Vivan Chan breaks into showbiz and gets a career as a singer in Hong Kong before she returns to Macao. Now she is fairly well-known in both cities. Photo courtesy of old sin@Calvan sin Production
Vivan Chan breaks into showbiz and gets a career as a singer in Hong Kong before she returns to Macao. Now she is fairly well-known in both cities. Photo courtesy of old sin@Calvan sin Production
Vivan Chan breaks into showbiz and gets a career as a singer in Hong Kong before she returns to Macao. Now she is fairly well-known in both cities. Photo courtesy of old sin@Calvan sin Production
Vivan Chan breaks into showbiz and gets a career as a singer in Hong Kong before she returns to Macao. Now she is fairly well-known in both cities. Photo courtesy of old sin@Calvan sin Production
Six years ago, Vivian Chan travelled across the border to take part in a singing contest, and went on to sign a contract with an entertainment agency. Having made her name in Hong Kong, it is only recently that she has moved back to Macao. Chan is aware of the different entertainment scenes in both places. She remarked: “It is so much easier being a singer in Macao than in Hong Kong!” However, with the local market in Macao being much more limited, artists who are keen to establish their careers often have to look further afield to demonstrate their potential.
In the past, artists in Macao find Hong Kong a desirable market of opportunities. There used to be a lot of red-tape and challenges to overcome in the process. They used to care a lot about getting visibility in influential media channels or even to cast as various characters in different TV shows. On the other hand, while the local music entertainment market is only catching up, it is easier for an artist to stand out from the competition. “As long as you are passionate and keen to demonstrate yourself, you won’t find it hard to find your own place in Macao’s entertainment scene.”
According to Chan, there is no set norm for the entertainment scene in Macao. “The truth is that as long as you have taken part in TDM’s Best of the Pop Music Awards, you are considered a professional singer.” In Macao, there are a considerable number of activities held by community groups that fuel the demand for singers. Often, an artist would be paid a fee that ranges from several hundred to over ten thousand dollars, and these activities are not subject to many constraints. “As soon as you are spotted by these community leaders perhaps from some newspaper articles, then you will do fine,” Chan said.
However, it is one thing to talk about performance and quite another thing to ensure the survival of these artists. Chan admitted: “Compared to Hong Kong, there are not so many people who support the industry here.” She pointed out that, given Hong Kong’s seven million population, a small supporter base for the entertainment circle would already sustain the artists. In Macao, however, this is still lacking.
One example to illustrate the difference between the markets in Macao and Hong Kong lies in the nature of concerts. So far, there are no singers in Macao whose concerts are fully sold out, or where tickets are sold at skyrocket prices. Chan revealed that, even for her own concert last year, her five-figure box office earnings also fell short of the production costs. It is only with her own established reputation in Hong Kong that she managed to bring in more sponsorship to even out the costs. In addition, unlike artists in Hong Kong, singers in Macao do not have so many opportunities to secure side businesses such as films, brand promotion and other publicity activities. “After all, Hong Kong is a much bigger city and has a more mature market.”
Large-scale music concerts, prizes at major music awards, and carefully curated albums are often seen as the typical means of advancement in the music entertainment industry. While Chan believes that these can add to the publicity and aura of the artists and increase their commercial value, their relevance within Macao and, to a greater extent, the global context, is debatable.
Chan strongly believes in pushing the boundaries of an artist, instead of relying on the formulaic. “I long to have my own version of music concert world tour. I don’t mean the type expected of superstars, but an interactive experience with the audience in places like the live house, in the streets, the balconies and the parks…” She dreams of creating an “expansive universe” at her own pace within Macao’s music enterprise. “There are unconventional ways to make new albums and launch music concerts. In this digital age, PPAP is so popular. Remember the man who staged his performance in front of a whiteboard? He became known everywhere by uploading his video clip. In this era, as long as you can come up with a good idea, life is filled with possibilities.
