Kit Chan (born 15 September 1972) is a Singaporean singer and actress.
Kit Chan | |
|---|---|
 Chan in 2022 | |
| Born | 15 September 1972 |
| Other names | Chen Jieyi |
| Education | |
| Alma mater | Lasalle-SIA College of the Arts |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) |
| Spouse |
Han
(m. 2012; div. 2017) |
| Awards | Star Awards 2000 : Best Theme Song Star Awards 2012 : Best Theme Song Star Awards 2016 : Best Theme Song |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Labels | Ocean Butterflies (1993–2004) Banshee Empire (2010–Present) Taihe Music Group (2015–Present) |
| Chinese name | |
| Traditional Chinese | 陳潔儀 |
| Simplified Chinese | 陈洁仪 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Chén Jiéyí |
| Bopomofo | ㄔㄣˊ ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄧˊ |
| Jyutping | can4 git3 ji4 |
| Website | www |
Early life and education
editBorn on 15 September 1972 in Singapore, Chan is the third daughter in a family of four sisters.
Chan studied in Fairfield Methodist School, Raffles Girls' School, Raffles Junior College and Lasalle-SIA College of the Arts.[1] During Chan's six-year hiatus from the music scene from 2004 to 2010, she returned to LaSalle as a mature student. She wrote a thesis on the psychology of performance and graduated with first-class honors.[2]
Career
editSince her debut in 1993, Chan has worked in singing, theatre, television drama, poetry, song-writing, entrepreneurship and creative direction. In 1994, Chan released the album Heartache (心痛) into the Taiwanese market. She subsequently released more albums regionally including Liking You (喜欢你), Dazzling (炫耀), and Worried (担心), performing in parts of Asia, the United States, Korea, and New Zealand, as well as collaborating with symphonies and orchestras in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.
Chan performed a song, Home, during the 1998 Singapore National Day Parade which became very popular in Singapore. It was subsequently performed in various editions of the National Day Parades.
Chan took a hiatus in 2004 from her performing career to further her studies and joined international PR consultancy Hill & Knowlton as a campaign specialist in 2007. She worked on the Ministry of Defence's 2009 Total Defence campaign, 'What Will You Defend?'.[2] She left the company after 19 months.[3][4]
Chan has also worked linguistically and theatrically, with her Cantopop, and English albums. She has held lead roles in the Hong Kong musical Snow.Wolf.Lake with Jacky Cheung – both the Cantonese version in 1997 and the Mandarin production in 2005 – followed by The Legend (where she played the late Teresa Teng), and Forbidden City: Portrait of An Empress (where she played the young Empress Dowager Cixi)– first performed in 2002 as part of the Esplanade's opening programme, and again in 2003. Chan has also played the lead in the Dutch-Hong Kong production of East Meets West, and the Taiwanese musical What's Love Got to Do with It?.
In September 2006, she reprised her role again in Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress, as part of a plan to make this musical internationally recognized, in the hope of going on a world tour. Chan later fronted the first Singapore Day in New York City in 2007. After her corporate sojourn, Chan performed the commissioned theme song One World at the APEC 2009 Gala Night and returned the theatre as leading lady (Li Qing) in the Mandarin musical December Rains (雨季) at Esplanade Theatre in 2010. In the same year, she sang Home for the third time at the National Day Parade. Chan was also a member of the cast of the television drama Healing Hands II, the sequel to TVB's medical drama Healing Hands in 2000. She was the female lead in SPH MediaWorks Channel U's drama serial Cash is King. Chan also acted in the 2010 film Lover's Discourse.
In 2011, Chan released her first studio album Re-interpreting Kit Chan (重譯 陳潔儀) since 2004 and staged two solo concerts in collaboration with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra at Esplanade Concert Hall, as the anchor performance of the Huayi Chinese Festival of Arts 2011. In the same year, she held her three-night solo concert The Music Room at the Marina Bay Sands Grand Theater. Also in 2011, Chan worked with Nexus, Ministry of Defence as Creative Director for the Total Defence "Home – Keeping It Together" Campaign 2011. She was also executive producer for the remake of the Home MV, which featured 39 local artistes spanning different genres, eras and races, including Max Surin, Dick Lee, Taufik Batisah, JJ Lin, and Stefanie Sun.[5] She wrote the theme song 倔强 for the MediaCorp Channel 8 anniversary drama Devotion, which won Best Drama Theme Song award at the 2012 Star Awards. Concerts themed An Enchanted Evening with Chiu Tsang Hei (傾城) were also held in Hong Kong.[6]
In 2014, Chan performed in her first leading film role in Jason Lai's Miss J Contemplates Her Choice as the titular Miss J, who offers advice to callers on a radio talk show. The film premiered at the Singapore International Film Festival in December.[7] In 2014, Chan reportedly underwent a surgical procedure that left her barely able to speak, however she completed her 'Spellbound' concert eventually in 2015 at Star Theatre.[8][9][10] She also participated in China reality singing contest I Am A Singer where Chinese critic Deng Ke remarked that Kit Chan can't sing.[11] She announced her retirement from performing at the National Day Parades in 2015 after making her last NDP performance.[12] In 2015, she sang the theme song for Channel 8 Blockbuster The Dream Makers II.
