Jam Hsiao
Template:Contains Chinese text Template:Infobox Chinese-language singer and actor
Jam Hsiao (simplified Chinese: 萧敬腾; traditional Chinese: 蕭敬騰; pinyin: Xiāo Jìng Téng; Wade–Giles: Hsiao Ching-teng) (Born March 30, 1987, Taipei, Taiwan), is a famous Taiwanese singer. In summer 2007, this young talented singer rose to fame with only three brief appearances in the first season of CTV's 中視 star search show,"One Million Star 超級星光大道", which is a singing competition reality show similar to American Idol. A self-taught player of numerous music instruments, Hsiao is known for his wide vocal ranges, unique singing style, diverse music genres, and astounding charisma in his live performance.
Early life
Born to father of Chinese descent and native Amis aboriginal 阿美族 mother, Hsiao inherited beautiful singing voice known for Taiwanese aborigines 原住民. Other family members include two older brothers and one older sister. Hsiao took a drum lesson at age 15 after being inspired by a song in a rock CD that Hsiao incidentally found at home – Bon Jovi’s first single "It’s My Life" from the album Crush released in 2000. Hsiao’s drum lessons only lasted for three months due to financial reasons. After that, Hsiao continued his journey in music by sharpening his drum-playing techniques without any further formal instruction in music.[1]
At age of 16, Hsiao become an instructor for drum classes in a local music learning center. He also volunteered to teach drum classes in his community as a way to counsel local troubled teens, which made him a recipient of the Good Samaritan Award 善心獎 for two consecutive years. Hsiao was a hyper-energetic kid and a troubled early-teen himself; fortunately, music saved him. As Hsiao often joked about himself, “without music, I might have turned into a ruffian on the street”.
Hsiao also formed a rock band called “Diapason” with his friends and older brother, which Hsiao was the lead vocals and drummer. With his passion for music, Hsiao started teaching himself how to play a keyboard. At age 17, with only three-month experience of keyboard, Hsiao became a pub singer, and played his own chord while singing. As Hsiao recalled, “I didn’t have much thought...but I knew I love music, so I just kept on singing, playing [music], kept on practicing [instruments]…often for more than ten hours a day...and often could not stop ‘til I broke my last pair of drumsticks.”
Hsiao has always appreciated music of Bon Jovi, Mr. Big, Skid Row, Yoshiki of X Japan, Jeff Chang 張信哲, A-Mei 張惠妹, Jacky Cheung 張學友, and Na Ying 那英. Music of these artists has significant influence on Hsiao in his early life. As Hsiao matured, he was also inspired by Italian opera tenor, Luciano Pavarotti.
Rising to Fame
In 2007, Hsiao applied to compete in the second season of One Million Star. However, the show’s production unit pulled him to appear in the first season as a tyrant challenger (踢館魔王) in order to “player kill (PK)” the show’s remaining contestants. The show introduced Hsiao as the “Strongest Challenger in the History” (史上最強挑戰者). In his first PK attempt, Hsiao challenged Stanly Hsu 許仁杰 by singing the song "The Only One In The World" (世界唯一的妳), and won. In his second PK attempt, Hsiao challenged the show’s most popular contestant, Aska Yang 楊宗緯 by singing the song "Betrayal" (背叛) , and won again. The viewership rating for this show reached 4.06 since Hsiao’s presence in May 2007. Encouraged by the high viewership rating, the show’s production unit had Hsiao and Yang compete one more time, head-to-head, by performing the same song, "New Endless Love" (新不了情). After witnessed Hsiao's last two PK performances, the hostess of the show, Momoko Tao 陶晶瑩, nicknamed Hsiao as the "King of Black Spiders” (黑蜘蛛) who imposed real threat to regular contestants. Although Yang got higher score than Hsiao in this round, Hsiao’s extraordinary showmanship immediately won him immense popularity. His fans became organized and founded "Hsiao Band 蕭幫" to support this talented boy. Although Hsiao is not a regular contestant for the show, he rose to fame so quickly that he was selected by Yahoo! Taiwan 雅虎奇摩 as the third most searched celebrity in 2007.[2]
After merely three brief TV appearances, Hsiao’s fans rushed to the pubs and restaurants, where Hsiao worked, to hear his live performance. Whenever there was Hsiao’s scheduled performance, the pubs and restaurants were over-flooded with people – it was even extremely difficult to reserve a standing spot. Meanwhile, Hsiao’s personal blog got over 400,000 visits within two weeks since its launch.
