[THIS INTERVIEW IS FROM 2004]:The Philosophy of less sweetened Iced Lemon TeaIn reality, if I were to describe Hacken, I would choose wine. (I’m not sure which particular wine, maybe someone can help check?) It provides us with the sense that the quality is worth its price. At the same time, it also gives us security and stability. Hacken admits that he has never drank this particular wine, but he feels that a taste that is widely accepted by the public best represents his current status. He gave “Iced Lemon Tea” as the answer. Of course, this cannot just be described by the nice taste of lemon tea. In Hacken’s heart, this is like a philosophy.“It’s popular and easily to find……but it’s not as if there’s no demand. A cup of Iced Lemon Tea can be very particular to a person: serving it in the western style or the local style; brewing it using red tea or a tea bag; if the taste is too strong the drink will turn bitter, and if there’s too much sugar it becomes unhealthy. Using the ingredients here is an art which is not easy to come by. The Iced Lemon Tea also represents my career status; you can say that it adheres to the taste of any age group! At my age, a cup of Iced Lemon Tea that is less sweetened is the most suitable.”Hacken laughs at himself for being old but he isn’t proud. In fact, one feels that he is young and vibrant. After Hacken revealed his feelings, he shakes his head while smiling, saying “Young…young people should be drinking Coke! Coke is more “Shawn Yue”. On the mention that Shawn Yue is like Coke, Hacken secretly reveals a sad face.How is the Iced Lemon Tea that like? Which type is it?“I’m not referring to the western style one, that doesn’t cater to me. It’s a taste that you search for and suits your mood. It isn’t something easy. You need to first prepare and adjust yourself to yield the best results. That’s why I’ll choose the Hong Kong style Iced Lemon Tea; because it always gives a closer approach, and allows people to relax while enjoying it. If it’s less sweetened, than it’d be better! When the ice melts, it will reduce the taste of the tea. However, in reality one would rarely throw away a cup of lemon tea just because the melting of the ice has reduced the taste! But for coke……juices……their taste can change greatly! As for Iced Lemon Tea……you can still continue to drink it, it is still as tasty, and won’t be thrown away. It’s something that has strong adaptability! Haha!”Well, for the Iced Lemon Tea - under any circumstances, people will appreciate it gladlyafter sometime – just like Hacken Lee.As Hacken said, drinking water is the most important. One should never ignore the importance of water, just like in life – we should not ignore the most basic demands and nourishes.“Especially when you’re over 30 years old, you will pay more attention to your health. I substituted Coke for water during my teens – which means I drank more Coke compared to water. But now, I’ve made changes. In reality, I’ve been drinking less of cold beverages. I usually drink hot beverages or soup, and especially water. Water is the healthiest. Others such as red wine and coffee, I do not drink them frequently. To me, I drink them when I’m in a relaxed mood – like dining with friends at home or after I played golf, I would drink so in the club with a piece of Italy cheese pizza. (I’m not very sure if he meant pizza or cheese cake…). It’s only under these circumstances will I drink these beverages. During work, I would never depend on coffee to make me more alert. I still believe that if you do it, you will feel more alert naturally. Nothing can be compared to your own will, this is what we should possess. Just like water, it’s healthy but yet easily forgotten. It’s like how we will find ways to reach our target but not overcome problems with our confidence and strength. (can’t see the 2 lines after his properly…)”Can water represent your development in the singing and movie industry?“Singing is represented by purified water, but for the movies it will be mineral water, I guess! Haha! For my age, mineral water is too cold. The Chinese doctor will tell you not to drink too much, just like how I don’t do movies frequent. As for singing, it’s my main career, and one of the most important things that sustains my life. So that’s why my work with the movies will not overshoot half of my time.”“Six Strong Guys will be a start to the movies. It appears as a comedy. This is not something heavy as the film revolves around six people; it’s also easier to achieve effects. Just like, if you don’t like Hacken Lee, you can watch Andy Hui. If you still don’t like him, there’s Ekin Cheng, George Lam……the different actors have support from different people. I guess comedy suits me better. From the early hosting of “Smart people of the new century” to today’s “We Are Family”, and even my own concert, it’s full of happiness and laughter.”Venturing into the movies as a singer, he is quite successful in making comedies. What direction is Hacken heading towards?“Ronald Cheng’s style is more crazy and playful while I belong to the type who provides humour but less craziness. I feel that the crazier types of characters are more suitable for the younger ones, as for me, I’m already……hey! Sorry! I’m already overage! Haha! (can’t figure out the next line…too blur here, lol)” said Hacken confidently while smiling.Who’d imagine that Hacken actually hopes to work with Sandra Ng? To Hacken, Sandra is an actress that is hard to come by, he says “If I were to work with her, the creativity would be challenging.” Ultimately, Hacken still has certain demands as an actor.Drawing the topic back to Hacken’s album, he feels that his previous album was too K – karaoke. (meaning too much of K songs…) To him, his music can venture into other directions besides going towards the K factor. Just like how he said earlier: each type of beverage will be able to quench one’s thirst, and he need not stick to one.