "Alvin & The Chipmunks" released in December 2007.

*“Moment of the First Sight” (一眼瞬間) – A male-female duet with A-Mei in her music album "Star" released in August 2007.

Discography of Albums

Publication

*"Jam Hsiao's Grown-up Ceremony" 《蕭敬騰的成年禮》 zh icon
:Taipei Taiwan, Crown Publishers December 24, 2007, ISBN 9789578036697

Performances and Activities

TV Performances

*"One Million Star" (超級星光大道):* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxT1EkSFKkQ "The Only One In The World" 世界唯一的妳] ::(Original singer: Gary Chaw 曹格) PK against Stanly Hsu 許仁杰 :* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNN9eliWqgE "Betrayal" 背叛] ::(Original singer: Gary Chaw 曹格) PK against Aska Yang 楊宗緯:* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLsyORHxVdc "New Endless Love" 新不了情] ::(Original singer: Wan Fang 萬芳) PK against Aska Yang 楊宗緯

Live Performances

*"Golden Horse Award" 金馬獎 December 2007: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7ePW8-ARa4 Golden Horse Award 2007 performance] ::"The Secret That Cannot Be Told" 不能說的秘密 (Original singer: Jay Chou 周杰倫) ::"Spider Lilies" 小茉莉 (Original singer: Rainie Yang 楊丞琳) ::"Gate of Heaven" 天堂口 (Original singer: Shu Qi 舒淇) ::"Little Love Song" 小情歌 (Original singer: Sodagreen 蘇打綠)

*"S-pop Hurray!" March 2008: [http://youtube.com/watch?v=t-rP1FeuqH8 S-pop Hurray! 2008 performance (Singapore)] ::"Really Want to Love You" 太想愛你 (Original singer: Jeff Chang 張信哲) ::"Released" 解脱 (Original singer: A-Mei 張惠妹) ::"Three Days and Two Nights" 三天兩夜 (Original singer: Jacky Cheung 張學友) ::"Romance of Alocasia" 海芋戀 (Original singer: Jam Hsiao 蕭敬騰)

*"Jam Hsiao's New-Song Outdoor Concert" 蕭敬騰同名專輯新歌發表會 July 2008: [http://youtube.com/watch?v=oBnbn-lQpJo "The Prince's New Clothes" 王子的新衣 performance] :all 11 tracks on his "Same-Name Album"::"I Still Believe" feat. Vivian Hsu 徐若瑄::"Enough or Not" 夠不夠 feat. Khalil Fong 方大同::"Bad Day" feat. Daniel Powter

*"“Missing You Daily” - Memorial Concert for Tom Chang" “天天想你”張雨生紀念音樂會 August 2008::“Affirming Lips Denying Heart” 口是心非 – One of Chang’s most popular classics.::“I Wish” 我期待 - A male-male duet with Chang’s 1994 recording of the song edited and remixed. The audience was moved by the duo’s marvelously harmonious performance across time and space.

Acting

*"Fated to Love You" 命中注定我愛你 June 2008::Hsiao played a clueless veterinarian newbie as a guest actor in one of the episodes of this very popular Taiwanese TV soap opera, in which he had hilarious interaction with the soap’s leading actor Ethan Ruan (阮經天).

Endorsements

*The Second Annual Singing Contest of Libra Restaurant (第二屆天秤座民歌大賽), July 2007.
*The new non-alcoholic beverage of Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation (台灣菸酒公司), Monascus Rye Juice (紅麴黑麥汁), June 2008.
*CHUVINCI watch, August 2008.

Awards

*"Taipei Municipal Good Samaritan Award" (台北市政府 善心人士獎) in 2003 and 2004
*First Place, "The First Annual Singing Contest of Libra Restaurant" (第一屆天秤座民歌大賽 冠軍), September 2006
*Top-10 Hit, "2007 KKBOX Digital Music Chart" (2007年KKBOX數位音樂風雲榜 年度風雲十大歌曲) for “Moment of the First Sight” (一眼瞬間), January 2008
*First Place, "MTV Channel's One-Hundred Golden Hits in 2007" (2007年MTV台百大發燒金曲 冠軍) for “Moment of the First Sight” (一眼瞬間), February 2008
*Popular Singer, three catagories, "Hong Kong New City Mandopop Force Award" (香港新城國語力歌手頒獎禮), July 2008

References

External links

* [http://www.jamsclub.net Jam's Club Official Website]
* [http://www.wretch.cc/blog/globe760330 Jam Hsiao's blog]
* [http://www.warnermusic.com.tw Warner Music Taiwan]
* [http://www.jam-hsiao.com/ Hsiao Band International Forum]