Post-Talent-Show Career
Although Hsiao did not have any record company contract for almost a year since he became famous, many TV variety programs invited him to their shows because whenever Hsiao was the feature guest, viewing rate hiked. Media reported that Shin Band 信樂團 had invited Hsiao to join their band as the lead vocals. In addition, Hsiao’s powerful vocal and sudden popularity got A-Mei 張惠妹's attention. A-mei is known as Taiwan’s Queen of Pop. A-Mei asked Hsiao to be the feature male vocals for the duet “Moment of the First Sight” (一眼瞬間) in her 2007 music album Star. In December 2007, Hsiao performed a medley of four nominated original themes in the Golden Horse Award 金馬獎, which is the most significant event for film industry in Taiwan. At this time, Hsiao was still an ordinary 20-year-old student with no record company contract. Needless to say, many record companies fought to recruit this young and fresh talent.
In March 2008, Warner Music and Hsiao entered a four-year contract. Rumor said the initial contract bonus from Warner Music reached NT$30,000,000.[3]
On June 16, 2008, Hsiao’s debut CD album, “Jam Hsiao Same-Name Album” (蕭敬騰同名專輯), was officially released. Hsiao's debut album includes two songs written by himself, as well as the works of several famous song writers in Chinese pop music industry, such as A-Shin 阿信 of Mayday, A-Chin 阿沁 of F.I.R., Gary Chaw 曹格, Ching-Feng 青峰 of Sodagreen, etc. Hsiao's debut album ranked number one on the G-Music 玫瑰 and Five Music 五大 billboards at the same time for seven weeks. This album also claimed the number one place in Mandarin album charts in several Asian countries.[4] Hsiao’s New-Song Outdoor Concert (新歌發表會) took place on July 6, 2008 at Tamshui Fisherman's Wharf 淡水漁人碼頭 in Taiwan. In addition to performing the new songs from his debut album, Hsiao also sang a duet with each of his three guest singers, Vivian Hsu 徐若瑄, Khalil Fong 方大同, and Daniel Powter. Both Hsiao’s debut album and first solo concert enjoyed huge success.[5]
On August 1, 2008, the revised version of his debut album, “First Live”, was released. This revised album not only includes the original debut album CD, but also an audio CD and a DVD of his live performance at Tamshui Fisherman's Wharf. The Limited- Edition, “Ultimate Version" (終極收藏版), of this album was released on September 26, 2008. In addition to what were included in the First Live version, the Ultimate Version also offer music videos, bonus music "Thank You" for fans, behind-the-scene videos, and Hsiao’s own photography and sketching works.
Currently, Hsiao is very popular not only in his native Taiwan, but also in mainland China, Hong Kong, and other Asian countries such as Malaysia and Singapore. His fanbase is large, diverse, and growing. Fans of Hsiao often call themselves members of “Hsiao Band 蕭幫”, and nickname Hsiao as their Chief 幫主. In the era of internet and global networking, members of Hsiao Band also exist in North America, South America, Australia, and Europe.
Characteristics
Hsiao’s solid and manly vocal carries an explosive force, yet it is also sensational and often touches the deepest heart of his audience, especially through his live performance. His deep, clear and penetrating voice stands him out from most Chinese singers. Hsiao is a soul of rock; nevertheless, his performance for songs of other genres is just as impressive — including love song, pop, jazz, R&B, oldies, and even Taiwanese country, to name a few. One of the judges in One Million Star, Kay Huang 黃韻玲, once said when she heard Hsiao’s voice for the first time, "I was so carried away… I felt intoxicated…it’s sentimental”. "This voice makes me want to marry him".
Contrary to his powerful performance and breath-taking charisma on stage, Hsiao is soft-spoken, quiet and shy off stage. Many journalists stumbled or faced hurdle while interviewing him; therefore, the media named him the “Number-One Guy With Least Words (省話一哥)". Hsiao admitted he is slow to warm up to people; however, he explained, once he is better acquainted to people and the environment, he can be very fun-loving and become more open to conversation, just like any boy at his same age.
Hsiao plays drums, keyboard, piano, guitar, flute, and saxophone. His other hobbies include sports (e.g. table tennis, billiards, badminton, basketball, golf, ice skating, biking, and skateboarding), magic, sketching, photography, and Rubik's Cube. He also enjoys entertaining his friends and fans with anti-humor jokes.
Representative Works
Music Singles
- “Wishing You Happiness" (祝你幸福) – A commercial song released in January 2009 for Farglory Realty "The Happy Family Plan" (遠雄建設幸福家庭計劃).
- “To My Beloved" (給．愛人) – A charity single released in December 2008 as AVCD EP including a music video shot in Italy. The music is written by Hsiao and dedicated to Genesis Social Welfare Foundation (創世基金會) to help them raise funds.
