K POP Star Song Enjoyable Music


K-pop:

An enjoyable music genre from South Korea that some people seem to love to ruin for others.

1. People claim it is the best music ever and much better than American music, when they know damn well kpop was heavily influenced by American music. But delusional fans constantly go around being hypocritical by saying its okay when kpop stars rip of other artists, but go batshit when other people steal from kpop artists.

2. Crazy fangirls tend to claim guys as theirs and become suicidal when they learn their "Oppa" has a girlfriend he loves and does not give a shit about said fangirl. Said fangirls tend to generalize the Korean race and say Korean guys as a whole are the sexiest asian guys when they should know that is a creepy generalization. They also think all other celebrities from other countries are ugly compared to Korean stars.

3. About 65% of fans do not give two shits about South Korea, and if it was destroyed tomorrow, they would ask if (insert Korean celebrity here) is okay instead of thinking about the millions of respectable and innocent South Koreans who are not famous.

4. People who enjoy the genre have their nice kpop experience ruined by stupid people who do these things mentioned above. JUST LIKE HOW IT IS BEING RUINED FOR ME!

SERIOUSLY PEOPLE SHUT THE FUCK UP AND STOP GIVING KPOP A BAD NAME!!
Random Kpop fangirl: OMG SUPER JUNIOR IS BETTER THAN THEE MICHAEL JACKSON!!!

Collection song star at home



Consider yourself at home.
Consider yourself one of the family.
We've taken to you so strong.
It's clear we're going to get along.
Consider yourself well in
Consider yourself part of the furniture.
There isn't a lot to spare.
Who cares?..What ever we've got we share!

If it should chance to be
We should see
Some harder days
Empty larder days
Why grouse?
Always a chance we'll meet
Somebody
To foot the bill
Then the drinks are on the house!
Consider yourself our mate.
We don't want to have no fuss,
For after some consideration, we can state...
Consider yourself
One of us!

Consider yourself...

Khem collection song Popular 2015



FAQ:

 Q-1. What is the difference between singing lessons and voice lessons?


A. It’s just semantics. People who look to begin singing usually ask for “singing lessons” but people who teach singing most often call themselves “voice teachers” or advertise “voice lessons” because they teach you how to master the use of your instrument, which is your voice. Just like in piano lessons, where you master the instrument, the piano.
You may also see ads for “vocal coaches”. They concentrate on improving your song performance, where a “voice teacher” concentrates on your vocal health and technique. Some piano accompanist’s become great “vocal coaches”.
However, the title “vocal coach” is sometimes used by teachers of the speaking voice for public speaking and acting. They rarely teach singing. The least confusing name is “speech and dialect coach”. A dialect coach teaches accents to actors.

Q-2. I want to sound better but not lose my style. How can singing lessons help?


A. You are not alone in that wish. If you have a creative bone in your body, you’ll feel this way. You need to interview prospective voice teachers and tell them this. Try to find a teacher who will diagnose your basic problems in how you produce sound, but not pass judgment on the style. I say this because depending on the city you live in, you may have access to teachers who specialize, as performers, in one style more than another. New York is flush with teachers who are professional classical or theater singers, and LA is packed to the gills with teachers who make a living in the recording industry. But a good teacher- even one who’s sings differently from you- should develop you in a way that is appropriate for your voice type and applicable to your style.
Ideally you want a program that loosens you up, make you’re voice more flexible, build up your range, and perhaps add new “colors” to your sound. For example, if you can only sing loud or slow, you’ll want to add lighter contrasting tones to make your song emotions more varied. Singing lessons should stretch your range and build breath control and body strength, without interfering with your vocal personality. In fact, lessons should give you more tools to try more unique things! Probably the best thing about lessons is learning how to have power without straining. Poor pitch and a thinning or small range is just a symptom of a more fundamental problem with straining or support. Read More about Vocal Evaluations.
Finally, don’t be surprised if most voice teachers work you out with a smoother approach…I hesitate to use the word, Classical, to make you turn and run….but most good teachers have had some classical training in their background. It doesn’t mean you have to sound that way yourself. But in fact, clear, melodic, scales and jumping exercises on 3/4 power will make all singers perform better, especially those with aggressive songs. Oh yes, I believe a teacher should help you become independent, so that you understand what you are doing right, and how to do it consistently.

Q-3. Aren’t you just born with the talent to sing or not?


A. To a certain extent. And to a certain extent it’s a PR myth. This is how I like to answer that “born with it or not question”…the best and bravest singers are singers first, and students of singing later. Kids who like to sing never shut -up and therefore they grow. The intuitive development gained by singing throughout childhood, i.e. vocal strength, timing, an ear for harmony, and an ear for matching instruments cannot be made up for later- unless they perhaps master a musical instrument as a child. Good singing is more than a great sounding voice. This is why there are successful pros who may not have the most amazing tone, but really take the house down.

Q-4. Then why would a natural talent ever need lessons?


A. Well here’s a common scenario; you might perform like crazy as a kid, not take voice lessons, and do fine until you hit your late teens or early twenties, when you discover you just can’t do as much as you ‘d like to. A child choir-singer can become a professional artist if they have good training between 18-25, the College years.
Another scenario is the young stage star with phenomenal presence. Going on raw talent, he stars in every High School musical, she tears down the house at summer rodeos, she gets booked on Broadway, he signs a record deal. The demand of these careers guarantees vocal blow out. The Early Nova needs training to go beyond the “natural talent” level and shift to the “self knowledge” level. Ultimately, training is about self mastery. Every natural talent is going to get backed into a corner eventually and need lessons some time. If they don’t tell you they have a voice teacher on their website, trust me… that’s just posing and PR.

Q-5. I’ve taken a long time off. Can I get anywhere if I start up again?


