During a breakup, don’t listen to love songs, but when feeling down, you might as well listen to Fong Ho Man’s songs. From “You Are Your Own Legend” to the recent “How Are You”, she has always used music to record, express, and cheer up everyone living in this land. You can find resonance in her songs, every heartwarming lyric is like a friend cheering you on, healing every wounded soul. The changes in Hong Kong in recent years have left people with complex emotions. For Fong Ho Man, she, like everyone else, lives in the same city, breathing the same air, experiencing the emotions and real feelings that we all face together. As a Hong Konger, she has always encouraged everyone through music.
As a famous creative talent in Hong Kong, Fiona Fung has taken charge of her albums in recent years, handling both lyrics and music herself. Whether it’s the melody or the lyrics, they are very engaging. From “If the World Isn’t as You Expected”, “Finally Good Weather”, “Wish”, “People Say”, “All We Have Is Now”… to her latest hit “How Are You”, she expresses care with genuine emotions, hoping that everyone who listens can take care of themselves and live well. Her pursuit in music goes beyond singing heartbreak songs, with many valuable expressions related to social issues and current events. Speaking out for the public, exposing social ills, she turns her experiences and inspirations in this city into melodies and lyrics, writing and singing them out one song at a time.
She is such a real and frank person, unafraid of external opinions, being the most authentic self.
Having been in the industry for over twenty years, she will finally have her first solo concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum this August. The concert was originally scheduled for last year but was postponed for a year due to the pandemic, changing from the original theme of “The Spring of Hope” to “LOST n FOUND” to meet everyone again. The feeling of losing and then finding again is bittersweet, but for Charmaine, the turbulent process has become more interesting. Looking back on her musical journey, without major support, step by step she has not forgotten her original intention and sense of mission, using each good song to tell us that even without overwhelming promotion, heartfelt production can still find like-minded people.
“It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,” excerpted from the literary masterpiece “A Tale of Two Cities,” meaning that there is light at the end of the darkness. Embracing such an experience for her first concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum, for Charmaine who has always been in the alternative scene, it seems to contain some kind of revelation. Is it a continuous reflection on moving forward, or a reminder to hold onto beliefs? Today, let’s start with a simple “How are you?” and feel the vitality in this “alternative” flow of life.
「就是不隨波逐流。」
“I think in many things, there are things to do and things not to do.”
The name Fang Haomin seems to have long been associated with “alternative.” “Alternative” not only refers to her self-deprecation in her songs, but also to a group of non-mainstream individuals under the mainstream. Universal values like to follow the mainstream, ignoring those who still insist on being themselves, gradually forgetting to truly be themselves. Although you can say “a person in the world, not by oneself” to justify, Fang Haomin is definitely one of the few who insists on being herself. In the lyrics, she writes, “Even if I starve, I actually have a problem, I have a fire in my heart,” meaning that there is still a fire in her heart that has not been extinguished. Not to mention singers, even ordinary workers lack enthusiasm for work/life, often just doing things for the sake of doing them, but Charmaine never sells out to the mainstream, only following her own heart, writing her own songs, and sharing her own propositions.
We should be grateful that there are still people in Hong Kong who create and sing not for fame.
She appears cold on the outside but is warm on the inside, easily giving people a contrasting impression of her true personality. Charmaine believes that this contrast is only focused on a few songs. Looking back at her past collection of songs, it actually covers a wide range of topics. Therefore, she hopes to continue writing songs with different content in the future without any constraints. The best way to understand Charmaine is to listen to her songs, as she puts all her thoughts and feelings into her music. She also admits, “If you want to know what I’m thinking, just listen to my songs, and you’ll know what my state of mind was like during that period.”
Throughout, the “singer” has always been an extraordinary identity in the eyes of the public, but Charmaine, who has always been in a different stream, does not make such a distinction. Ordinary or extraordinary is just a matter of perspective. She affirmatively said, “I think everything is a choice and decision. In fact, every day there are many choices and decisions to make, many very small decisions accumulate, and they will become your personality. So, I think that besides ‘knowing what to do,’ what not to do is also very important.” She explains that the preciousness of making choices lies not in what can represent oneself, but rather, choosing not to do something is the most valuable. As for the identity of a singer, you will agree that Charmaine never pursues fame and fortune. Instead, her focus will be on what inspiration “You Are Your Own Legend” can bring to fans, whether “If The World Is Not As You Expected” accurately expresses what she wants, or if “People Talk” is straightforward enough.
