::阳光|摆渡圣者―周华健::

You don't know wakin

文：Pauline

Born in Hong Kong but college educated in Taiwan, Emil Chau Wa Kin is a singer, actor and entrepreneur who has captured everyone' s heart.

He learned to play the guitar when he was 13 or 14 just for fun. He went to college in Taiwan in 1979. At that time, there was a popular tradition of "campus folk singers"-- singers and songwriters who performed in coffee shops.

Here, Wa Kin learned to sing in Mandarin which was to prove an important step for his future in Taiwan. Hoping to start a career as a recording artist, he began to meet people in the recording industry without success. He decided to become a record producer and gave up the dream of being a singer.

He joined Rock Records as an assistant producer and also wrote songs for other singers. Almost by chance he got the opportunity to sing jingles for advertising. One, for a car commercial, caught the attention of his boss at Rock Records who said, " Is that your voice? Why don't you release an album?"

So in 1987 he released his first Mandarin ablum at Rock Records. As he struggled to become a singer he ended up as a record producer, and when working as a producer he became a singer!

During his years as a producer, he had also met his future wife, Constance who is from America. They started dating, then got engaged and about a year later, in 1986, they got married. Wa Kin said,"She's the kind of wife that brings you luck."

Certainly Wa Kin's career has taken off since he's got married. Since 1987, he has released about 30 ablums in Mandarin, Cantonese and English. His platimum ablums such as "You Make me Happy and Sad", "Flower Heart", " Music Brings Us Together", " Emil & Friends" have brought him numerous awards both from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

His international popularity has made him start touring and doing concerts. His concerts are simple by Asian standards. No mirrors, swirling smoke and lights, just the singer, his guitar and the backing musicians.

Besides his singing career, Wa Kin has appeared in movies and has hosted several TV shows both in Hong Kong and Taiwan. His clean-cut image, friendly disposition and passion for music have made him one of the most admirable idols in the industry.