A. Sometimes due to life choices, an adult with all sorts of talent and music training may stop singing for a while. That might be due to family, or fear, or perfectionism, or just not getting enough good luck at the right time. But because the foundation is there, one can pick it up again and get a really good sound together, and probably have a more emotional performance from all that life experience. I won’t fool you, it is just a little harder to generate contacts to get your foot in the door. But it can be done. Start practicing again.  I say, if you’ve got to do it, then just do it. Read More about what you will learn in Voice Lessons.

Q-6. I’ve had classical training, but I don’t want a classical career. How can I adapt my sound?


A. You have the easiest problem for me to solve. My techniques utilize  a whole new genre of voice exercises that work your tone, diction and vowels for pop placement and other modern styles, but retains the flexibility you’ve developed so far. I invented this technique for this exact type of change over, and it really works.

Q-7. I only want to sing for a hobby. Is it worth it for me to train my voice?


A. Do you brush your teeth? I mean really, it just matters how good you want to appear, not how much money you get for it. If lessons make you sound good, and singing makes you feel good and makes the people that love to hear you happy, put it in your life. This can be satisfying enough, and for many is more satisfying than the headache of a struggling career.

Q-8. I’ve been going hoarse lately but I’ve been singing all my life. What could it be?


A.This diagnosis is best determined by a joint team of a medical doctor (an E.N.T. Ear Nose Throat Specialist) plus a voice teacher in that order. If nothing is wrong either place, you may have to trim your performance and practice schedules.
The doctor  will use a “Scope”- a little video camera on the end of a teeny cord- to determine if you have nodules or some type of tissue damage. He/she will also determine if you have an infection or allergy that has made your vocal cords inflamed. (Females with hormonal problems can have their vocal health yo-yo about.) The E.N.T. should check if you have GERD- acid reflux- where stomach acids are burning your vocal cords. Once all medical conditions are ruled out or treated, see a voice teacher who can evaluate if you are straining, if your song keys are wrong, and such. Then take a few months of lessons- 3 should do it,- and reverse any bad habits. You also need a custom warm-up routine to use before performing. Ask your voice teacher to evaluate your live show. You could be doing something different up there that is blowing you out. Read About Singers Secrets for maintaining a healthy voice.
  • Don’t sing more than 1.5 hours a day including warm-ups.
  • Take 3 days off in silence per week until your voice is back.
  • Thereafter, take 2 days off per week from singing. At that pace, add on 15 minutes extra singing any day that you sing. Every 2-3 weeks, add another 15 minutes.
  • When you are fully better, don’t exceed 3 hours a day singing, or sing for more than 4 days straight. If you get ragged again, pull it back. Eventually you’ll find your pacing.
  • Be mindful of wasting energy. The voice is merely two tiny folds of soft flesh: it is not steel. It cannot hold up to the tours and schedule demands most artist have these days.
  • Get more rest. Lack of sleep is the biggest cause of losing a voice.
  • Make your band run through one set in rehearsal without your vocal. They need to get tighter anyway! Then run a vocal set. Make sure your monitors work.
  • Be mindful of tempos and keys. Every decade of your adult life (between ages 15-25, again at 25-35 and again after 50) your vocal timbre and range is different. You have to allow for these changes in adjusting keys, tempos and song selection.
  • And the obvious? Keep away from cigarette smoke and smoke machines on stage.

Q-9. How can I tell if my child needs voice lessons?


Most kids and teens get started singing naturally because they have an impulse. School districts or religious communities with choirs that practice 3-5 times per week are the best places to develop the young singing voice. This is where the young ear learns fundamental musicianship, harmony, counting, and staying in tune.
However in the US, unlike European nations such as Germany and England, the choir system for kids in school has been all but obliterated. Added to that lack, kids emulate the pop music they buy on CD, which doesn’t essentially develop a young voice properly. So we’re in a catch 22 about voice lessons and kids. But here are some guideposts:
If your child has no choir opportunities, get him/her voice lessons that are gentle and fun, which use a combination of pure singing and easy pop singing. They’ll develop good habits but stay interested. During puberty for boys or after puberty for girls, give them private lessons. At this age they’ll have the body size and hormones to support the voice. Any professional performing child should have a voice teacher to keep them from damaging their voice.

Aok Sokunkanha Biography 2015






Biography

Aok Sokunkanha (ឱក សុគន្ធកញ្ញា)
Date of birth: September 14, 1987
Young, talented, bright, hard working, pretty, gentle, well-educated - not to mention her ability to rock and roll, Aok Sokun Kanha is all that! Then, you may wonder where the journey of this extremely talented artist began and why she is now so right on track. In short, it is her determination and hard working. Of course she was born in a family deep-rooted in music but she is the one who made what she is today herself. Ouk Sokun Kanha started her career exploration in entertaining people since she was about 10 years old. While some girls still play dirt in Cambodia at her age, Ouk Sokun Kagna would go with her father who was a musician and sang along. She took any opportunity she could to show off her God-given talent on stage and not let go the microphone until she is now a professional singer.

Ouk Sokun Kagna was born on September 14, 1986 (1987 based on other sources) in Phnom Penh. She is the eldest child in the family among another sister. Her mother – En Sokun is now divorced still lives with her and her sister in Phnom Penh. According to some news sources, her father now lives in Australia. Ouk Sokun Kagna is a Fine Art University graduate. Her major is Khmer Traditional Dance. Part of the introduction for the interview with Yuk Chinda for CTN Channel 21, Ouk Sokun Kagna performed a beautiful solo Robam Chuen Por (Blessing Dance). Ouk Sokun Kagna now lives with her mother in Phnom Penh, managing her beauty salon with her mother when she is free.