“For the coming album, it is more of listening! Not like the previous one where you will go to the Karaoke after hearing; I think that it’s a direction worth going. The songs don’t have to be K songs: "Marriage after long engagement" and "Tall Girl" are both K songs but "Six Feet Encounters" and "Position of Goodbye Kiss" are so to K! Let’s try to give everyone a different taste!”Having too many K songs will let people put their attentions on their vocals (meaning they will sing the song more often and visit the karaoke) and forget about the voice that is brought about by the album, the enriching and touching male vocals of Hacken Lee.The Aftermath,The Old Soup of LoveHacken is clever and fast on his feet. However, when it comes to love, he likes to hide his answers. Hacken, if you were to use one type of beverage to describe love……“Love again?” Hacken shakes his head, and looks very unwilling.He is about to marry and yet is still unable to change his style of not talking about love.He admits that people will son know about his marriage. Marriage does come after going steady. It’s time for the flowers to bloom.“I’m……I’m a normal man after all! I will go steady! And of course, get married! Marriage……soon! Soon! Soon, everybody will know!”So, which type of beverage is it?“It’s "xi yang cai bo chen sheng tang"! (a soup brewed with a type of vegetable and kidney, will try to find the English name…) Haha! It’s home-made soup! Drinking it everyday will cause no harm, it’s very healthy! Just like a good love relationship and family life, it can make one more focus and energetic!”Making such a great soup requires accurate time and patience. People who have experienced a long relationship will truly have the credit to taste it. It provides sweetness and warmth to one’s heart. Just like the relationship, it will never be separated.[Source: Lisa Magazine, thanks to Phoenix for the scans!]
[translated by Hianez]
[source: Hacken Lee @ blogger, posted by peggy jean]
July 25, 2007
Some reports suggested that Emily has been very easily provoked due to her pregnancy, and had taken her car for a drive to calm down. Hacken yesterday said: "We're not fighting! The house is currently being renovated so she went out to avoid the renovations, and her temper has not changed!" As for Edison Chen telling fans on his blog to attack the papparazzi, Hacken said: "Maybe Edison was joking! Anyway, each person has a right to his own thoughts, and each artiste deals with things differently. For example my house is being renovated and media writes that I'm having a fight with Emily - it's best if artistes and papparazi each back away a step. Hacken said that Emily didn't want to be photographed in Macau, so he didn't go to watch his beloved Man U compete. (credits: leehacken.com)
[i actually like edison, some of his music/movies R pretty good. and i like how he always says what's on his mind, though it may offend ppl/get him in trouble...but he does have a problem with controlling his anger sometimes. haha. um...he was not kidding, but he didn't actually ask his fans to beat up these 2 reporters. he kinda explains/apologizes at his blog, if any1 is curious what he said, go here (he wrote in eng., mostly):
http://blog.honeyee.com/edison/ -kate]
[source: Hacken Lee @ blogger, posted by peggy jean]
July 24, 2007
At the press conference release of his new album, My Cup Of tea, Hacken finally admitted wife Emily Lo is pregnant, and said that his new song "Little treasure" is a present to his baby. The lyrics include the line: "Little treasure is soon to be born, i long for the day you call me dad, i'll teach you how to kick a ball, sing..." expressing the anticipation in becoming a father. Hacken said that he wrote the song in one night as a present. EDIT:(mingpao news)At his press conference for new album My Cup Of Tea, Hacken finally admitted wife Emily Lo's pregnancy, and the song "Little Treasure" on the album was for the baby! The lyrics were written by Hacken as a present, and the lyrics describe how excited he is to be a father. Yesterday his record company spent HK150,000 to hold a press conference at cyber port in HK. Hacken agreed to take photos next to a baby pram, and further expressed that "Little Treasure" was written two months ago. He was asked if that meant Emily was 4, 5 months pregnant, and when he would be a father? Hacken replied: "Sometimes things don't have to be stated explicitly, the song has already showed my feelings, I don't want to say too much else, but this song won't be a song that we will plug". Reporters asked what Emily thought of the song? Hacken replied the song was more like a children's song, and that Emily had already heard the whole album. As for the baby's birth, would Hacken be like Lee Ka Shing and Cathy Tsui and give out photos to the media? Hacken said that he wished them well, but he wouldn't give out photos. He said that he had said all he wanted to say, and asked media to seperate business (his album launch) and his private life. He felt very happy at the moment. Yesterday his company also gave him a gold cup to congratulate Hacken, as the pre-orders of his new album had already exceeded HK20,000!!