- “Lonesome For You" (寂寞還是你) – A single released in September 2008 through digital music download and a promotional CD for HTC Touch Viva mobile phone; this is the first song that was published with both music and lyrics written by Hsiao.
- “Loving Each Other” (相親相愛) – A charity single that is a collaborative work of a group of pop singers contracted with Warner Music Taiwan, released in June 2008, as an effort to raise funds to help the victims of the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, China.
- “How We Roll - Follow Me” (跟著我˙鼠來寶) – A charity single only available in the limited-edition promotional DVD for the movie Alvin & The Chipmunks released in December 2007.
- “Moment of the First Sight” (一眼瞬間) – A male-female duet with A-Mei in her music album Star released in August 2007.
Discography of Albums
| Album title | Album information | Track listing | Songwriter/ Composer/ Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd LOVE Moments «愛的時刻 自選輯» |
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| 2nd Princess «王妃» |
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| 1st Jam Hsiao Self-titled Album «蕭敬騰同名專輯» |
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Publication
- Jam Hsiao: Listening to Italy 《蕭敬騰．聆聽義大利》 Template:Zh icon
- Taipei Taiwan, Kate Publishers December 24, 2008, ISBN 9789866606274
- Jam Hsiao's Grown-up Ceremony 《蕭敬騰的成年禮》 Template:Zh icon
- Taipei Taiwan, Paperback Publishers December 24, 2007, ISBN 9789578036697
Performances and Activities
Talent Show PK Performances
- One Million Star (超級星光大道)
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- (Original singer: Gary Chaw 曹格) PK against Stanly Hsu 許仁杰
- (Original singer: Gary Chaw 曹格) PK against Aska Yang 楊宗緯
- (Original singer: Wan Fang 萬芳) PK against Aska Yang 楊宗緯
Major Live Performances
- Golden Horse Award 金馬獎 December 2007
- Golden Horse Award 2007 performance
- "The Secret That Cannot Be Told" 不能說的秘密 (Original singer: Jay Chou 周杰倫)
- "Spider Lilies" 小茉莉 (Original singer: Rainie Yang 楊丞琳)
- "Gate of Heaven" 天堂口 (Original singer: Shu Qi 舒淇)
- "Little Love Song" 小情歌 (Original singer: Sodagreen 蘇打綠)
- S-pop Hurray! March 2008
- S-pop Hurray! 2008 performance (Singapore)
- "Really Want to Love You" 太想愛你 (Original singer: Jeff Chang 張信哲)
- "Released" 解脱 (Original singer: A-Mei 張惠妹)
- "Three Days and Two Nights" 三天兩夜 (Original singer: Jacky Cheung 張學友)
- "Romance of Alocasia" 海芋戀 (Original singer: Jam Hsiao 蕭敬騰)
- Jam Hsiao's New-Song Outdoor Concert 蕭敬騰同名專輯新歌發表會 July 2008
- "The Prince's New Clothes" 王子的新衣 performance
- all 11 tracks on his Same-Name Album
- "I Still Believe" feat. Vivian Hsu 徐若瑄
- "Enough or Not" 夠不夠 feat. Khalil Fong 方大同
- "Bad Day" feat. Daniel Powter
- F.I.R.'s "Tenth Planet" Concert, Singapore [special guest] August 2008
- "We Will Rock You" - A duet version sung with F.I.R.'s vocalist, Faye.
- "Collection" 收藏 & "The Prince’s New Clothes" 王子的新衣
- “Missing You Daily” - Memorial Concert for Tom Chang “天天想你”張雨生紀念音樂會 August 2008
- “Affirming Lips Denying Heart” 口是心非 – One of Chang’s most popular classics.
- “I Wish” 我期待 - A male-male duet with Chang’s 1994 recording of the song edited and remixed. The audience was moved by the duo’s marvelously harmonious performance across time and space.
- F.I.R.'s "Tenth Planet" Concert, Hong Kong [special guest] December 2008
- "Last Christmas" - A duet version sung with F.I.R.'s vocalist, Faye.
- "It's My Life"
- "To The Ones I Love" 給．愛人
Acting
- Fated to Love You 命中注定我愛你 episode 18, June 2008
- Hsiao played a clueless veterinarian newbie as a guest actor in episode 18 of this very popular Taiwanese TV soap opera, in which he had hilarious interaction with the soap’s leading actor Ethan Ruan (阮經天).
- Momo Love 桃花小妹 episode 8, October 2009
- Hsiao played a movie star as a guest actor in episode 8 of Momo Love. He was seen with a fellow colleague and both of them were having dinner in a local restaurant.