For this mission, she has never felt that she has achieved anything extraordinary. “I don’t think there is a distinction between ordinary and extraordinary. The most important thing is to live a life you want, and to respect each other when interacting with others. In fact, being a singer is a public figure, your own words and ideas will influence others through your music. What responsibility do you have as a singer? In fact, it’s all about using your life to impact others, that’s the best state,” she explained.
For alternative interpretations, perhaps the public still believes that creators or performers are giving up popular arrangements and catchy lyrics, to some extent, there is a kind of “sacrifice.” However, when you savor Charmaine’s works, in her 34 albums, over 130 lyrics, there is actually a soul hidden – a soul that adheres to living the life she wants and believes in mutual respect when interacting. It will change, evolve with the experiences of the host, and refine a group of strong hearts.
For Charmaine, perhaps this is the true interpretation of the alternative.
「只要明白你所失去，心態上便夠強大向前行。」
“Because you never know if the next moment after defeat will lead you to a brighter path.”
To hold a concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum is believed to be every singer’s greatest wish. However, a century pandemic forced Charmaine’s first solo concert at the Coliseum to be postponed. Could the full path of thorns be the destiny of the alien?
“No,” Charmaine denied firmly.
Charmaine shared that the original name of the concert should have been “Spring of Hope”, as the inspiration was taken from Charles Dickens’ literary masterpiece “A Tale of Two Cities”. After going through cancellations, postponements, and a successful reorganization, Charmaine realized the need to rename the concert, eventually developing into “LOST n FOUND”. Does gaining always involve losing? Or is it through loss that we gain? Charmaine explained that the most direct interpretation of “LOST n FOUND” is the experience of losing and then finding the concert, while another layer of meaning can be split into “LOST” and “FOUND”. The former refers to the two years of turmoil that Hong Kong has experienced, filled with various losses in life; the latter, on the other hand, sends a message to everyone to learn to deal with adversity, to remind oneself to stay strong, and to live each day well.
The concert was held again with a clearer theme, as even seen on the official poster released afterwards. The crumbling stone heads floating in the pitch-black sea exude a sense of loneliness and disappointment. But upon closer inspection, a small line on the poster reads: “Not until we are lost, do we begin to understand ourselves,” which is actually the core idea of Charmaine and the entire concert. “In fact, we need to encounter difficulties and setbacks in order to know our limits and weaknesses, and thus become stronger. When everything goes smoothly, you don’t know where your weaknesses lie, making it difficult to progress or understand what the next step should be.” Charmaine shared from this experience: “When you know your weaknesses, don’t feel defeated or discouraged, because you never know if after defeat, the next moment will lead you to a brighter path.”
Life has its ups and downs, with pain, disappointment, and moments of helplessness, but no matter how much darkness there is, it will always pass. Although we cannot control our circumstances, we can adjust our mindset. May each of us, after the darkness, welcome the dawn. This is what Charmaine has always wanted to encourage everyone with.
Has the theme of “loss” and “gain” been highlighted in Charmaine’s creative work and life in recent years?
“Absolutely,” Charmaine replied without hesitation.
“When you feel a bit lost, unhappy, or facing difficulties in life, it will inspire your creativity. You can then channel it into your work, helping others and yourself. Conversely, when you encounter a creative block, you actually need to return to life, feel life, feel others more, feel society a bit, and naturally, you will find material. In fact, the two are closely related.”
So, is optimism inevitable from experiencing LOST to seeking FOUND? Charmaine’s view is: “I don’t think anyone is absolutely optimistic or pessimistic. I think both overlap. But I think the most important thing is to live in the moment, all we have is now.” Easier said than done, every word that comes out of Charmaine’s mouth is actually a simple and easy-to-understand thought instruction, some encouragement you can always hear when facing challenges, but these words coming from her mouth, that tension and lightness will naturally show. It is this unpretentious, unadorned atmosphere that slowly exudes an extraordinary charm to Fang Haomin’s name, and I believe it is the power that fans want to feel from “LOST n FOUND”.
