Poster for G.E.M. Tang (鄧紫棋)
Earlier I mentioned how many people have been starting to think that Hong Kong (香港) and or Cantonese (廣東話) music has dropped greatly in quality in the past few years. There are not that many good singers as there was before in and often times some people begin to believe the singers they have are picked just for looks and not talent at all in any way. However, here is a relatively new promising singer that is pretty talented. Her name is Gloria Tang (鄧紫棋), performing under the stage name of G.E.M. which stands for “Get Everybody Moving,” who was born in Shanghai and boasts a powerful voice and singing ability that I personally have not found in many other artists out there. Having been active since 2008, she is signed under Hummingbird Music in Hong Kong and has released two albums so far that have charted at #1 on the HKRM (香港唱片商會). In addition, not only has she learned to sing in very well in Cantonese, but here’s the kicker: she’s only 18! Her birthday is today!
G.E.M. Tang (鄧紫棋) - Hong Kong Singer on the Outside, Regular Person on the Inside
The difference that I could see between G.E.M.’s music compared to other singers that currently exist in China is that it’s simply: something different. They main choice of genre that assumes essentially all mainstream Cantonese music in Hong Kong’s current industry (and similar to China’s music industry) are that of Ballad songs. However, this formula has been overused and to this day many of the songs are no longer as great as they used to be. G.E.M. on the other hand has more of a Soul and R&B touch to her music with stronger beats that’s closer to that of American music perhaps and in addition the change that I believe Cantonese music needs to gain progress. A song I liked in particular was “All About You” in her second album titled “18…” For your entertainment, I have personally subbed and found translations for this song and made them available for your viewing on YouTube
G.E.M. Tang – All About You || 鄧紫棋 – All About You
The difference that I have seen in terms of this artist is also probably how she is marketed well. She keeps people updated online with a vlog and and blog along with other media that many everyday people would post. In essence you can see that although she is a huge hit and a talented artist, on the inside she is no different from any other girl that is her age. Here is hope that she is able to make it big, gain lots of fans and be successful. Here is proof that music in the Cantonese Language can be successful and popular and that even a non-native speaker can learn it well. This can be motivation and incentive for many others out there to learn our language! Hong Kong needs more talent like this, and they are slowly coming.
G.E.M.’s Video Blog Regarding a Game (and being herself)
GEM - 18 from YesAsia.com
If you want to support us, go ahead and purchase GEM’s single, All About You from YesAsia.com by clicking on this image on the right over here! Thank you for supporting Canton 168 and please enjoy the music! At the same time please support all Cantonese artists! The more support they get, the more entertainment in Cantonese we can get as well!
Related Links:
Hummingbird Music – G.E.M Official Site
G.E.M.’s Blog on Xanga
G.E.M’s Blog on Yahoo! Hong Kong Blogs
G.E.M’s YouTube Channel Video Blog
G.E.M.’s Fan Club