A Whole New Singing Competition!!!

12 singers. 3 hot clubs. 1 common goal - to shine on stage.

Not just an achipalia (my slang for "chapalang", nonsensical) competition. This one challenges 12 veteran singers as they battle it out to seek the craft of commanding the stage.

Not easy. I know. I was on a stage once, and to command the stage with your singing and stage presence? It's an art and a skill. Ask any performer, any singer, and they can vouch for that.

So how will this...singing competition be done? 

Contest: 01Nov2011 - 01Mar2012

Yes, 4 months of battling (reminds me of Project Superstar!!!)

Venues:

Shanghai Dolly - Every Tuesday, 10pm

Dragonfly - Every Wednesday, 10pm

Firefly, Every Thursday, 10pm

How to Win?

The team with the highest number of votes win. Votes can be cast on www.guinnesslive.sg. Each voter is able to cast their vote once a day. Winning performances at the club each night will be awarded 100 bonus Facebook votes. 70% will be determined by the audience applause (yup, loudness factor), and 30% by guests at 3 VIP tables which are open to public booking. (Support someone? You know what you can do to help - book a table! That's 10 points for the team!)

The 12 contestants, their teams, and who they are:

1. Team Shanghai Dolly

William Scorpion : Mentor for Team Shanghai Dolly

Age: Your guess is as good as mine

Years of Stage Experience: 28 years 

He’s the father of Singapore Mando-pop – but he started his career as a Canto-pop singer in the 80s.

William’s big break came when he made his debut on Singapore national television – just 5 months after he joined the music business. After that, his reputation as an entertainer soared - not just in Singapore but across the region.  A series of solo concerts in China and across Asia during his early career established him as an artiste of international quality. 

Then in 1997, William decided to switch to Mando-pop. More success followed until today, when William stars as the resident singer and Executive Director at Singapore’s hottest entertainment venue - St James Power Station. On stage, he is a vibrant and passionate performer, commanding the support of his fans and the respect of his peers. Off stage, he is committed to nurturing the next generation of young performers. 

In Guinness Live, William is seen as the mentor of mentors, where he will pass on his experience and expertise to young artistes hoping to follow in his footsteps.

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 Aydan Ang Wei Quan 洪伟铨 (Age 26)

Aydan is on a mission to change the world through art and music.  With his talent for singing and his love of design, Aydan is inspired to make life better for those around him in need.  His work with kids with cerebral palsy and autism has shown him that music can change lives, lift spirits and enrich the soul.  Aydan and his band play regularly at bars and cafes around Singapore.  He’s the quintessential front man – working the audience with a unique mix of emotion and classy vocals.   Having worked with Guinness before on the Live Unplugged roadshows in the heartland coffeeshops, Aydan is back to again blow the audience away with his live performances.

Khoo Lay Shan Jeremy (Age 26)

Jeremy has been building up his fan base - one hit at a time.  With a desire to perform and share his music, Jeremy started posting videos of his singing on YouTube for fun.  Then things started to happen.  What started as a couple of hits has now grown to number in the thousands.  With a growing audience enjoying what he is doing online, Jeremy was spotted by a talent agent who got him a regular gig performing live.  A classically trained pianist and music teacher, Jeremy is ready to take his music to another level with Guinness Live!

Cheng Kei Ying Benita郑琪颖 (Age 18)

The youngest contestant in the competition at 18, Benita’s life has always been about music.  At age two, she started singing – and she has never stopped!  Benita sings every day, everywhere she goes.  She started training her voice at the age of 10, began performing when she started secondary school and has sung for an audience of more than 3,000.  A success in campus competitions, Benita is finishing her junior college education, but is in no doubt that singing is her future.  Now she is set to graduate to the big time as a contestant in Guinness Live! 

Regine Han Rui Jun 韩睿君 (Age 28)

Regine is one the most respected artistes in Asia’s independent music scene.  After winning her first competition at the tender age of seven, Regine started her singing training at 16.   Regine has been working with her own band for the last five years and has performed at the Taiwan Spring Scream Music Festival as well as Kuala Lumpur's Indie Music Festival.  A versatile musician, Regine writes her own material and was one of the stars of the Guinness Live Unplugged last year, so she knows how tough the competition is going to be!

2. Team Dragonfly

Jason Chung, 曾永恒 : Mentor for Team Dragonfly

Age: 39

Years of Stage Experience: Over 19 years 

Everyone loves Karaoke.  Some of us think we are good at it but very few of us are.  But how many people can rightfully claim to be the best in Singapore?  Well, Jason Chung can! He was the winner of the 1993 Pioneer Karaoke Championships and represented Singapore in the regional competition in 1996 - 歌坛新秀争霸赛 in Hong Kong. Since then Jason has been wowing audiences with his powerful vocals for nearly twenty years, moving from Karaoke Champion to renown singer at mega-clubs in Singapore. 

With a reputation as one of Singapore’s best male voices, Jason was the front man for the band Front Page, working the local music scene with them from 1992 to 1996. In 1997 he was invited to be the lead vocalist for the band Typhoon – and they have never looked back since.  Today, Jason and Typhoon perform to a growing army of fans as the resident band at Super Dragonfly at St. James Power Station.

Jason has earned the respect of his peers in the Mando-pop scene through his hard work and consistently strong performance.  It also earned him an invitation to perform his signature tunes at the prestigious Hong Kong Directors Gala in 2004.