(will be posting translation to "Little Treasure" lyrics at http://hacken-lyrics.blogspot.com
asap!)
[images from Yesasia.com, on.cc]
[source: Hacken Lee @ blogger, posted by peggy jean]July 23, 2007Hacken's new album "My Cup Of Tea" is being released tomorrow, with a tracklisting of 11 songs, including "The Drive of Life" themesong. Hacken expressed that in making this album, he didn't want to follow the style of his previous two Concert Hall albums, so he chose a new style, cooperating with musicians he hadn't worked with before. The reason his song has an "unplugged" feeling is because he wanted to change the way his voice came across in music. He also changed from recording at night to recording in the morning, and sat down to sing instead of standing up, to hold back his "daan tin", resulting in a softer, fragile sound. In his album, fans can choose layers of instruments or even Hacken's voice to put together. This gives them the choice of putting together different instruments from the same track, to give it a diffferent feel. (takungpao)Soon-to-be-father Hacken seems to have a way with kids. Earlier, Hacken was doing a photo shoot for his new CD "My Cup Of Tea", when a child actor was being naughty and ran and jumped around the red wine collection in the high-class restaurant. Hacken immediately took the child actor aside and played with him to maintain peace, impressing other staff!(mingpao)
(credits: leehacken.com)
[source: Hacken Lee @ blogger, posted by peggy jean]July 22, 2007
Hacken Lee and Nancy Sit yesterday appeared at TVB executive Stephen Chan's "Chi Wun Fan Guk" (Be My Guest) book signing. Before the interview, Stephen Chan was asked how he chose guests to invite on his show. He explained: "Guests i invite need to be good-looking, have great wives, have children, not have affairs, nor loved someone who was already in a relationship". To this baby comment, Hacken could only smile forcedly next to Stephen. Hacken said that Stephen Chan was extremely good at asking questions, often guiding his guests from one answer to the next, until all their heartfelt thoughts were said. "Since Stephen became the host of Be My Guest, he has set a standard for becoming a host in TVB. Earlier, TVB asked me to host a game show (Minutes to fame) - I said I couldn't, I better wait for Be my guest to finish before I think about it."
Hacken suggested that Stephen invite Joey Leung to be a guest, saying: "I know Joey doesn't like talking about everythiing he thinks of, but I believe each event should have an ending. I think viewers would also be very interested in his life in the past two years. The gossip and news out there is very unfair to him, and he could use this chance to straighten the record."
[source: Hacken Lee @ blogger, posted by peggy jean]
Yesterday Hacken appeared at an opening for a watch store, along with models Eunis Chan, Lisa S., Ana R, etc. Hacken expressed that he likes wearing watches to match his clothes, and he felt that a watch was very important to a man to remind him to be punctual. He believes in 90% punctuality, and is only late very rarely. He confessed he hates people being late, and once was led to exploding in anger due to someone being late. However, now he will do his own job, leaving people to make up for their own lateness. When asked if he was talking about good friend Eric Tsang who was constantly late, he replied that many of his friends would be late, but he wouldn't point out any in particular. In the past he has given watches to his mother, wife, and Alan Tam during their "Left Alan Right Hacken" concert series, where they happily exchanged gifts of watches, hoping they would treasure each minute. When asked if he would buy brand name watches, he said that he controlled himself - his most expensive would be $10,000. However, he confessed he has recently bought a 110 inch screen projector that cost 6 figures, making it like a mini-cinema. [source: mingpao]
July 21, 2007Hacken uses a song to talk about the babySince April it was said that Emily is pregnant, but the couple never officially admitted to the news. In fact, Hacken played (joked) around and said that if his wife is pregnant the first person to know would be Alan. And thus, Alan was chased around for a few days after this news. But in Hacken's recent release of his new album, there is a song "Baby" ("Little Treasure") that was written by himself, expressing the feelings of a father.On July 5th, I saw Emily at the airport wearing a loose shirt, it was apparent that her stomach is bigger, but even when pregnant, her movement was quite fast. She saw the reporters and quickly went into the prohibited area and Hacken and his staff enters the gate. It was said that during pregnancy, Emily would have to stay at home to be safe, but on July 12th, Hacken and Emily were spotted again, eating Thai food.Beating the reporters, leaving the house early"Often times we are at the airport together-- if I have a job elsewhere, Emily always accompanies me. Besides, we always go out too, it's just that the reporters were unable to take pictures. We always beat the reporters by going out earlier than they do and