When it comes to her career path, it is very interesting to know that Ouk Sokun Kagna always likes music since she was young. Initially, her father didn’t know that Sokun Kagna had the talent and he was surprised when he heard her singing behind the wall when he was teaching his students to sing. Then, he always took her with him when he and his music band performed. Sokun Kagna’s father also wrote Rock music and songs. So he wrote songsOuk Sokun Kagna Performing Robam Chuen Por (Blessing Dance) for her to sing. One day when the singer of the band was absent, Ouk Sokun Kagna ruled the stage! In the documentary video clip, Ouk Sokun Kagna was just a little girl - 10 years old but she rocked the stage like a star. Her mother also liked to sing. Sokun Kagna and her mother always went to Ear Vathana’s house to sing Koraoke. Knowing there was a great potential for marketing opportunity, Ear Vathana who was later the producer of Reaksmey Stung Songke (RSK) production decided to create CD albums for her together with Kum Buna Deth, Yourk Thit Ratha, Sem Sang Vath and Bou Vichet in 1998. The name of the production at the time was EV Production – short for Ear Vathana – the producer’s name.

Ouk Sokun Kagna worked for EV Production while studying Khmer Traditional Dance at Pumen Fine Art University. Sokun Kagna participated in a signing contest sponsored by TVK with Yourk Thit Ratha. She did not receive any award from the contest. She said she was only 12 at the time and the age requirement was 15 and above. Later, Ouk Sokun Kagna participated in another singing contest called Pon Lok Dara (Emerging Stars) sponsored by TV5. Again, she did not get any award either. She said it was because she sang a Rock song written by her father while the Program required a slow song. After a few years, EV Production was disbanded. After she finished High School, she then sang for U2 Club at night and worked for Reaskmey Stung Songke (RSK) Production and going to school during day time. Ouk Sokun Kagna was more and more recognized for her style and unique voice by both young and middle-age generations.

A significant increase in her popularity occurred after she sang a song for a CTN movie called Snam Sne Samoth Rream (The Love of Ream Ocean). The movie was aired in the Country and overseas. Sokun Kagna came to United States with Preap Sovath and You Disco early 2007. It was a great success for her in the US. More people began to know her. I personally saw her performing in Milpitas, California. I was very impressed seeing a little girl like her rocking the stage – jumping up and down with her hair flying all over the place, captivating her audience with style. Young people had a great time and I was one of them (I am not young though). She is now said to be working for Sunday Production after she left U2. According to the news article released by Everyday on 06/23/2007, Ouk Sokun Kagna has joined Sunday Production and works with Rithy Dona who used to be her song writers when she was with U2. She is also now working for Rock Center as well. Her singing style has changed gradually from slow song to slow Rock and now some of her songs are Hard Rock.

As you expected, Ouk Sokun Kagna’s success story does not tell the whole story about her life. She does have up and down times just like we all do. Though it seems wonderful to have a life like her – making money doing what you like and be famous, Ouk Sokun Kagna mentioned in the interview that her freedom was held hostage by being not able to go any where she likes as a young girl. Being a celebrity or public icon like her, you are watched every step you move and have to live up to public’s views and opinions. She said in her own word that she has no happiness – “Kmean Sach Key Sok” (in Khmer). Living in a conservative society, a young girl like her can’t get away from tabloids and rumors about this and that, especially for a rising Khmer female Rock star. Her mother was almost in tears when she said about how difficult it was to deal with what people said about her daughter. Perhaps the most difficult time for her was when her father went away to live in Australia, leaving her mother, her sister and her in Cambodia. Recently, her departure from U2 at the same time with Rithy Dona and the Power band did had caused a rumor about her loving relationship with Rithy Dona. A more recent rumor was about the reason she left U2 because she couldn’t complete with Meas Sok Sophea who is also a U2’s rising Rock star.

Em Sokun - Ouk Sokun Kagna's Mother In spite of these rumors and issues, Ouk Sokun Kagna seems to handle and manage her life every well. She said when she sees her fans entertained with a smile on their face, she would forget all about her hardships and sorrows and want to do more to entertain her fans. Ouk Sokun Kagna cleared up the rumor about loving relationship with Rithy Dona that she had no loving relationship with him – it was just a friendship between her and Rithy Dona. In an article released by Everyday on 11/23/2004, Ouk Sokun Kagna had also cleared up the rumor about her plan to live in Australia because someone had proposed to her. She said though it was her father’s choice to live there, it was not her plan. She did not want to live overseas. She said someone did propose to her but she denied as she did not want to live overseas. She talked a lot about how good it was to live in Cambodia though her father and one of her aunts live in Australia. Her life in Cambodia with her mother is very fruitful and peaceful. Her beauty salon in Psay Dey Hoy in Phnom Doun Penh District seems to be doing very well and she is now planning to open a health club soon.

Talking about her marriage, Ouk Sokun Kagna said she would wait for a few more years and she wouldn’t mind as to what her Mr. Right is as long as her parents are happy. However, she already rejected someone once before because he lived in Australia. So for those who live overseas and want to take a chance when the window of opportunity is open, you may want to be prepared to answer the touch question if you want to go back and live with her in Cambodia. However, she may change her mind then if you are the man who can make her heart jumping up and down like her Hard Rock performance on stage. On the serious note, Angkorthom.US has a lot of respects and admirations for Ouk Sokun Kagna. She is an ideal Khmer girl who works every hard since she was young. She is a type of girl who knows exactly what she wants to do in life and she was able to make her dream come true for herself. She has great respects for her parents. Ouk Sokun Kagana has the least negative rumors so far among other Khmer female Rock stars in Khmer communities throughout the world. Angkorthom.US is more than happy to add her profile to our website. In conclusion, we would like to wish her the best of luck for her future.
Description
Aok Sokunkanha (ឱក សុគន្ធកញ្ញា)

Super Star Khmer- Pen Chomrong




Yuk Chinda interviewed Pen Chomrong on CTN post 21

Yuk Chinda interviewed Pen Chomrong on CTN post 21. If you want to know more about Pen Chomrong, go to Angkorthom.US.

