Jetsetting with Tsai Chin

SINGAPORE — Perhaps it is her sprightly confidence. Or her deep, comforting voice. Or the fact that many of her songs, such as Read You and Just Like Your Tenderness, have become classic Mandarin pop hits. Whatever the case may be, it feels like singer Tsai Chin has been around forever.

But that may not be the case anymore — next year, the Taiwanese songbird will be releasing what could be her last “traditional” album.

“Many people like to download music nowadays. That is why you no longer have to release albums to call yourself a singer. The digital music business has also disrupted the business of selling records as we know it, which is why records no longer make money. And because they no longer make money, no one will produce a record that costs a lot of money,” said the 57-year-old, who will be performing in Singapore at The Star Theatre next month.

“This is why I will be paying for the cost of producing my last physical album. I want to do a very good job, because it may be the last Tsai Chin album; it has 10 songs. I want to make sure it will be a good memento filled with new songs.”

And, of course, in true Tsai Chin style, your full support is expected.

She quipped: “When it’s out, remember to come and queue up and let me sign it!”

Q: You fly around so often when you’re on tour. What do you usually do on an airplane?

A: I always think that I will fall asleep on long-haul flights, but I always end up watching movies! Sometimes my eyes become really dry after I arrive at my destination and I kick myself for not sleeping on the plane. Then again, I’ve realised that people who sleep on flights also become jetlagged anyway, so I feel like I’ve won — because unlike them, I’ve managed to watch many movies on the flight!

Q: So what do you watch?

A: I don’t care what movies I watch because flights are a very precious downtime for me! What is uncomfortable, however, is the fact that I become bloated and swollen after every flight. I can’t really do anything about it because my body is quite sensitive. What is worse is I usually have to rehearse and perform immediately on the day of my arrival. If I have kinder or more generous concert promoters, I usually ask if I can rest for a day before I begin rehearsing. But these bosses are usually very calculative, so they won’t agree to it because of the cost of putting up the entire team. So I am very pitiful. My body is usually bloated during those four or five days I spend in each country I perform. It is very tiring.

Q: What items do you bring with you when you travel?

A: I always bring a crucifix because I am a Christian. It is portable and I can put it on a table. It comes in a leather box, which serves as a standee. I also bring a small Bible with me, which I put beside my bed. I don’t really have time to enjoy the hotel rooms I stay in, even when they put me up in presidential suites. I don’t mind where I stay, as long as it is not too dirty or too smelly, and I can sleep well. But it never feels as comfortable as it does at home. That is why I bring my crucifix with me, so I can feel at ease. I also bring essential oils because smells are very important to me. Wherever I go, I like to be surrounded by familiar smells.

Q: We hear you will be performing some of your favourite songs by Feng Fei-fei and Anita Mui at your concert next month. Do you feel stressed when you perform their songs?

A: Of course I do, because these songs were made popular by these singers. The audience loves these songs and I love them, too. When I sing their songs, I mean it as a mark of respect because I think they are very special singers. So the pressure comes from not wanting to sing too poorly! How do I achieve that? I have to really like the song because you then will really want to sing it. But I also have to sing them in my own way because no matter how you copy them, you’ll never sound like them. I have to sound like myself. HON JING YI

Catch her perform on July 11, 8pm, at The Star Theatre. Tickets from S$68 to S$178 at SISTIC.