In July 2016, she released her first album of original material in 12 years, titled The Edge of Paradise (天堂边缘). In September, Chan ended her Spellbound concert tour with a finale at Singapore Indoor Stadium to a 7,000-strong audience.
In 2018, Chan marked her 25th anniversary as a singer with an acoustic live sessions album in which she also penned the lyrics for the title track “A Time for Everything”. She also staged “25 Years On: A Time For Everything” concerts in Singapore and Taipei.
Chan has published a collection of her English poems, Cork out of my Head, in 2000 in Taiwan, I Write a Page in 2000 in Singapore, and a fiction book (together with her friend, Siew Fern Yong) titled Cathy and Jodie: The Princess and the Flea.[13]
In 2022, Chan performed in The LKY Musical, where she performed as the late Madam Kwa Geok Choo, the wife of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.[14][15]
Community involvement
editIn 1998, Chan was appointed as the first National Youth Ambassador for Singapore's National Youth Council. She served for two years.[1] From 2001 to 2005, she served as a council member with the National Youth Council.[13] In 2002 the Commonwealth Youth Programme Asia Centre awarded her an Award for Excellence in Youth Work.[1]
In 2007, Chan was appointed to the board of the National Heritage Board over a two-year period, reaching out to the Singapore audience and linking with the creative industries.[16]
She is also the ambassador to the Christian relief organization "World Vision".
Business ventures
editChan has invested in two boutiques in Singapore, Flowers in the Attic and Roses in the Loft.[1]
In 2010, Chan set up her own record label, named after her singing group Banshee Empire from when she was in secondary school.[17]
Personal life
editOn 8 December 2012, Chan married her long-time boyfriend, who was a finance director and known only as Han, whom she first met in 2000.[18] The couple had since divorced in 2017.[19]
Discography
edit| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Do Not Destroy The Harmony (EP) 不要傷了和气 |
| 1994 | Heartache 心痛 |
| 1995 | Cornered 逼得太紧 |
| 1996 | Sadness 伤心 |
| Don't Let Me Hate You 别让我恨你 | |
| 1997 | Revelation 揭晓 (Cantonese) |
| 1998 | "Home" (Single) |
| Dreams and Memories 有你愛过 (Cantonese) | |
| Too Deep in the Act 入戏太深 | |
| 1999 | Dazzling 炫耀 |
| 2000 | That Day, That Night 那天那夜 |
| Best 最好 (Cantonese) | |
| Lola 萝拉 | |
| 2001 | Numbness 麻醉 (Cantonese) |
| 2002 | Like Kit 喜歡.潔儀.喜歡 (Compilation) |
| Dreamscape 异想世界 | |
| 2003 | Understand 懂得 |
| 2004 | East Toward Saturn 东弯土星 |
| 2008 | Kit Chan Selections 私房歌 (2CD) |
| 2009 | Kit Chan Selections 私房歌 (24K Gold edition) |
| Wait and Wait 等了又等 | |
| 2011 | Re-interpreting 重译 |
| Re-interpreting (Version 2) 重译 (第二版) 重奏 (CD+DVD) | |
| 2016 | Waiting 等 (EP) |
| The Edge of Paradise 天堂邊緣 | |
| 2018 | A Time For Everything |
| 2022 | In Parallel 平行线 (EP) |
Theatre
edit| Year | Performance type | Title | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Musical (Cantonese) | Snow.Wolf.Lake | Hong Kong |
| 1998 | Musical (Cantonese) | The Legend 漫步人生路 | Hong Kong |
| 2001 | Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese) | That's Kit 就是陳潔儀 | Singapore |
| 2002 | Musical (Cantonese) | East Meets West 千里情牽 | Hong Kong |
| Musical (English) | Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress 慈禧太后 | Singapore | |
| 2003 | Musical (Mandarin) | What's Love About? 愛情有什麼道理 | Singapore |
| Musical (English) | Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress 慈禧太后 | Singapore | |
| 2005 | Musical (Mandarin) | Snow.Wolf.Lake | China, Hong Kong |
| 2006 | Musical (English) | Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress 慈禧太后 | Singapore |
| 2009 | Concert (Mandarin / Cantonese) | Join Love Club Concert 情牽女人心演唱會 | Hong Kong |
| 2010 | Musical (Mandarin) | December Rains 雨季 | Singapore |
| 2011 | Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese) | My Musical Journey 我的音乐之旅 | Singapore |
| Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese) | The Music Room 想像空间 | Singapore | |
| 2012 | Concert (Cantonese) | An Enchanted Evening with Chiu Tsang Hei 傾城 | Hong Kong |
| 2015 | Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese) | Kit Chan Spellbound 著迷·陳潔儀 | Hong Kong, Singapore, China |