then beat them coming home late at night. Like the people in Prison Break."Always wishing to become a father before age 40, it can be said that Hacken's wish has come true, but why does he refuse to talk about it. "Actually when I openly announced my marriage, I did not think about it fully, not knowing the result. If I did think about it, I would not openly announce it. But since I did, everything following it, I will say less or none because I don't want people to say that I am using my personal life as a selling point for my albums. I think I do not need to talk about every detail in my personal life.Hard to hide HappinessAlthough it is hard to get a confirmation from Hacken, it is a fact that in Hacken's recent album, the song "Baby" is a song written by himself in dedication to his baby.When asked about this, Hacken teases and says he wrote two words, when the album is released, go buy one and listen to see, it may not be what you think. "But regardless, in the future we will take things as they come. When we first thought about marriage, we really didn't know what to do.. so we just take it a step at a time. Nowadays teaching kids is not the same as my years, when my dad taught me. Must use a different method."Still missing one wishHacken received "Most Popular Male Artist" for three years now, becoming a father before age 40, it can be said that all his wishes have come true, but Hacken firmly says that there is still one wish."I cannot argue that my current status is very satisfying. I am very happy with where I am right now. I am not a greedy person, I don't need no million dollar home. I have enough money, I am very happy each day, but what I want most is to have a song that will be a big hit throughout China. "Red Day" is a hit song, but it is a Cantonese song, I want a hit song that is in Mandarin.Though Hacken says he is not materialistic, but it is often reported that he shops at LV and Chanel.Hacken replies "I like to buy LV products because it is durable, as for the Chanel diamond, I actually only bought an earring for myself, I'm really not materialistic."A tv commercial mentions that to raise a child requires 4 million dollars, but of course Hacken will give his child the best-- he may exceed the 4 million dollars. Hacken says that how many children he will have, he doesn't know, so he definitely can not be materialistic.
[Sources: http://www.leehacken.com/magazines/2007/20070721_ming_2019.html, ~ Ming Pao]
[translated by Jane, edited by Kate]
[actually, no1 has said that hacken uses his personal life to get more popular, i think?
but it's good that he can still keep his personal life somewhat secretive. ah, so that's his wish now? hope it will come true!! -kate]
July 21,2007 A person must know exactly what is their position.Especially those who are celebrities, they always need to be aware where the industry is going, and where the selling point is in the news.The past November, Hacken and Emily married. We thought that Hacken would be similar to other male artists; thinking Hacken will not mind sharing his feelings with others after marriage. Jacky Cheung, Eason Chan, even Nicholas Tse, all have been changed by the women behind them, when talking with the media about their work, they will also mention their marriage life or even share the "baby secrets."Hacken is the exception. Don't know why Hacken refuses to talk about his marriage life or his wife, Emily. At the release conference, he uses the line: "Today, not convenient to answer" to avoid answering questions about his wife being pregnant. When asked if his wife will accompany him to the concert on July 28th, he also refused to answer.Maybe Hacken does not wish things outside of his job be part of the news, thus losing focus on the topic, but it is clear that Hacken is not an idol singer-- this year turning 40, should he be clear on his position?At 40, it is clearest in life that it is the time when wisdom and knowledge is most mature. At 40, even if it is getting married, or even if it is having a wife, or even if it is become Father Lee, it is just a natural thing, why need to avoid talking about it?Lyrics are not a portrayal (representation, characterization) of meLooking back at Hacken's songs, there are romantic songs, revealing his thoughts on marriage life, songs including: "Long-time must marry", "Before marriage women", "After marriage", "Father Lee", "Kan Jai" (Kan son); Hacken's lyrics for "Sentiment person," and others.When talking about the songs, Hacken did not fully support himself, he even said that the songs are not his inner thoughts, they are only the thoughts of the lyricist, it is not all about me."Some songs are not written by me, only that at the time of production, we are seeking a particular style song, sometimes when searching for the lyricist, I don't know how they will write the song, so not all the songs represent me."Hacken even goes on to compare it with acting: "it is like when filming, not all characters represent me, actually to a certain degree, filming and singing is very similar, it is like acting through a song, acting for people to see, this is simply being in character."