Jackie Chan Biography (1954-Present)


The Myth - Endless Love - Movie Music

Jackie ChanSBSMBE[1] (born Chan Kong-sang; 7 April 1954)[2] is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director, producer and singer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts, which he typically performs himself. Chan has been acting since the 1960s and has appeared in over 150 films.
Chan has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As a cultural icon, Chan has been referenced in various pop songs, cartoons, and video games. An operatically trained vocalist, Chan is also a Cantopop andMandopop star, having released a number of albums and sung many of the theme songs for the films in which he has starred. He is also a notable philanthropist.[3]

Early life

Chan was born on 7 April 1954, in British Hong Kong, as Chan Kong-sang, to Charles and Lee-Lee Chan, refugees from the Chinese Civil War. He was nicknamed Pao-pao Chinese炮炮 ("Cannonball") because the energetic child was always rolling around.[4] His parents worked for the French ambassador in Hong Kong, and Chan spent his formative years within the grounds of the consul's residence in the Victoria Peak district.[5]
Chan attended the Nah-Hwa Primary School on Hong Kong Island, where he failed his first year, after which his parents withdrew him from the school. In 1960, his father emigrated to Canberra, Australia, to work as the head cook for the American embassy, and Chan was sent to the China Drama Academy, a Peking Opera School run by Master Yu Jim-yuen.[5][6] Chan trained rigorously for the next decade, excelling in martial arts and acrobatics.[7] He eventually became part of the Seven Little Fortunes, a performance group made up of the school's best students, gaining the stage name Yuen Lo in homage to his master. Chan became close friends with fellow group members Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, and the three of them later became known as the Three Brothers or Three Dragons.[8] After entering the film industry, Chan along with Sammo Hung got the opportunity to train in Hapkido under the grand master Jin Pal Kim, and Chan eventually attained a black belt.[9]
He began his career by appearing in small roles at the age of five. At age eight, he appeared with some of his fellow "Little Fortunes" in the film Big and Little Wong Tin Bar (1962) with Li Li Hua playing his mother. Chan appeared with Li again the following year, inThe Love Eterne (1963) and had a small role in King Hu's 1966 film Come Drink with Me.[10] In 1971, after an appearance as an extra in another kung fu film, A Touch of Zen, Chan was signed to Chu Mu's Great Earth Film Company.[11] At seventeen, he worked as a stuntman in the Bruce Lee films Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon under the stage name Chan Yuen Lung (Chinese陳元龍).[12] He received his first starring role later that year in Little Tiger of Canton that had a limited release in Hong Kong in 1973.[13] In 1975, due to the commercial failures of his early ventures into films and trouble finding stunt work, Chan starred in a comedic adult film All in the Family in which Chan appears in his first nude sex scene. It is the only film he has made to date without a single fight scene or stunt sequence.[14] Jackie Chan later also appeared in one other sex scene, in Shinjuku Incident.
Chan joined his parents in Canberra in 1976, where he briefly attended Dickson College and worked as a construction worker.[15] A fellow builder named Jack took Chan under his wing, thus earning Chan the nickname of "Little Jack" that was later shortened to "Jackie", and the name Jackie Chan has stuck with him ever since.[16] In the late 1990s, Chan changed his Chinese name to Fong Si-lung (Chinese房仕龍), since his father's original surname was Fong.[16]

Film career

Early exploits: 1976–1979


Jackie Chan began his film career as a stuntman in the Bruce Lee filmsFist of Fury (1972) and Enter the Dragon (1973, pictured).
In 1976, Jackie Chan received a telegram from Willie Chan, a film producer in the Hong Kong film industry who had been impressed with Jackie's stunt work. Willie Chan offered him an acting role in a film directed by Lo Wei. Lo had seen Chan's performance in the John Woofilm Hand of Death (1976) and planned to model him after Bruce Lee with the film New Fist of Fury.[11] His stage name was changed to Sing Lung (Chinese成龍, also transcribed as Cheng Long,[17] literally "become the dragon") to emphasise his similarity to Bruce Lee, whose stage name meant "Little Dragon" in Chinese. The film was unsuccessful because Chan was not accustomed to Lee's martial arts style. Despite the film's failure, Lo Wei continued producing films with similar themes, but with little improvement at the box office.[18]
Chan's first major breakthrough was the 1978 film Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, shot while he was loaned to Seasonal Film Corporation under a two-picture deal.[19] Director Yuen Woo-ping allowed Chan complete freedom over his stunt work. The film established the comedic kung fu genre, and proved refreshing to the Hong Kong audience.[20] Chan then starred in Drunken Master, which finally propelled him to mainstream success.[21]
Upon Chan's return to Lo Wei's studio, Lo tried to replicate the comedic approach of Drunken Master, producing Half a Loaf of Kung Fuand Spiritual Kung Fu.[16] He also gave Chan the opportunity to co-direct The Fearless Hyena with Kenneth Tsang. When Willie Chan left the company, he advised Jackie to decide for himself whether or not to stay with Lo Wei. During the shooting of Fearless Hyena Part II, Chan broke his contract and joined Golden Harvest, prompting Lo to blackmail Chan with triads, blaming Willie for his star's departure. The dispute was resolved with the help of fellow actor and director Jimmy Wang Yu, allowing Chan to stay with Golden Harvest.[19]

