People ask to take selfies with me: TV musical talent show contestant realises a lifelong drea
“He felt that you can’t make a living in the music industry. He wanted me to be more pragmatic in my education so I could provide for myself.”
Tang followed his father’s advice, taking up computing at university and studying for an MBA after that.
He returned to Hong Kong in 2004, began a career in IT and went on to start a wine investment company, as well set up the Rotary Club of Dragon Hong Kong – a branch of the international service organisation Rotary International.
While Tang’s father had passed on his sensibilities to his son, the itch to sing remained.
“The biggest reward of entering the TVB competition was that I became friends with the other contestants. We’re still in touch now. We all went out to sing karaoke just last week!” says Tang with a laugh.
How Mirror rose to be Cantopop stars and fashion icons in 2021
Tang’s talent as a vocalist never disappeared – he held a charity concert in the name of the Rotary Club at Wan Chai’s Elizabeth Stadium – and when a call went out for contestants for TVB’s Midlife, Sing & Shine! competition, which began in November 2022 and is currently airing, many of his friends encouraged him to enter.
His friends who entered the competitions with Tang in 2000 and 2001 in Australia auditioned too, but he was the only one who progressed to the next stage.
“There were around 100 people in the first audition,” says Tang. “We could hear everything in the waiting room and I kept hearing people’s songs getting cut short by the bell. I was so elated when I got to finish my song and progressed to the top 100 contestants.”
The next round was televised and held in front of five judges, who included singer and television host Maria Cordero, singer-songwriter Samantha Lam Chi-mei and composer Harry Ng Chung-hang.
Tang received four votes out of five for his rendition of Jacky Cheung Hok-yau’s “How Could I Let You Go?”, and progressed to the next stage – where, unfortunately, he was voted off.“The way the competition works is when you don’t get five out of five votes from the judges, then you will be challenged by another competitor. I got three votes for my cover of Hacken Lee Hak-kan’s ‘Town Hall’s Concert Hall’ so I was challenged and lost.”
While the experience for Tang was ultimately a short one, it was all the sweeter for it.
“I’m a bit surprised when people recognise me on the street,” says Tang. “They will come up to me and give me encouragement, saying things like they preferred me to my challenger. A lot ask to take selfies with me.”
Tang says he is now getting approached to perform for corporate and charity events.
“I have a friend who is an events manager who offered to act as my manager, and funnily enough I started getting gigs,” he says. “I recently performed at the Xiqu Centre for the Junior Chamber International Hong Kong.
“I’ve also been invited to sing an original song written for a corporate entity. That’s one of my dreams, to sing a song that is my own.
“Sometimes, I think if I had advanced one more round then I might have a shot of getting signed by a label or something.”
Thanks to the encouragement he has received from the public, Tang plans to do more to revive his passion for singing. He is even considering starting his own YouTube channel.
“I’m turning 47 this year. I’ve been in IT and wine investments, but singing has always been my dream,” says Tang. “It’s so amazing that I was on television and some people know me on the streets. Strangers would come up to me and tell me not to give up and work to release my own album.
“Entering this competition has been the best experience of my life.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tK%2FMqWWcp51kuaqyxKyrsqSVZLKvwMSrq5qhnqKyr8COmqmtoZOhsnB%2FkWlwbm9pZL2mu8%2BlnGaZo6B6ta3KnmSsnZybtqa%2FjKacZqymYrq2v8icmKVlpJa5prrTZqqhp6disLC6056qrZmeqXqzscCloKydo2K5qrLEpaann12Zv6atzGafoqtdaX20ecGe