Endorsements
- The Second Annual Singing Contest of Libra Restaurant 第二屆天秤座民歌大賽, July 2007.
- The new non-alcoholic beverage of Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation 台灣菸酒公司, Monascus Rye Juice (紅麴黑麥汁), June 2008.
- CHUVINCI watch, August 2008.
- Tonlion clothing, October 2008.
- YAMAHA motorcycle "CUXI Fi", December 2008.
- Farglory Realty "The Happy Family Plan, Part 3 of 3 : Wishing You Happiness" (遠雄建設幸福家庭計劃三部曲之三:祝你幸福), January 2009.
Awards
- Taipei Municipal Good Samaritan Award (台北市政府 善心人士獎) in 2003 and 2004
- First Place, The First Annual Singing Contest of Libra Restaurant (第一屆天秤座民歌大賽 冠軍), September 2006
- 3rd Most Searched Person of the Year, Yahoo! Taiwan 雅虎奇摩, 2007
- Top-10 Hit, 2007 KKBOX Digital Music Chart (2007KKBOX數位音樂風雲榜 年度風雲十大歌曲) for “Moment of the First Sight” (一眼瞬間), January 2008
- First Place, 2007 MTV Channel's One-Hundred Golden Hits (2007年MTV台百大發燒金曲 冠軍) for “Moment of the First Sight” (一眼瞬間), February 2008
- Popular Singer, three categories, 2008 Hong Kong Metro Radio Hit Awards (香港新城國語力頒獎禮2008), July 2008
- Outstanding New Artist, Singapore Hit Awards 2008 (第十四屆新加坡金曲獎 優秀新人獎), October 2008
- Top-20 Hit, 2008 Global Mandopop Music Chart (第八屆全球華語歌曲排行榜 年度二十大金曲) for “Collection” (收藏), October 2008
- Hong Kong-Taiwan Region Best New Artist, 2008 East-South Explosive Power Music Chart (第六届東南勁爆音樂榜 勁爆港台地區最佳新人), November 2008
- Top-10 Hit, 2008 East-South Explosive Power Music Chart (第六届東南勁爆音樂榜 十大金曲), for “The Prince’s New Clothes” (王子的新衣), November 2008
- Hong Kong-Taiwan Region Most Potential Male Vocal of the Year, 2008 CCTV-MTV Music Awards (第九屆 CCTV-MTV 音樂盛典 港台地區年度最具潛力男歌手), November 2008
- Top-10 International Original Songs, Malaysia PWH Music Award (馬來西亞娛協獎 Yu Xie Jiang 國際組十大原創歌曲獎) for “Moment of the First Sight” (一眼瞬間), November 2008
- Best Overseas Singer, Malaysia PWH Music Award (馬來西亞娛協獎 Yu Xie Jiang 最佳海外演繹歌手獎) for “Moment of the First Sight” (一眼瞬間), November 2008
- 5th Place on Google Taiwan's most searched people of the year, 8th Place on Google Hong Kong's most searched people of the year (the only Taiwanese amongst the top 10 places), December 2008
- Artiste of The Year with The Most Potential, Most Fashionable Male Artiste of The Year, 2008 QQ Star Awards (騰訊網2008星光大典 年度歌壇潛力歌手, 年度風尚男歌手), December 2008
- Hong Kong-Taiwan Region Best New Artiste, Best Performing Artiste, 2008 Music Pioneer Chart (音樂先鋒榜2008年度頒獎典禮 港台先鋒新人, 先鋒演繹歌手), December 2008
- New Male Artiste With The Most Potential, China Wireless Music Awards 2008 (2008中國移動無線音樂盛典 無線音樂最具潛力男新人), December 2008
- Favourite New Artiste of 2008, Zhong Ge Chart 2008 Annual Beijing Music Awards Ceremony, (中歌榜2008年度北京流行音樂典禮 - 年度港台最受歡迎新人), January 2009
- Most Outstanding New Artiste with the Most Potential, 31st Hong Kong TV-10 Golden Chinese Songs- Music and Awards Ceremony, (第三十一届香港電台十大中文金曲頒獎音樂會 - 最有前途新人獎優異獎), January 2009
- 3rd Place, 2008 KKBOX Digital Music Album Chart for “Jam Hsiao Same-Name Album“, February 2009
- Top-20 Hit, 2008 KKBOX Digital Music Single Chart for “Forgive Me” (原諒我) and “The Prince’s New Clothes” (王子的新衣), February 2009
- Most Popular Male Artist, Best Male Vocalist, Singapore Hit Awards 2009 (第十五屆新加坡金曲獎 最受歡迎男歌手獎, 最佳演繹男歌手獎), November 2009