Success in the action comedy genre: 1980–1987

Willie Chan became Jackie's personal manager and firm friend, and has remained so for over 30 years. He was instrumental in launching Chan's international career, beginning with his first forays into the American film industry in the 1980s. His first Hollywood film was The Big Brawl in 1980.[22] Chan then played a minor role in the 1981 film The Cannonball Run, which grossed $100 million worldwide. Despite being largely ignored by audiences in favour of established American actors such as Burt Reynolds, Chan was impressed by the outtakes shown at the closing credits, inspiring him to include the same device in his future films.
After the commercial failure of The Protector in 1985, Chan temporarily abandoned his attempts to break into the US market, returning his focus to Hong Kong films.[18]
Back in Hong Kong, Chan's films began to reach a larger audience in East Asia, with early successes in the lucrative Japanese market including The Young Master (1980) andDragon Lord (1982). The Young Master went on to beat previous box office records set by Bruce Lee and established Chan as Hong Kong cinema's top star. With Dragon Lord, he began experimenting with elaborate stunt action sequences,[23] including the final fight scene where he performs various stunts, including one where he does a back flip off a loft and falls to the lower ground.[24]
Chan produced a number of action comedy films with his opera school friends Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. The three co-starred together for the first time in 1983 in Project A,which introduced a dangerous stunt-driven style of martial arts that won it the Best Action Design Award at the third annual Hong Kong Film Awards.[25] Over the following two years, the "Three Brothers" appeared in Wheels on Meals and the original Lucky Stars trilogy.[26][27] In 1985, Chan made the first Police Story film, a US-influenced action comedy in which Chan performed a number of dangerous stunts. It was named the "Best Film" at the 1986 Hong Kong Film Awards.[28] In 1987, Chan played "Asian Hawk," an Indiana Jones-esque character, in the film Armour of God. The film was Chan's biggest domestic box office success up to that point, grossing over HK$35 million.[29]

Acclaimed sequels and Hollywood breakthrough: 1988–1998

In 1988, Chan starred alongside Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao for the last time to date, in the film Dragons Forever. Hung co-directed with Corey Yuen, and the villain in the film was played by Yuen Wah, both of whom were fellow graduates of the China Drama Academy.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Chan starred in a number of successful sequels beginning with Police Story 2, which won the award for Best Action Choreography at the 1989Hong Kong Film Awards. This was followed by Armour of God II: Operation Condor, and Police Story 3: Super Cop, for which Chan won the Best Actor Award at the 1993 Golden Horse Film Festival. In 1994, Chan reprised his role as Wong Fei-hung in Drunken Master II, which was listed in Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Movies.[30] Another sequel, Police Story 4: First Strike, brought more awards and domestic box office success for Chan, but did not fare as well in foreign markets.[31]
Chan rekindled his Hollywood ambitions in the 1990s, but refused early offers to play villains in Hollywood films to avoid being typecast in future roles. For example, Sylvester Stallone offered him the role of Simon Phoenix, a criminal in the futuristic film Demolition Man. Chan declined and the role was taken by Wesley Snipes.[32]
Chan finally succeeded in establishing a foothold in the North American market in 1995 with a worldwide release of Rumble in the Bronx, attaining a cult following in the United States that was rare for Hong Kong movie stars.[33] The success of Rumble in the Bronx led to a 1996 release of Police Story 3: Super Cop in the United States under the titleSupercop, which grossed a total of US$16,270,600. Chan's first huge blockbuster success came when he co-starred with Chris Tucker in the 1998 buddy cop action comedyRush Hour,[34] grossing US$130 million in the United States alone.[19] This film made him a Hollywood star, after which he wrote his autobiography in collaboration with Jeff Yangentitled I Am Jackie Chan.

Fame in Hollywood and Dramatization: 1999–2007


Jet Li and Jackie Chan
In 1998, Chan released his final film for Golden Harvest, Who Am I?. After leaving Golden Harvest in 1999, he produced and starred alongside Shu Qi in Gorgeous a romantic comedy that focused on personal relationships and featured only a few martial arts sequences.[35] Chan then helped create a PlayStation game in 2000 called Jackie Chan Stuntmaster, to which he lent his voice and performed the motion capture.[36] He continued his Hollywood success in 2000 when he teamed up with Owen Wilson in the Westernaction comedy Shanghai Noon which spawned the sequel Shanghai Knights (2003).[37] He reunited with Chris Tucker for Rush Hour 2(2001) which was an even bigger success than the original grossing $347 million worldwide. He experimented with special effects with The Tuxedo (2002) and The Medallion (2003) which were not as successful critically or commercially. In 2004 he teamed up with Steve Coogan in the big-budget loose adaptation of Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days.
Despite the success of the Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon films, Chan became frustrated with Hollywood over the limited range of roles and lack of control over the filmmaking process.[38] In response to Golden Harvest's withdrawal from the film industry in 2003, Chan started his own film production company, JCE Movies Limited (Jackie Chan Emperor Movies Limited) in association with Emperor Multimedia Group (EMG).[19] His films have since featured an increasing number of dramatic scenes while continuing to succeed at the box office; examples include New Police Story (2004), The Myth (2005) and the hit film Rob-B-Hood (2006).[39][40][41]
Chan's next release was the third installment in the Rush Hour series: Rush Hour 3 in August 2007. It grossed US$255 million.[42] However, it was a disappointment in Hong Kong, grossing only HK$3.5 million during its opening weekend.[43]