LOST n FOUND, hoping that everyone can rediscover their original intentions from Fang Haomin, be full of heart, and cherish every bit of beauty around them.
「做歌手的責任是，用生命去影響生命。」
In addition to the concert, Charmaine recently released two new songs, “How Are You” and “Endless Fragments.” Interestingly, these are not promotional songs for the concert, but they hold deep meaning for her. “For over a decade, I have been writing my own songs and lyrics, but this time I invited ‘Yexi’ to write the lyrics and Xu Jizong to compose the music,” Charmaine explained. “I really enjoy the feeling of interacting with musicians I admire. Although I usually long for the creative space when I write my own songs, I found that collaborating with others brings a great sense of excitement, challenge, and fun. The joy lies in making music, recording, and promoting it, as I truly enjoy and find it fun. So, this whole experience is unforgettable.” Perhaps due to a sense of “unfamiliarity,” you can feel Charmaine’s excitement when she talks about this collaboration. “It’s been so long since I sang someone else’s songs, so it’s quite challenging.”
In addition, it is worth recommending the song “Endless Fragments”. This is the theme song of the 13-minute Hong Kong animation “Polar Night”, created by Zhang Xiaota, a new media lecturer at PolyU, with lyrics by Xiao Ke and vocals by Fang Haomin. It tells a story about fear. In the windy desert, a girl in a yellow dress with a missing piece on her shoulder looks around, bends down to pick up the broken pieces on the ground, compares them to the hole in her body, feels disappointed, it’s still not right. Her gaze passes through a hole in the heart of a little girl in a red dress in front of her. She tries to put it in, but it falls out again. Tears well up in the innocent eyes of the little girl. Behind her comes a girl in a blue dress with a sharp missing corner on her face. They search, remember, and are chased by a giant monster to the edge of a cliff.
The story is named “Polar Night” because in the film, the night reaches its end and welcomes a cruel ending. Animator Zhang Xiaota hopes to have a song to accompany the audience through a difficult moment, even if it is a very painful stage, dark and unable to move forward, it will end, just like this film will end.
In the big era, small individuals face their own weaknesses and pains at different stages of life, constantly experiencing endless battles with themselves and the external environment. Animator Zhang Xiaota likes Fang Haomin, so he asked her to be the lead singer. Charmaine agreed without hesitation because this is the influence she has always wanted to bring to everyone through her identity as a singer.
Charmaine, who is tirelessly devoted to her creations, finds inspiration in a more natural and pure way than most people think, and there is no so-called “searching” or “brainstorming” in the process. She bluntly states, “The most important thing in creation is life – have you really lived, felt others, observed the world? When you want to create, inspiration comes from your life, so you have to live truly in your life. Then I think there will naturally be material.”
Life is a very important factor for Charmaine, and it can even be said to be everything she creates. Charmaine openly talks about her connection with life, sometimes holding on tightly and sometimes letting go, in order to keep herself sensitive to her surroundings. “I feel that sometimes I am very concerned, and sometimes I will look at the world from a third person perspective, look at other people’s stories, pay attention to what is happening in society, and how it relates to me. When you resonate with these things, slowly you will write some topics that resonate with everyone.”
So, what kind of relationship has been established between the creation influenced by life and Fiona Fung? She said: “Fiona Fung is just like Fiona Fung’s life. So many times you will hear her songs are very related to life; maybe everyone is living in Hong Kong, so it also explains why others always feel that my songs are more soothing, or make people feel very empathetic.” Just like the resonance gained from “If the world doesn’t come as you expected,” she said: “‘I know how sad you are,’ is because I do live the same life as you all, so what I write comes from life, which is why it’s easier for everyone to resonate.” Perhaps, this sincerely touching influence is the creative mission that Charmaine believes in: “What responsibility do you have as a singer? Actually, it’s all about using life to influence life, this is the best state.”
“Just live the life you want to live, that’s already being true to yourself, that’s already enough.”