10 Years, First bitter then SweetHacken also had a song titled "Before and after 10 years," since it is the HK Handover 10 year anniversary, from 1997 to 2007, 10 years is not a short time, people may have changed a few times. Within these 10 years, besides Hacken securing his status in the industry, the biggest difference is definitely his status changing from someone's boyfriend to someone's husband. But when asking Hacken about his 10 years, he still avoids this topic.Hacken says, this past 10 years his job has changed dramatically, especially from years ago in 1997, he was in the down point of his career, but actually during this time, he accidentally received many jobs outside of singing, for example being the host for JSG, Miss HK, World Cup and other big shows, opening many opportunities for him in the hosting department."Actually at the time my singing career was not so ideal, looking back at the 10 years, there have been a lot of changes, the feeling is like riding a roller coaster-- of course everyone also experiences the ups and downs in life, I will use the phrase "First Bitter then Sweet" to describe my 10 years, when starting it can be said that it was much tougher, but these past few years it has been much smoother."Can it be said that his hard work paid off?"In this industry, all artists are hard-working, for example during award ceremonies, not minding where the singers sit, you can see the hard work of every artist. But not everyone is awarded, or not guaranteed to win the big award. Sometimes even though you work hard, it may not have the ideal result. Of course if you don't work hard, there will be no pay off, but being in showbiz is more unique-- besides hard work in showbiz, you also must have other skills to collaborate."As for Hacken finding something he needs to work harder on? Hacken replies without hesitation: "I want to strengthen my Mandarin albums. The past few years, I released many Cantonese albums, and actually in every album there is a song that represents me as a singer. But in contrast, there are less Mandarin albums released, even to say until (now) up-to-date there is not one album I am completely satisfied with, not one has met my requirements. When I work on the [next Mandarin] album, I hope there is enough time for me to really work on the songs, making the [future] Mandarin albums even better."
ConclusionBefore the interview, [I've heard] people say that Hacken is somewhat arrogant. But it was said that he shares the makeup room with other artists when he attended the Malaysia awards show. I don't feel he is like what others said.During the interview, Hacken rarely smiled, and the photographer asked Hacken to smile more often. He raises a small smile. But throughout the interview he was also not very expressive. When asked why, he simply replied that he did not get enough sleep.[Sources: http://www.leehacken.com/news/2007/news_20070721.html, ~ Sinchew]
[translated by Jane, edited by Kate]
[whoa, what a long article!! A BIG THANKS 2 JANE 4 translating this interview!! :) i learned some more about hacken! -kate]
2007 July 16Stars come together for a charity night; Guangdong TV Station helps in the charity showOn the night of July 15th, the 5th Anniversary celebration night, the "Heart Draws Rainbow" large scale concert was held at a stadium in Guangzhou. [...] Singers include: Hacken Lee, Ah Lam, Wong Ka Keung, Zheng Zhi Hua,Shui Mu Nian Hua, Ivana Wong, Yumiko, Soler, and Sunboyz.[...] As the closing singer, Hacken brought the concert to its highest, with the classic song "Red Day" ending the concert on a beautiful note.
[Sources: http://www.leehacken.com/news/2007/news_20070716.htm, ~ Guangdong TV Station]
[translated by Jane, edited by Kate]
July 2, 2007
TVB Weekly Issue 523Hacken Lee: A model for the people of Hong KongWhen Hong Kong reunified with China, Hacken Lee was 29 and going on to 30 years old. After releasing his album "Beside Hacken" in the same year, there was no surge in his singing career and no release date of his new album. 10 years later, with the spirit of the Hong Kong People, he received the most welcomed male singer award for 3 times. He also has a Miss HK as his wife. This is another story of hard work and triumph.10 years ago: Happy though worriedThat day, I was performing for the reunification show. I was there to participate in the actual event. When I turned on the TV at home, I saw the flag rising ceremony and felt complicated, happy, and confused. I was worried but still happy. In 10 years, I tasted the change of the times. It need not has to be the appearance of the society, but it is a heartfelt change. There is no longer “Hong Kong people”, I identified myself with China. Just like when I watched England matches last time, I felt bounded. Next year when I watch the Olympics, I will support the national team.The major events in these 10 years:
Receiving the most welcomed singer award for 3 timesIt has got to be receiving the most welcomed singer award! I remember receiving it for the first time in 2002, I fulfilled my wish. This ultimate goal, I think every singer hopes to get this award at least once! It’s a sense of accomplishment and acknowledgement from my career. After that, I received it in 2003 and 2005. That gave me different meanings and encouragement.The highest point in 10 years: A hard decisionI will choose the SARS incident. Besides the fact that is affected Hong Kong deeply, I was faced with a tough decision during that time too. The second part of my concert with Alan was about to take place, and everybody was discussing whether to postpone it or stick to the original plan. Everyone was under tremendous stress. After all, we had to face our bosses and money matters, as well as the health of the general public. I remember that 4 days before we were going to perform, we decided to postpone the concert. Looking back, it was a wise decision.Hopes in the next 10 years: Becoming democraticI hope that democracy will appear in Hong Kong in the next 10 years. I feel that we should have a democratic society. Besides this, everyone should take a greater role (in helping) the environment. It is evident that our environment is becoming worse, especially the air. I hope that the Hong Kong government will act like the governments of Korea and Japan; to grow plants at the balconies. Also, as citizens, we should learn to conserve. Such as switching off the lights, air conditioners, computers and so on. We should cut down on the use of our resources.[Source: http://www.leehacken.com/magazines/2007/20070702_tvb_523.htm]
[translated by Hianez, edited by Kate]
July 4, 2007Hacken talks about baby and pampersHacken Lee appeared as the Ambassador for the environment yesterday for a function to promote recycling. He says that recycling is to create a sustainable environment for the next generation. “It’s not only the next generation; it’s also for the next. I feel that the most important thing is not to waste food and energy.” He feels that though the second generation may not be very much affected, the problem should not be ignored. The weather these days are strange, and Hacken who has a sensitive nose, will have his condition further aggravated when the weather turns bad. To him, his vocals are important and hence environmental problems should not be ignored. He also feels that promoting the idea of using less plastic bags is not enough; the most important thing is to use less resources. Rumoured that his wife is pregnant, he was asked if he will choose to use pampers or towels (I don’t know the exact term that people use to describe the triangular type of towel that is used to wrap a baby’s bottom, those that you can recycle, so I just refer to it as towel…pampers is the type we get from supermarkets – which we throw after use!). He said, “Let’s not talk about people. When it comes to clearing dogfaeces, we use toilet paper. Using the towel would be best! (I think he means using it on the dog here)” So, is he gonna use it for his baby? “I will talk about it when I face the problem!”Will he make preparations? He expressed his thanks, and did not wish to continue on the topic.[Sources: http://www.leehacken.com/news/2007/news_20070704.htm, ~Mingpao, Taiyang Pao, Apple Daily]
[translated by Hianez, edited by Kate]
[i think Hianez means diapers made of fabric....fabric diapers?
In recent news, they said: "His new song will be played in 11 malls, at the count of 5 times every hour. In 20 days, it will be played 1 million and 7 thousand times." That's probably why the title is "Hacken’s new song plays for over a million times." WHOA! i hope ppl don't get tired of hearing the song all the time!! haha. -kate]
July 3, 2007Hacken Lee and Hins Cheung attend functionHacken Lee, Gigi Leung, Hins Cheung, and various artistes attended a function to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Hong Kong special district. The weather remained fine till one of the highlights of the programme: Hacken Lee’s performance. It then started to rain. At first, nobody thought of handing him an umbrella. Hence, he sang more than half of a song in the rain. When Hacken saw the crew coming on stage with an umbrella, he did not hesitate. Though the situation was quite awkward, with his professionalism, Hacken continued to perform while holding on to an umbrella. He also expressed that as long as the audience remains dry, he has quite a good “Feel” singing in the rain.Both Hacken and Andy were popular among the audience. When they sang, the audiences cheered and waved their little flags continuously, it was a grand scene. Both of them led the other artistes to sing "You’re Still with Hong Kong". When it was Hacken’s turn to perform, 50 dancers were with him.Hacken had the great honour to be able to meet up with singers from Mainland, China, and claims to be able to bring good weather. He went barefoot twice during the rehearsal and has confidence that good weather will come after the rain as it did not rain when he held concerts with Alan Tam in China.
[Sources: http://www.leehacken.com/news/2007/news_20070703.htm]
~ Tungstar, Mingpao, Singpao, ent.sina.com.cn]
[translated by Hianez, edited by Kate]
July 3, 2007
Hacken Lee took up the role as ambassador for the environment, and used his song “Where Will the Flowers Fall?” to convey the message. His new song will be played in 11 malls, at the count of 5 times every hour. In 20 days, it will be played 1 million and 7 thousand times. Such a method, which can promote his song as well as care for the environment is beneficial. Though he gets no reward for it, the number of times his song will be played is quite a good reward, actually.