New experiments and change in style: 2008–present


Jackie Chan on the set of Chinese Zodiac (May 2, 2012)
Filming of The Forbidden Kingdom (released in 2008), Chan's first onscreen collaboration with fellow Chinese actor Jet Li, was completed on 24 August 2007 and the movie was released in April 2008. The movie featured heavy use of effects and wires.[44][45] Chan voiced Master Monkey in Kung Fu Panda (released in June 2008), appearing with Jack BlackDustin Hoffman, and Angelina Jolie.[46] In addition, he has assisted Anthony Szeto in an advisory capacity for the writer-director's film Wushu, released on 1 May 2008. The film stars Sammo Hung and Wang Wenjie as father and son.[47]
In November 2007, Chan began filming Shinjuku Incident, a dramatic role featuring no martial arts sequences with director Derek Yee, which sees Chan take on the role of a Chinese immigrant in Japan.[48] The film was released on 2 April 2009. According to his blog, Chan discussed his wishes to direct a film after completing Shinjuku Incident, something he has not done for a number of years.[49] The film is expected to be the third in the Armour of God series, and has a working title of Armour of God III: Chinese Zodiac. The film was released on 12 December 2012.[50] Because the Screen Actors Guild did not go on strike, Chan started shooting his next Hollywood movie The Spy Next Door at the end of October in New Mexico.[51] In The Spy Next Door, Chan plays an undercover agent whose cover is blown when he looks after the children of his girlfriend. In Little Big Soldier, Chan stars, alongside Leehom Wang as a soldier in the Warring States period in China. He is the lone survivor of his army and must bring a captured enemy soldier Leehom Wang to the capital of his province.
In 2010 he starred with Jaden Smith in The Karate Kid, a remake of the 1984 original.[52] This was Chan's first dramatic American film. He plays Mr. Han, a kung fu master and maintenance man who teaches Jaden Smith's character kung fu so he can defend himself from school bullies. His role in "The Karate Kid" garnered Jackie Chan the Favorite Buttkicker award at the Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards in 2011.[53]
In Chan's next movie, Shaolin, he plays the cook of the temple instead of one of the major characters.
His 100th movie, 1911, was released on September 26, 2011. Chan was the co-director, executive producer, and lead star of the movie.[54] While Chan has directed over ten films over his career, this was his first directorial work since Who Am I? in 1998. 1911 premiered in North America on 14 October.[55]
While at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, Chan announced that he was retiring from action films citing that he was getting too old for the genre. He later clarified that he would not be completely retiring from action films, but would be performing fewer stunts and taking care of his body more.[56]
In 2015, Chan was awarded the title of "Datuk" by Malaysia as he helped Malaysia to boost its tourism, especially in Kuala Lumpur where he previously shot his films.[57]

Personal life

In 1982, Chan married Lin Feng-jiao (a.k.a. Joan Lin), a Taiwanese actress. Their son, singer and actor Jaycee Chan, was born that same year.[38] As a result of an extra-marital affair with Chan, Elaine Ng Yi-Lei bore a daughter in 1999.[58][59][60] In 2009, Chan received an honorary doctorate from the University of Cambodia.[61][62] He speaks Cantonese,MandarinEnglish, and American Sign Language and also speaks some GermanKoreanJapaneseSpanish, and Thai.[63] Chan is an avid football fan and supports the Hong Kong national football teamEngland National Football Team, and Manchester City.[64]

Stunts


Jackie Chan tries on a fighter pilot's helmet with night vision goggles
Chan has performed most of his own stunts throughout his film career, which are choreographed by the Jackie Chan Stunt Team. He has stated in interviews that the primary inspiration for his more comedic stunts were films such as The General directed by and starringBuster Keaton, who was also known to perform his own stunts. Since its establishment in 1983, Chan has used the team in all his subsequent films to make choreographing easier, given his understanding of each member's abilities.[65] Chan and his team undertake many of the stunts performed by other characters in his films, shooting the scenes so that their faces are obscured.[66]
The dangerous nature of his stunts makes it difficult for Chan to get insurance, especially in the United States, where his stunt work is contractually limited.[66] Chan holds the Guinness World Record for "Most Stunts by a Living Actor", which emphasises "no insurance company will underwrite Chan's productions in which he performs all his own stunts".[67]
Chan has been injured frequently when attempting stunts; many of them have been shown as outtakes or as bloopers during the closing credits of his films. He came closest to death filming Armour of God, when he fell from a tree and fractured his skull. Over the years, Chan has dislocated his pelvis and also broken numerous parts of body including his fingers, toes, nose, both cheekbones, hips, sternum, neck, ankle, and ribs.[68][69] Promotional materials for Rumble in the Bronx emphasised that Chan performed all of the stunts, and one version of the movie poster even diagrammed his many injuries.

Filmography and screen persona

Main article: Jackie Chan filmography

Jackie Chan at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.
Chan created his screen persona as a response to the late Bruce Lee, and the numerous imitators who appeared before and after Lee's death. In contrast to Lee's characters, who were typically stern, morally upright heroes, Chan plays well-meaning, slightly foolish regular men (often at the mercy of their friends, girlfriends or families) who always triumph in the end despite the odds.[16] Additionally, Chan has stated that he deliberately styles his movement to be the opposite of Lee's: where Lee held his arms wide, Chan holds his tight to the body; where Lee was loose and flowing, Chan is tight and choppy. Despite the success of the Rush Hour series, Chan has stated that he is not a fan of it since he neither appreciates the action scenes in the movie, nor understands American humour.[70]
In the 2000s the aging Chan grew tired of being typecast as an action hero, prompting him to act with more emotion in his latest films.[71]In New Police Story, he portrayed a character suffering from alcoholism and mourning his murdered colleagues.[72] To further shed the image of "nice guy", Chan played an anti-hero for the first time in Rob-B-Hood starring as Thongs, a burglar with gambling problems.[73] In 2009's Shinjuku Incident, a serious drama about unsavory characters set in Tokyo, Chan plays a low-level gangster.[74]

Television work

In 2000, Chan hosted a fictionalised version of himself in the animated series Jackie Chan Adventures, which ran until 2005.[75]
In July 2008, the BTV reality television series entitled The Disciple (simplified Chinese龙的传人traditional Chinese龍的傳人; literally: "Disciple of the Dragon") concluded. The aim of the series produced by and featured Chan, was to find a new star to become Chan's "successor" and student in filmmaking. The winner of the series was Jack Tu (Tu Sheng Cheng), who is now set to star in three modern Chinese action films, one of which was scripted by Chan, and all three to be co-produced by Chan's company JCE Movies Limited.[76][77][78]

