Exclusive Interview With Kemis 
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Eventually, the talent, knowledge and effort all came together to bring out this gifted product. Kemis says, “Of course, all this is due in large part to having interest. Without the love of Chinese songs, there would have been none of this pursuit.”
No wonder so many people and media companies have been trying to contact him these days. While speaking to him, I realized Kemis speaks very humbly about all this sudden attention and he “…didn’t think it would cause such a big stir.” Just like Justin and his rise to stardom, Kemis is beginning to feel the overwhelming presence of being an upcoming artist. Hong Kong’s most popular radio station, Chik Chak 903 interviewed him due to his popular videos all over the Internet. Furthermore, rapper artist Jin the Emcee has also expressed interest in the idea of a possible collaboration at some point. |
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Kemis chatted recently with Terri of Karazen.com
KARAZEN: So how does it feel like knowing that millions of people all over the world have seen your videos and knows who you are?
Kemis: I try not to think about it otherwise, it would phase me out, for sure. When people tell me that they have seen my videos, I get shy. But when people message me on my Myspace page, it is nice to know they like what I do.
KARAZEN: Were you at first shocked?
Kemis: Not really because it has not yet really affected me here in the U.K. My "fame" has mainly been in other parts of the world, so I guess I have yet to feel the full force of it.
KARAZEN: How did you begin with this “I want to be a Hong Kong singer”¨ dream?
Kemis: I was at a football game with friends and I decided to sit out. My friend let me listen to his MD player that was filled with mixed songs. One of the songs he had was Karen Tong Bo Yue’s “Seung Dai Ji Sau” (Hands of God). That was the first song that I heard from her and that got me interested. From there, I was into other Hong Kong artists: Vivian Lai Sui Yan, Aaron Kwok, Edmond Leung, Andy Hui and so on. I became even more interested in the language side of things because a lot of my friends that were Asian would speak Cantonese. I wanted to learn Cantonese so I picked up some words here and there. However, I made the choice to take lessons in the Chinese language.
KARAZEN: That is surprising, of all the popular artists out there, how come your first inspiration was Karen Tong Bo Yui?
Kemis: I just liked her. She didn't sound like all the other singers who all sound similar: Linda Wong Hing Ping, Vivian Yan, Priscilla Chan and Vivian Chow. Karen Tong really stood out with her deep yet beautiful voice.
KARAZEN: How do you like the Karazen.com lyrics? Has it been helpful?
Kemis: At the moment, because I am able to read Chinese characters, I can recognize most of the characters. However, it is helpful because I can always refer back to the Karazen lyrics for the pronunciation if I am not familiar with the word. I like the fact that Karazen has the actual Chinese characters below the pinyin English word. It is good for people who are not 100% knowledged in Chinese characters. As for the Mandarin, it is definitely helping me as I am learning the dialect. I do not know most of the Mandarin pronunciation and I use Karazen’s site to refer back for clarification. I first started out by listening to the songs and manually writing down the English pronunciation. The process will produce the same end-result as if I used Karazen, but much easier since it saves so much time.
KARAZEN: What are your hobbies?
Kemis: I enjoy singing K, watching cartoons, playing my Nintendo DS, and hanging out with friends.
KARAZEN: How did you get your Chinese name -- Law Kai Ming?
Kemis: My Chinese teacher gave me that name. Since my English name is "Kemis", she gave me "Kai Ming". The surname "Law" sounds very close to my last name.
KARAZEN: How about the new generation of Chinese singers? Do you have any favorites?
Kemis: I have not been really up-to-date with the new generation of singers until recently. I like Leehom Wang now more than before. I wasn’t really keen on him before when he first came out. Now, I can hear he has improved a lot on his music. He’s got a good voice. I have also been listening to Jun Jie Lin. Also, I like Janice and her songs. She fits very well in the canto-pop formula for Hong Kong.
KARAZEN: What was it like with the Chik Chak 903 Radio Broadcast, Hong Kong’s most popular radio station, interviewing you?
Kemis: I was nervous because I had never done a live radio interview before. I also responded with a mixture of Cantonese and English, which I call “Chin-glish”. It was great because I was able to speak with Edmond Leung. The idea that Edmond has seen my videos in which I am singing his song is very exciting to know.
KARAZEN: I heard that recently the popular rapper Jin the Emcee discovered you on Myspace. What did he say to you?
Kemis: Yeah, we added each other as buddies and he commented on how good he thought I was. I, in turn, mentioned an idea I had about an album or song collaboration focusing on the contradiction of an Asian guy rapping and a Black guy singing Chinese. He thought the idea was great and was keen to know what I had in mind. But I am undecided as I am still in shock that someone of his status would be interested in any ideas of mine.
KARAZEN: Has there been recording or media companies that have contacted you?
Kemis:
I have been getting interest
from people within the music
industry in Hong Kong and America. There
are other several undisclosed
recording companies that have
been speaking with me, too. I am
definitely thrilled about what’s
to come in potential
possibilities.
KARAZEN: Do you have anything to say to your friends, family, and your new fans?
Kemis:
I just want to say thanks to everyone who has supported me and giving positive feedback.
This all helps to motivate me to keep on doing what I am doing.
KARAZEN: Well Kemis, on behalf of the Karazen staff and members, we are proud of your talents and we all wish you the best of luck for the future. We look forward to have you back at Karazen to keep us updated. Keep up the great work!
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