[Sources: http://www.leehacken.com/news/2007/news_20070703_002.htm, ~on.cc, ent.sina.com.cn]
[translated by Hianez, edited by Kate]
[**SORRY FOR NEARLY NO NEWS THIS MONTH, SOME TRANSLATORS AND I HAVE BEEN BUSY!!*** -kate]
July 2, 2007Hong Kong's Celebrity Soccer Team and China's Celebrity Soccer Team held a friendly competition at the 'Large Soccer Field' in Hong Kong. Alan Tam, Hacken Lee, Micheal Miu and Edmund Leung all played. Kenny Bee and Michael Miu brought their sons along, but Hacken and Alan came alone. When asked why he did not bring Emily along to watch the match, Hacken did not reply. He just smiled and did the 'congratulations' symbol. (to clasp the fingers together, like in a Chinese New Year gong xi manner)The match ended in a 3-3 draw.[Sources: http://www.leehacken.com/news/2007/news_20070702.htm]
[translated by Gillian]
July 1, 2007
Joey wears read to join in the Celebrations, Hacken wears Tee with 10 on it. Male and Females compete to celebrate Hongkong's Reunification AnniversaryIt has been 10 years since Hong Kong reunified with China and there was a concert at the Hong Kong Colosseum "Dragon, Drums and Dance - Ten Thousand Youth Concert". Performers include Alan Tam, Eason Chan, Kelly Chen, Joey Yung, Hacken, Twins, Hins Cheung and Malaysian singer, Gary Cao. The performers put much effort into their appearance that night as they celebrated the occasion in a grand manner. Joey and Kelly wore the grandest outfit with Joey in a fire red Moschino bareback dress with a 'lantern skirt' with a pair of 4 inch heels. Kelly wore a beige Dolce and Gabbana dress. However, the performer with the most unique outfit was Hacken. A simple red t-shirt with '1997 - 2006' and the words 'Hong Kong' and the number 10 printed on both shoulders, symbolising the 10th Anniversary of Hong Kong's reunification with China. During this performance, Hacken was given the chance to set Guinness World record by performing on the drums with ten thousand youths and it has been successfully completed. He indicated he was both excited and nervous about the performance and he was glad it was completed smoothly.Hacken will be representing the Celebrity Soccer Team in the 'Reunification Cup Competition', but he would have to rush to Shenzhen to perform at a reunification celebration in the afternoon. He confessed that he would be late and joked that he would 'borrow Alan's name and apply to be late'. (Not too sure what the translation of this would be, but I'm guessing that people will give Alan 'face' and not blame him for being late.) Also, Hacken said that he had not exercised for about 2 months due to his operation and he is worried about his stamina. Thus, he would only play for 5 minutes before rushing to Shenzhen for his performance. In another report, Hacken was quoted as saying he would consider putting the Chinese drums segment into his concert. [Source: http://www.leehacken.com/news/2007/news_20070701.htm]
[translated by Gillian]
[hacken's shirt looks great, and it's really meaningful, too! great idea! =)
i always like seeing him in casual clothes more, anyway. he can only play for 5 minutes? he's super busy these days! i'd love to watch his performance from this event!!! -kate]
June 29, 2007To celebrate the ten years anniversary of the Hongkong-China Reunification, a concert will be held at the Hong Kong Colosseum on Saturday. Yesterday, there were rehearsals for the concert and several artistes were present including Hacken, Eason Chan, Leo Ku, Hins Cheung and Twins. On that day, Hacken will lead about 10,000 youths in a drumming display. He will also sing "Red Sun" (Hong Yat) and "Descendents of the Dragon" (Long De Chuan Ren). Hacken indicates that this will be the first time ever that he will be cooperating with so many people and this does lead to problems with the coordination. There is also the difficulty with hearing his voice above all the drumming sound. However, it is also a ground breaking and majestic display. Also, the organisers will also apply to include this feat in the World Guinness Records. Thus, Hacken has to rehearse the drumming with the people involved. Hacken has just returned from Malaysia where hs had a press conference regarding his concert held in Genting at the end of July.When asked why Hacken is still leaving Hong Kong so regularly during this period (I guess indicating that he should be spending more time with Emily), he replied that he needs to earn a living. When talking about the autograph session he held, he said it gave him a fright! According to Hacken, during the autograph session, there was a fan who fainted after passing him the CD to him for his signature. Hacken said "Luckily the fan was okay. But I really got frightened to death by him" (This is a cantonese/chinese saying meaning that he really had a huge shock). Hacken recalled that ten years ago, there was also a similar incident that occurred. That year, he was in ipoh (another Malaysian state) having an event. As the weather that day was very hot, some fans who were waiting for very long could not take the heat and fainted. Hacken even joked that he thought it was because he was too attractive and irresistable - and that fans would faint when they saw him. There were reports that many singers are hoping to be able to get dates (for the venue) to hold their concerts at the Hong Kong Colosseum before it undergoes renovation and Hacken is one of those singers. Hacken revealed that he has successfully managed to get the Lunar New Year slot for his concert and his manager told him that he beat 9 other singers to the slot. As to who were the 9 singers whom he won, Hacken smiled and said he did not know.- side news from only one newspaper- There were reports in Malaysia saying that Joey Leung had confirmed the news of Emily's pregnancy to the media and this led to Hacken being unhappy. During Hacken reply, he wished Joey all the best in his development in Malaysia. However, Hacken's wishes seemed as though he is being sarcastic to Joey whose career in Hong Kong has hit rock bottom. (Ok... I think this paper is being a little mean to Hacken. Kinda like putting words in the horses mouth. I think Hacken was just trying to deflect the question be talking about Joey's forays into other countries and not so much as to make a jib at him. Afterall, they are pretty close friends.)[Sources: Mingpao, East Weekly, Sun Daily, Apple Daily, Tai Kong Pao,
http://www.leehacken.com/news/2007/news_20070629.htm]
[translated by Gillian]
[wow, hacken gets to be in the World Guinness Record book!! awesome!
