LH: Lorraine Hahn (前CNN主播)

　　JC: Jacky Cheung 张学友

　　LH: This week on TalkAsia, a Hong Kong superstar whose soulful songs melt hearts across the world. This is Talk Asia。

　　Welcome to TalkAsia, I'm Lorraine Hahn, my guest this week is Hong Kong superstar Jacky Cheung. It all began with a singing competition in1984, beating 10,000 contestants; Cheung walked away with first prizeand was snapped up by a record label. His breakthrough came in 1991 with themega-Canto-pop hit 'Loving you a little more every day'. Two yearslater, Cheung became the first Hong Kong singer to win over the lucrative mandarin-speaking market, with the album 'Goodbye kiss'. Since then,he's been showered with multiple singing accolades. And as if releasingmore then 60 albums so far isn't enough, Cheung has appeared in dozensof films to critical acclaim. Music critics say that at 43, Cheung iswithout doubt one of the four if not quote 'the heavenly king' of canto-pop. Jacky joins me now to tell me how he does it and much much more.。。

　　LH: It's good to see you thank you very much for coming in

　　JC: No, I've been looking forward to talking

　　LH: Why do you think you have continued to endure and be as popular as you are -- for so long?

　　JC: I don't know. Well, the one theory that Ibelieve is that you have to keep working. Well, as in artist peoplejust look at the work. New people might love your new things and somepeople might love the old things, so you've got to keep doing something, keep exploring yourself。

　　LH: You know there's so much new talent coming intothe markets these days, is that a concern for you? Does that mean youhave to be more on the ball, more on the edge?

　　JC: Why, I mean, once I was new to the othersinging sections, now I'm one of the very.。。(LH: veteran. Laughs)senior -- senior singer, ok?! -- so, that's quite normal to meactually. And I think the scenes need more new blood。

　　LH: You are known for your ballads, the songs thatyou sing.。。(JC: I sing fast number. Laughs LH: Yes, you know) I don'tknow why but you seem to be associated with, you know, these slow,romantic songs Why is this? Does it reflect you as a person more sothan the fast pumping songs?

　　JC: I think the first thing is I didn't dance asgood as Aaron Kwok, that's why! And secondly I think I did have a fewvery, very popular ballad songs and that's why (LH: People associatewith that) people might easier associate me with that。

　　LH: You have also very successfully broken into themandarin-speaking market -- Taiwan and then China -- was it difficultto make that transition?

　　JC: It's not why...I have little advantage, becauseI was brought up in a mandarin-speaking family actually -- yeh myfamily is from Tianjin. So my Grandma is speaking mandarin only

　　LH: You've done different fast songs, rap albums,an English album to you name as well -- why the diversity, is it achallenge for you or...?

　　JC: I love to keep moving actually, that's why I'vebeen trying different things. I believe in that, it keeps me alive. Imean, as I said, you need to explore yourself, find more about yourselfand try more new things that keep you alive. That's why I'm doing...andI still believe in this, that's why I'm still doing it。

　　LH: In your last album you wrote all the songs, correct? (JC: Yes. Laughs LH: Wow) I mean, why write, why start writing?

　　JC:It's all because of...ok, for a certain time there was a feel quitelost in the market and what am I going to do? Ok, if you consider thekind of market -- what kind of album can sell in the market now? Theremight be a lot of reason for not very ideal market sales now, theremight be a lot of reason. One thing I think is you really need to beyourself in the market. That's why I started to write something. Thebest way to tell people who you are is to write something aboutyourself, and tell them about yourself. So I started writing somelyrics and some songs。

　　LH: And you dedicated one of them to friends, yourvery close friends right -- Anita Mui(梅艳芳) and Leslie Cheung(张国荣)-- whoboth passed away?

　　JC: Well, this is uhh...I think 2003 is quite aterrible year for many people in Hong Kong, of course, in our scenes welost quite a few friends, actually. It affected me a bit and I justreflected in my album

　　LH: If you had person in this world -- anyone in this world -- who would you sing with?

　　JC: Elton John

　　LH: Elton John? Wow, you know I interviewed him recently, right? When he was in Hong Kong. Yeh, he's wonderful. Why Elton John?

　　JC: Well, he used to be my idol for so many years,actually, since I was in my teenage. And he's still standing thereremember his song "I'm still standing", he's been struggling and thisis the way I look into life. He's great, he can hold a concert withoutany other musicians, just give him piano he can sit there sing forthree hours (LH: or even more, hit after hit)

　　LH: Jacky, we're going to take a very short break. Just ahead on TalkAsia, a clip of Jacky's breakout role, and his earlier days. That's coming up。