At a recent concert, the audience saw a different side of the Godfather of Taiwanese Mandopop, writes Loong Wai Ting
IT was a relatively unglamorous affair at Jonathan Lee’s recent world tour concert at Putra Indoor Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.
The stage had few props, just a few string instruments propped on stands. Lee came on stage and in his laid-back manner, with hands tucked inside the front of his jeans’ pockets, sang Ai Qing You Shen Me Dao Li and Mang Yu Mang.
At 56, he is still a showman with pitch-perfect vocals that have fans eating out of his hands. Lee teased them good-naturedly and poked fun at himself.
The set resembled a living room. Sitting on a couch, Lee said he felt at home. “I have a similar set-up at home and this is where all the inspiration happened,” he said, before playing Sheng Ming Zhong De Jing Ling on his guitar.
Hidden under the strings was a small camera that fed live videos to three large LED screens, providing the audience with a first-person perspective. There was also a small GoPro camera strapped to the neck of the guitar to offer a close-up of the singer.
Known as the Godfather of Taiwanese Mandopop, Lee is a composer with the Midas touch. His compositions have helped launch many singers’ careers including that of his former wife Sandy Lam, Sylvia Chang, Karen Mok, Jeff Chang, Emil Chau and Zhao Chuan.
“After more than 20 shows across the globe, I am excited to be in Kuala Lumpur again,” he said.
The camera slowly panned in for a close-up of Lee, as he played Ni Xiang Ge Hai Zi Si De on his guitar. He looked rather forlorn, perched on a high stool. The song, which is about chasing dreams, struck a chord. In Ling Wu (originally performed by Winnie Hsu), Lee held back tears halfway through the classic 1980s break-up song. After a costume change, Lee performed yet another tear-jerker, Wen and the audience sang along.
The highlight of the three-hour show was a duet with guest performer, Bai An. In Ai Qing Dai Jia, these two singers from different generations performed their own renditions but the older folk seemed to prefer Lee’s version. Bai An gave the slow-paced song an edge with her unique vocals.
For his encore, Lee performed Wo Shi Zhen De Ai Ni and a medley of popular hits including Ting Jian You Ren Jiao Ni Bao Bei and Ai Ru Chao Shui, bringing an entertaining evening to an end.