and i'm happy he was able 2 get a time slot for his concert during lunar new year, again! =P
yes, i agree, hacken wasn't making fun of joey! -kate]
Caption under the photo: Hacken feels honoured at being able to lead youths to break a Guinness World Record in drums hitting.
June 28, 2007Hacken was at the rehearsals for "Dragon, Drum and Dance Ten Thousand Youths Concert" [erm.. direct translation here] . Hacken will be leading over 10,000 youths in a Chinese drum segment and they will be setting a new Guinness World Record with this feat. Hacken said: "It's really majestic. You can only hear the sound of the drums and not the voices of people at all."
[Sources: on.cc, http://www.leehacken.com/news/2007/news_20070628_002.htm]
[translated by Gillian]
[source: hacken lee @ blogger, posted by gonzo]Friday, June 28, 2007
Hacken arrived in Malaysia for his concert promotion and any questions regarding "wife Emily" weren't allowed. His face became expressionless at any mention.Last week, ex-partner Joey Leung was in Malaysia for Minutes to Fame and at some point had leaked that Hacken was soon to become a father. Reporters asked Hacken about this and he only replied "This isn't the time to talk" and implied that Joey was doing well in Malaysia and shouldn't be spilling anything on Hacken to the press!"I've heard that Joey has been doing very well in Malaysia, I'm happy for him. I've always told him that it's good to go to different places to do things and I've found that his Chinese is becoming better and better. I wish him luck in progressing further in Malaysia."When asked if Emily will support him in his Genting concert on July 28, he replied "As for this question, umm... let's just finish the questions about the concert first!" The MC by his side kept helping him to fend off the reporters, saying that this question would need to be answer by the concert manager.When talking about the concert, Hacken had a lot to say. He said that this would be the first time he's held a concert in Malaysia and to accommodate all the age differences and levels of fans, he has decided that the concert will concentrate on singing. Apart from his own old and new songs, there will be songs that he used to listen to as a student and other classics. There should be over 40 songs."The most special part is that I will not speak much. There will be a 20 minute medley. Of course I won't be able to play and sing, but there will be a part for the Concert Hall series songs. There won't be much spectacular dancing, but that you all already know. Normal dancing of course there will be, but nothing like Madonna. As for wearing less and less as I sing, unfortunately I don't have the assets. The most important thing is that I hope this concert will be like a fan gathering, the fans can pick the song and I can sing."As well, this time he's invited Ivana Wong as a guest performer. He said that before he had performed with her in America/Canada singing Air Supply's songs. This time there will be plans for a new idea. After saying that, Hacken joked about Ivana's soft and light voice even when talking.He revealed that in his new upcoming album, the songs have a more unplugged feel and that in Genting he would sing some of these new songs. As for movies, if time permits, then he might film but at the moment the most important things are the concert and the new album. Next year in February, he will be holding a solo concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum.As for when Left Alan Right Hacken will reform? "First, I need to finish all the work I have on my hands, before I know if I can work with Alan. Maybe in 2009 or 2010, though of course this is just what I think for now. I'm sure that Alan would want to do another Left Alan Right Hacken concert as well."After the press conference, Hacken appeared at the concert promotion and saw his employers (the fans that were present) and his smiled much more for them than he did for the reporters. He was half an hour late, and only spoke for 2 minutes before hurriely signing autographes for the 100 selected fans. Even with his own fan club yelling at him to sing "Never chaning in a lifetiem", Hacken told fans to wait another month, giving off a "big brother" feel.[source:
http://www.chinapress.com.my/content_new.asp?dt=2007-06-29&sec=entertainment&art=0629en05.txt]
