http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/life/life7_0731.html
Singer Kit Chan turns poet
She recites her verses to background music on a CD which
comes with her newly-launched book of poems
By NANDE KHIN
Photo/Singer-turned-poet Kit Chan mesmerized the crowd with her poetic
reading of a book of a thoughtfully-put-together collection of
her thoughts. -- Sim Chi Yin
SPORTING a new short, spiky haircut and black plastic spectacles,
and togged out in a denim jacket and jeans, homegrown singer Kit
Chan, 27, looks just like a poet.
Which is what she can now claim to be with the launch of her
collection of poems titled I Write A Page last Friday.
All the 33 English poems in the book come with a translated
Mandarin version, done by Singaporean writer-composer Liang Wern
Fook, Singapore's foremost xinyao lyricist who also penned Chan's
early hit, Worried, in 1996.
Held at the Union Square Pub & Wine Bar, the launch-cum-press
conference was attended by the media and members of the Singapore
literary circle as well as some of Chan's friends and fans.
Homegrown writers Alvin Pang, author of Testing The Silence, and
Aaron Lee, author of A Visitation Of Sunlight, were among those
present. Both were accredited by Chan to have been involved in
the shaping of I Write A Page.
The book is a thoughtfully-put together collection of the singer's
thoughts in the form of poems. With a new funky cover with artwork
by Chan herself and several artfully-captured shots of her by
photographer David Tan, the book looks set to attract both the
serious literary geeks, fans of the singer as well as those who
like to judge a book by its cover.
Says Chan: ""This is unlike any other press conference I've had
before. This is the most special. Among here are some of my friends
who have helped to make this publication of my book possible.''
After more bantering with the crowd, she proceeded to recite a poem,
Plain Thoughts, which when translated into Mandarin was Xiang Ru Fei
Fei. This was used as the Chinese title of her book.
After each verse, y.e.s. 93.9 FM deejay Danny Yeo would recite the
translated Mandarin version.
Chan's powerful voice came in very useful during all four recitations
that she did that evening. Her voice, as much as her words, mesmerised
the crowd. The recitation of one poem was accompanied by live guitar
music. This was to prove her point that poetry and music could be
mixed well.
""I don't think poetry and music are that different. I don't think
we should view them as being very separate,'' she explains.
The book comes with a CD recording of her reciting selected poems
from it against original background music by Case Woo.
""Case's "chill-out' music is so cool! It made my poems so much cooler.
I feel now that I must be the coolest poet around,'' jokes Chan, laughing.
* I Write A Page can be bought exclusively at Popular Bookstores
until Aug 31 and at Kinokuniya Bookstores from Aug 31 at $16.90.
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