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Goh Yong Wei 吴勇威 (Age 19)

The ultimate dark horse!  Yong Wei still doesn’t know how he ended up as a finalist in Guinness Live  He was supposed to be covering the audition for his blog.  When Guinness Live’s music director Eric Ng heard him singing in the waiting room, he insisted he audition.  To everyone’s surprise – including Yong Wei’s - he blew the judges away.  One of the most “outspoken” bloggers in Singapore, Yong Wei is a completely unknown quantity who has never even thought of becoming a professional performer.  He has the voice, but can he deliver in front of a real audience?  Well, we are about to find out if this musical outsider is up to the challenge at Guinness Live

Phoebe Ong Bee Lian 王美莲 (Age 30)

Phoebe knows what it takes to make it as a live performer.  Five nights a week, she entertains the crowds at a local music café – earning her living as a professional musician.  But Phoebe knows she is ready for a bigger audience and is keen to show what she can do.  With a passion for music, Phoebe likes nothing better than belting out a big rock number for her audience, so look out for Phoebe the rocker chick when she takes the stage. 

Kenny Khoo Yin Long 邱殷龙 (Age 23)

If anyone has a natural gift for performing, it’s Kenny.  He’s an artiste that has it all - looks, charm, talent and commitment.  But Kenny knows making it in the music business is all about hard work.  Since the age of 17, Kenny has been pursuing his dream of being a professional musician and is currently working with his acoustic band around Singapore’s pubs and clubs.  With Guinness Live Kenny is determined to prove he has the elusive ‘X-factor’ that will make him Singapore’s next musical superstar.  

Ng Xu Cun Alvin黄煦存 (Age 26)

For every artiste, there is one defining moment that sets them on the path to being a performer.  For Alvin, that moment was five years ago when he met a guy that had worked on tour with some of the world’s biggest bands including Depeche Mode, Radiohead and U2.  Alvin put aside his study and his plan to be a banker to pursue his passion for music.  A talented singer songwriter, Alvin’s composition was selected from thousands of entries in the International Songwriting Competition as one of the Top 50 pop songs.  Alvin believes Guinness Live will set him on his way to becoming a successful crossover artiste appealing to both Asian and Western markets.

and lastly,  

3. Team Firefly

FATT ZHAI, 潘岐發(發仔) : Mentor for Team Firefly

Age: 46

Years of Stage Experience: Over 20 years

One thing we know about Fatt Zhai - he likes a competition.  As a young performer he entered plenty of them to show what he could do and to get his first big break.  So expect Fatt Zhai’s team to bring their A-game when they step up and lay down a challenge to their rivals.

Affectionately known to his fans and peers as Fatt Zhai, Poon Ki Fatt  began his career in a prestigious regional singing competition* (第二届省港杯歌唱大賽) hosted by Hong Kong’s reigning channel, TVB (香港無線電視台與廣東電視台合).  Taking the title of Champion and also Best Performer, he went on to win the third prize in the Guangzhou finals. Since then, he has rocked the stage for over 20 years as the drummer and lead vocalist of his band Starway, the resident band at Firefly at St James Power Station. 

Fatt Zhai knows how important Guinness Live is for his young protégés.  Having got his own big break in a competition, he is determined that his fantastic four will be at the top when the voting ends in March.

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 Willis Loye Hwee Hoong  黎辉丰 (Age 28)

Willis is a macho guy who knows how to be physical.  A former gym instructor, he’s right at home pumping iron or speeding down the sideline on a football field.  But Willis has a gift that makes him stand out from his sports loving mates - he’s blessed with a voice of an angel. A freelance performer, he knows what it takes to wow an audience and is right at home in front of a live band.   Willis is set to light up Guinness Live with his energy and talent

Alfred Sim Chee Hao 沈志豪 (Age 30)

A hardworking professional, Alfred has been working as a wedding singer for the past four years and is a veteran of many singing competitions.   He’s got the talent, the voice and the stage presence – all he needs is someone to give him that one big break.  Now he is seeking a bigger stage to perform on.  With a powerful voice and rugged good looks, Alfred’s years of hard work and practice are set to pay dividends when he takes the stage at Guinness Live!

Yee Si Ling 余思铃 (Age 26)

You’ve probably heard her sing or seen her on television and never realised it.   Si Ling has sung back-up vocals for some of the biggest artistes in the region, including Kit Chan.  She has been a back-up singer on television shows as well as working in the studio recording jingles and cover versions.  Si Ling is a talented professional but singing back-up for other people is not enough for her.  With Guinness Live Si Ling has the chance to show what she can do and establish herself as an artiste in her own right.  It’s time for Si Ling to move from the back of the stage to the front!

Howie Yeo 杨振豪 (Age 29)

Howie is a contestant living a double life.  By day he dons his shirt and tie at one of Singapore’s leading law firms.  At night he puts on his rocker jacket and belts out his high energy music to appreciative audiences around Singapore.   A big fan of Guinness beer, Howie is currently studying for his Bar exams.  But music has always been Howie’s first love and now he wants to see how far he can go with it.  Howie’s got the stage presence and the vocals to go all the way in Guinness Live and as he likes to say, “Who knows where life leads you?”

大多数人来头都不小喉~~~~
Professional musicians, a concert backup-singer, a lawyer, and we even have a boyfriend of a local singer in there!

Curious which one? Make a guess which one is dating our talented and pretty local singer songwriter Tay Kewei!!!

Have a favourite? Vote here now, and win an exclusive St James VIP card which will grant you access into all St James venue all year round!