| 2017 | Musical (English) | Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress 慈禧太后 | Singapore |
| 2018 | Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese) | Kit Chan 25 Years On：A Time For Everything | Singapore |
| 2019 | Musical (Cantonese) | Matteo Rucci 利瑪竇 | Hong Kong |
| Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese) | Kit Chan 25 Years： A Time For Everything | Taiwan | |
| 2021 | Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese) | Reignite 'Live' in Concert | Singapore |
| 2022 | Musical (English) | The LKY Musical | Singapore |
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Eating Air | Mysterious Girl | ||
| 2010 | Lover's Discourse | Mrs. Lai | ||
| 2014 | Miss J Contemplates Her Choice | Miss J | [20] |
Television series
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Healing Hands II | Dorothy Yuen | |
| 2004 | Cash Is King | Huang Jin Hao |
Web series
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Patisserie Fighting | See Yu Tin | Mediacorp Toggle web-series |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Singapore Hit Awards, Media Recommendation—Best Newcomer | |
| 1995 | Singapore Hit Awards, Best Local Artiste | |
| 1997 | 8th Gold Awards, World Best Chinese Female Artiste | |
| Hit Radio Pop Music Awards, Outstanding Female Artiste | ||
| 1999 | Singapore Hit Awards, Best Local Artiste | |
| Her World Young Woman Achiever[21] | ||
| 2000 | Singapore Hit Awards, Best Local Artiste | |
| COMPASS Award, Top Local Artiste of the Year | ||
| Hit Radio Awards 2000, Best Chinese Artiste Outside Hong Kong & Taiwan Territories |
Star Awards
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Star Awards 1998 | Best Theme Song | Myths & Legends of Singapore | Nominated | |
| 2000 | Star Awards 2000 | Best Theme Song | My Home Affairs | Won | |
| 2012 | Star Awards 2012 | Best Theme Song | Devotion | Won | |
| 2016 | Star Awards 2016 | Best Theme Song | The Dream Makers II | Won |
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Kit Chan | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Kit Chan". Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
- ^ "Kit Chan: From showbiz to office and back again". Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
- ^ "Kit is back in showbiz". Archived from the original on 24 August 2010.
- ^ "Singapore classic "Home" gets remade for Total Defence Day". Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ "The Final Roar at Singapore's National Stadium".
- ^ "Miss J Contemplates Her Choice". SGIFF. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ^ "Kit Chan Spellbound Concert 2015". VizPro. MediaCorp VizPro International Pte Ltd. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ Toh, Christopher. "Concert review: Kit Chan's Spellbound". Today. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ Han, Wei Chou. "Kit Chan enthralls at Spellbound concert in Singapore". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ Quek, Eugene. "The shocking reason behind Kit Chan's exit from I Am A Singer!". her world plus. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ Hio, Lester. "Kit Chan says this year may be her last NDP performance". The Straits Times. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ a b "CREATIVE YOUTH XCHANGE @ HELLO KITTY WINNERS UNVEILED" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2011.
- ^ "Kit Chan to play Mrs Lee Kuan Yew opposite Adrian Pang in The LKY Musical". 26 April 2022.
- ^ "Theatre review: The LKY Musical's strong cast performances bring history to life for younger generations". 13 September 2022.
- ^ "NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD CHARTS FRESH DIRECTIONS WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2011.
- ^ "FINDING HER VOICE". Jetstar Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
- ^ Soh, Elizabeth. "Local songbird Kit Chan ties the knot". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ "Newly-single Kit Chan opens up about her divorce - Toggle". Toggle. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
- ^ "Ms J Contemplates Her Choice". TODAY. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ "KIT CHAN". Retrieved 4 December 2015.