Music career

Further information: Jackie Chan discography

Chan and Qin Hailu singing inShanghai, China in August 2006.
Chan had vocal lessons whilst at the Peking Opera School in his childhood. He began producing records professionally in the 1980s and has gone on to become a successful singer in Hong Kong and Asia. He has released 20 albums since 1984 and has performed vocals in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Taiwanese and English. He often sings the theme songs of his films, which play over the closing credits. Chan's first musical recording was "Kung Fu Fighting Man", the theme song played over the closing credits of The Young Master(1980).[79] At least 10 of these recordings have been released on soundtrack albums for the films.[72][80] His Cantonese song Story of a Hero (英雄故事) (theme song of Police Story) was selected by the Royal Hong Kong Police and incorporated into their recruitment advertisement in 1994.[81]
Chan voiced the character of Shang in the Chinese release of the Walt Disney animated feature, Mulan (1998). He also performed the song "I'll Make a Man Out of You", for the film's soundtrack. For the US release, the speaking voice was performed by B.D. Wong and the singing voice was done by Donny Osmond.
In 2007, Chan recorded and released "We Are Ready", the official one-year countdown song to the 2008 Summer Olympics which he performed at a ceremony marking the one-year countdown to the 2008 Summer Paralympics.[82] Chan also released one of the two official Olympics albums, Official Album for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games – Jackie Chan's Version, which featured a number of special guest appearances.[83] Chan performed "Hard to Say Goodbye" along with Andy LauLiu Huan and Wakin (Emil) Chau, at the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.[84]

Image and celebrity status


Jackie Chan's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Jackie Chan enjoys his experiences on the flight deck aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) Dec. 2, 2002.
Chan has received worldwide recognition for his acting and stunt work. His awards include the Innovator Award from the American Choreography Awards and a lifetime achievement award from the Taurus World Stunt Awards.[85] He has stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars.[86] In addition, Chan has also been honoured by placing his hand and footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.[87] Despite considerable box office success in the Northsouth Territories, Chan's American films have been criticised with regard to their action choreography. Reviewers of Rush Hour 2The Tuxedo, and Shanghai Knights criticised the toning down of Chan's fighting scenes, citing less intensity compared to his earlier films.[88][89][90] The comedic value of his films is questioned; some critics stating that it can be childish at times.[91] Chan was awarded the MBE in 1989 and the Silver Bauhinia Star (SBS) in 1999.
Chan has been the subject of Ash's song "Kung Fu", Heavy Vegetable's "Jackie Chan Is a Punk Rocker", Leehom Wang's "Long Live Chinese People", as well as in "Jackie Chan" by Frank Chickens, and television shows Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!Celebrity Deathmatch and Family Guy. He has been the inspiration for manga such as Dragon Ball (including a character with the alias "Jackie Chun"),[92] the character Lei Wulong in Tekken and the fighting-type Pokémon Hitmonchan.[93][94][95]
Jackie Chan has a sponsorship deal with Mitsubishi Motors that has resulted in the appearance of Mitsubishi cars in a number of his films. Furthermore, Mitsubishi launched a limited series of Evolution cars personally customised by Chan.[96][97][98]
A number of video games have featured Chan. Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu was released in 1990 for the PC-Engine and NES. In 1995, Chan was featured in the arcade fighting game Jackie Chan The Kung-Fu Master. A series of Japanese games were released on theMSX by Pony, based on several of Chan's films (Project AProject A 2Police StoryThe Protector and Wheels on Meals).[99]
Chan says he has always wanted to be a role model to children, and has remained popular with them due to his good-natured acting style. He has generally refused to play villains and has been very restrained in using swear words in his films – he persuaded the director of Rush Hour to take "fuck" out of the script.[100] Chan's greatest regret in life is not having received a proper education,[101] inspiring him to fund educational institutions around the world. He funded the construction of the Jackie Chan Science Centre at the Australian National University[102] and the establishment of schools in poor regions of China.[103]
Chan is a spokesperson for the Government of Hong Kong, appearing in public service announcements. In a Clean Hong Kongcommercial, he urged the people of Hong Kong to be more considerate with regards to littering, a problem that has been widespread for decades.[104] Furthermore, in an advertisement promoting nationalism, he gave a short explanation of the March of the Volunteers, the national anthem of the People's Republic of China.[105] When Hong Kong Disneyland opened in 2005, Chan participated in the opening ceremony.[106] In the United States, Chan appeared alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in a government advert to combat copyright infringement and made another public service announcement with Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca to encourage people, especiallyAsians, to join the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.[107][108]
Construction has begun on a Jackie Chan museum in Shanghai. In November 2013 a statue of Chan was unveiled in front of what is now known as the JC Film Gallery, scheduled to open in the spring of 2014.[109]
On 25 June 2013, Chan responded to a hoax Facebook page created a few days earlier that alleged he had died. He said that several people contacted him to congratulate him on his recent engagement, and soon thereafter contacted him again to ask if he was still alive. He posted a Facebook message, commenting: "If I died, I would probably tell the world!"[110][111]
On 1 February 2015, Chan was awarded the title of Panglima Mahkota Wilayah by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia Tuanku Abdul Halim in conjunction with the country'sFederal Territory Day. It carries the title of Datuk in Malaysia.[112][113]
In 2015, a made-up word inspired by Chan's description of his hair during an interview for a commercial, duang, became an internet viral meme in China. The Chinese character for the word is a composite of two characters of Chan's name.[114]

