Hong Kong singer-actress Karen Mok Man-Wai aims to please at her upcoming Beijing concert.
With 26 album releases and 35 movies under her belt, Hong Kong singer-actress Karen Mok Man-Wai sees live performances as a way to show fans a different side of her."Concerts offer a rare chance for me to interact with my fans," says Mok, who was in Beijing to promote her upcoming concert in the capital on Dec 11 at Beijing Workers' Gymnasium. "I can share the stories and feelings behind each song, either with a special setting on the stage or with some impromptu performances. And fans can give their feedback right away. I am really looking forward to it."
Dressed in a pink, tight strapless corset, black skirt and high heels, Mok, 39, showed up with a group of dancers tapping hand drums to go with her song, Hits Hand Drums to Sing, one of the 10 tracks from her latest Mandarin album, Hui Wei, or Re-taste, which includes nostalgic Chinese ballads from the 1930s to the 80s.
At the December concert, she will present 30 of her popular songs and remix versions that have been a staple of karaoke bars for years. "I am the director for my concert this time which means I can try anything on stage, for example, I can change my clothes without leaving the stage," she says.
Adopting images as diverse as a red-haired tomboy to bold rock queen and curly-haired sex icon draped in nothing but layers of food wrappers, Mok has never fought shy of exploring possibilities ever since she released her debut Cantonese album Karen in 1993.
Often seen as a fashion icon, the singer is known to break conventions, on and off the stage. Fans were impressed when she put a real king-size bed on the stage of her last Beijing concert six years ago, peeling off her plastic Chinese qipao in the opening. There was also the wild performance in the international tour of the hit Broadway musical Rent as Mimi in 2005, clad in tight gold leather jeans and sliced leather shirt. But when she launched her own perfume brand in Hong Kong last year, Mok showed up in a graceful long, silver gown.
"I want to show my colorful sides to fans in as many ways as I can," she says. "Music is unlimited, so is my image. The upcoming concert is an experiment to live up to my greatest potential, not only the way I look but also the way I communicate with my fans," says Mok.
Despite her glamour girl image, Mok has proved that she is more than just a beautiful face. A graduate of the University of London, with a major in Italian literature, she speaks five languages and plays the piano as well as the Chinese guzheng, a traditional string instrument.
Mok started off as one of the few alternative women singers in Hong Kong who was able to survive and thrive in the mainstream pop scene. Her style has gradually evolved, encompassing a diverse range of rock, folk, jazz and reggae.
Like singers everywhere, faced with plummeting album sales, she too has announced that she will release new songs online.
"With technology becoming more advanced, music has to move forward. When I buy a CD I immediately put it on my iPod so that I can listen to it anytime," she says of the transformation of the music industry. "I believe singers can reach more music lovers through mobile phones."
It has been nearly a decade since Mok posed with a naked back on the cover of her album Karen Mok in Totality in 1996. But she continues to find fresh ways to engage her fans.
"I am not flawless. But when I look at my song list, I feel pretty good that I have so many memorable songs to share with my fans."