Moving away from the mainstream, Charmaine not only has to endure more distractions and neglect from others, but the overlooked aspect also creates the possibility of taking a step back. This space allows Charmaine, who values life, to bring priceless freedom of imagination. In a chaotic world, her music brings solace to people, but does it mean she is immune to it all? Not at all, she still feels pain, cries, and gets lost, but what she has always relied on is a pen, a pile of black and white keys, a few buttons, and a piece of sheet music; or perhaps, the upcoming nights of “LOST n FOUND.” Choosing to hold a concert at this moment is by no means easy for Charmaine, but living out her true self in this chaotic world is even more difficult.
“Of course it’s not easy. The whole world, the big environment, all have some rules, and when you want to be true to yourself, to follow your own rules is the most difficult,” Charmaine continued to share: “So, you must believe in your abilities, continue to bravely try to move forward.”
Life is a choice, not necessarily defined only in major moments, but rather, a small thing can make or break you. Charmaine often makes decisive decisions on the path of life and creation, “I see a way to operate in the world, when I feel something is not right, I will point out the problem. I believe in my own way, to make the music I believe in. I can’t define whether my way is rebellious, how others perceive it, I can’t control. But I think the most important thing is to do what you believe in, when you have this freedom to do what you want to do, you will have your own piece of sky.”
Music is art, but music is more like cultivation. Today, more than ten years later, Charmaine, who has won the “Most Popular Female Singer” award and is about to have her first solo concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum, what kind of experience does she have with the current situation? “I feel like I have been doing what I like all the way; just doing things I like, not compromising, sticking to my beliefs and moving forward, I think that’s enough.”
But being true to oneself is easier said than done.
Charmaine said, “Actually, there’s no need to try so hard. Just live the life you want, that’s already being true to yourself, that’s already enough. The most important thing is that you live with an attitude and lifestyle that you like, that’s already enough.”
「我真的很期待這次演唱會」
Life comes and goes in a hurry, but originally, it is an unexpected return after loss. Loss does not necessarily mean fear, and what you gain in the process may make you endure countless hardships, as Charmaine said: “The most important thing is to have gains and meaning in the process; ultimately, if it is found, you will be elevated to another stage, you will become stronger, learn how to strive every day, and continue to move forward.” This is the best of time, this is the worst of time. In these two years, the world has been in turmoil, values and beliefs have even faced moments of collapse; to bring comfort in the midst of collapse is an extraordinary mission, perhaps even a divine will, allowing the stubborn Charmaine to move forward with delicate and pure feelings.
Charmaine describes herself as someone who is not good at expressing herself or speaking a lot. She prefers observing and putting everything she sees into music. Appreciating her presence, she has nurtured valuable values of being true to oneself, sticking to beliefs, and persisting. Implementing is never easy, but finally, when you open the playlist, you can find a voice that will calm you down and support you to continue moving forward.
Finally, when it came to the end of the shoot, Charmaine chatted with us again and expressed her excitement for this concert once more. She revealed that she has been busy with concert rehearsals and preparations recently, leaving her with less time to spend with her family. However, she hopes to meet her fans who support and love her in the best condition. She exclaimed, “Ah! I am really looking forward to this concert. I hope to have a very happy and memorable evening with everyone. Because I haven’t had much contact with everyone for a long time, so I hope this time is like a union with everyone, gathering together to enjoy the evening. I hope everyone can put aside all the pressures of life and enjoy the performance. And I will be happy to do a good show myself.”
Grateful to Xiao Ming, who has been using his singing to open the hearts of passersby along the way, warming countless souls. The wind and rain will eventually come to an end, now it’s our turn to cheer you on, sending blessings in advance for your successful concert. The concert will be held from August 26-29, and tickets will be available for public sale on July 29 on the City Computer Ticketing Network.
–
Executive Producer: Angus Mok
Producer: Vicky Wai
Photography: Simon C
Videography: Anson Chan, Andy Lee
Styling: Vicky Wai
Make up: Nataliesoo @ ndnco
Hair: Don Don @ D.A.K Hair
Video Editor: Anson Chan, Andy Lee
Editor: Carson Lin
Designer: Tanna Cheng
Wardrobe: Lane Crawford, Piaget, Ambush, Christian Louboutin