Political views and controversy


Thee Hong Kong Star, in Hong Kong.
During a news conference in Shanghai on 28 March 2004, Chan referred to the recently concluded Republic of China presidential election, 2004 in Taiwan, in which Democratic Progressive Party candidates Chen Shui-bian and Annette Lu were re-elected as President and Vice-President as "the biggest joke in the world".[115][116][117] A Taiwanese legislator and senior member of the DPP, Parris Chang, called for the government of Taiwan to ban his films and bar him the right to visit Taiwan.[116] Some 50 police and security personnel were required to separate Chan from protesters, who attempted to spit at him when he arrived at Taipei airport on 18 June 2008.[118]
Referring to his participation in the torch relay for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Chan spoke out against demonstrators who disrupted the relay several times attempting to draw attention to a wide-ranging number of grievances against the Chinese government. He warned those "publicity seekers" planning to stop him from carrying the Olympic Torch "not get anywhere near me." Chan said that China was trying to improve and the Olympics is a chance for the country to open up and learn from the outside world.[119]
In 2009, Chan was named an "anti-drug ambassador" by the Chinese government, actively taking part in anti-drug campaigns and supporting President Xi Jinping's declaration that illegal drugs should be wiped out and users should be severely punished. In 2014, when his own son Jaycee was arrested for cannabis use, he said that he was "angry", "shocked", "heartbroken" and "ashamed" of his son. He also said, "I hope all young people will learn a lesson from Jaycee and stay far from the harm of drugs. I say to Jaycee that you have to accept the consequences when you do something wrong."[120]
On 18 April 2009, during a panel discussion at the annual Boao Forum for Asia, he questioned whether it was good to have freedom.[121] Saying that Hong Kong and Taiwan were very chaotic, he added, "I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want."[122][123] Chan's comments prompted an angry response from prominent figures in Taiwan and Hong Kong.[124][125] A spokesman later qualified that Chan was referring to freedom in the entertainment industry rather than Chinese society at large.[126]
In December 2012, Chan caused outrage when he criticised Hong Kong as a "city of protest", suggesting that demonstrators' rights in Hong Kong should be limited.[127] The same month, in an interview with Phoenix TV, Chan stated that the United States was the "most corrupt" country in the world.[128][129] which in turn angered parts of the online community[129] and prompted a critical response from Max Fisher in which he noted that Chan's comments were rooted, "not just in attitudes toward America but in China's proud but sometimes insecure view of itself."[130] Other articles situated Chan's comments in the context of his career and life in America, including his, "embrace of the American film market"[130] and seeking asylum in the United States from Hong Kong triads.[131]

Entrepreneurship and philanthropy


The Duke of Cambridge with actor Jackie Chan at the London Conference on The Illegal Wildlife Trade at the Natural History Museum, 12 February 2014.
In addition to his film production and distribution company, JCE Movies Limited, Jackie Chan also owns or co-owns the production companies JC Group China, Jackie & Willie Productions[132] (with Willie Chan) and Jackie & JJ Productions.[133] Chan has also put his name to Jackie Chan Theater International, a cinema chain in China, co-run by Hong Kong company Sparkle Roll Group Ltd. The first—Jackie Chan-Yaolai International Cinema—opened in February 2010, and is claimed to be the largest cinema complex in China, with 17 screens and 3,500 seats. Chan expressed his hopes that the size of the venue would afford young, non-commercial directors the opportunity to have their films screened. 15 further cinemas in the chain are planned for 2010,[needs update] throughout Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, with a potential total of 65 cinemas throughout the country proposed.[134][135]
In 2004, Chan launched his own line of clothing, which bears a Chinese dragon logo and the English word "Jackie", or the initials "JC".[136]Chan also has a number of other branded businesses. His sushi restaurant chain, Jackie's Kitchen, has outlets throughout Hong Kong, as well as seven in South Korea and one in Hawaii, with plans to open another in Las Vegas. Jackie Chan's Cafe has outlets in Beijing, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and the Philippines. Other ventures include Jackie Chan Signature Club gyms (a partnership with California Fitness), and a line of chocolates, cookies and nutritional oatcakes.[137] With each of his businesses, a percentage of the profits goes to various charities, including the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation.
Chan is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and has championed charitable works and causes. He has campaigned for conservation, against animal abuse and has promoted disaster relief efforts for floods in mainland China and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.[6][138][139]

Jackie Chan joins US President Barack Obama to welcome China's President, Hu Jintao, to the state dinner at the White House on 19 January 2011.
In June 2006, citing his admiration of the efforts made by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates to help those in need, Chan pledged the donation of half his assets to charity upon his death.[140] On 10 March 2008, Chan was the guest of honour for the launch, by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, of the Jackie Chan Science Centre at the John Curtin School of Medical Researchof the Australian National University. Chan is also a supporter and ambassador of Save China's Tigers, which aims to save the endangered South China Tiger through breeding and releasing them into the wild.[141] Following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Chan donated RMB ¥10 million to help those in need. In addition, he is planning to make a film about the Chinese earthquake to raise money for survivors.[142] In response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Chan and fellow Hong Kong-based celebrities, including American rapper MC Jin, headlined a special three-hour charity concert, titledArtistes 311 Love Beyond Borders, on 1 April 2011 to help with Japan's disaster recovery effort.[143][144] The 3-hour concert raised over $3.3 million.[145]
Chan founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation in 1988, to offers scholarship and active help to Hong Kong's young people and provide aid to victims of natural disaster or illness.[3] In 2005 Chan created the Dragon's Heart Foundation to help children and the elderly in remote areas of China by building schools, providing books, fees, and uniforms for children.[146]The foundation also provides for the elderly with donations of warm clothing, wheelchairs, and other items.

Resource Reference: Wikipedia Jackie Chan