What a fresh young singer needs to do is to invent him or herself. It is relatively easy, like being given a clean slate to write on, all they have to think about is what to put on this slate.

But older singers face a harder problem. It is almost impossible to wipe anything off a slate that is already decorated.

In desperation, some end up rushing headlong into new trends that make them look like overgrown teenagers.

The wiser ones, however, tend to take some time off to take stock of their lives and redirect their careers.

Although it is a little too early to say which category Emil Chau Wa-kin will fall into, he naturally hopes it will be in the latter.

It is the reason why he said he had spent two years splitting hairs on new trendy music such as rhythm and blues (R&B) at a press conference in Beijing to promote his gig at the Workers' Stadium on September 19.

"I will not take unnecessary pains to score the R&B, because it is not my style at all," he says.

It seems that Chau tried to follow the trend when many young singers rise up with hip-hop and R&B. Fortunately, he finally stopped going down the wrong road and returned to his own way of doing things.

Having been popular on the Chinese pop scene for nearly two decades, Chau hopes that he will continue to write pieces that are different from his past compositions, but truly belong to his own style.

Now facing the numerous new singers appearing in the Chinese pop music scene, the Hong Kong-born and Taiwan-based singer says that he will not deliberately think: "What should Wa-kin's reputation be like?"

This is because the new singers have their own type of music, says Chau.

On the contrary, it is these new singers who make Chau's professional maturity stand out.

"A young singer cannot sing some songs well because he does not have the same life experiences as Chau," said Ye Zi, presenter of the Beijing gig, who is from the China National Culture & Art Co Ltd.

Similarly, if Chau were to try singing the songs targeted at the young, it would be like professional "suicide."

Chau is currently working on his new Cantonese album.

Talking about Hong Kong, where he felt his career was developing at an uncomfortable speed, Chau does not conceal his dissatisfaction with the local pop industry.

"The Hong Kong music industry is facing a lot of problems and the whole trend was changing, but it was difficult to see where it was heading," he says.

"You could not figure out the position of music itself in the increasingly ridiculous market. Except for some out-of-the-way venues, local people could seldom hear really good music. They are cheated by various charts and awards which are full of scandals," Chau says.

So he has rested for a time and taken the chance to take a deep breath and wait and see how things evolved.

The rest also gave the 43-year-old father more time with his family, especially his 13-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter, both of whom he is devoted to.

It seemed just like yesterday that he wrote his hit song, "Kiss My Baby," two months after his son Andrew's birth.

"Nothing too strenuous. Spending time with my family is very important to me," says Chau.

After the short rest, Chau is back. The recent Shanghai concert on August 8 has proved he still has a great number of fans on the Chinese mainland, although the pop scene has changed dramatically and dozens of new singers are winning the attention of much younger fans.

From his opening medley, starting aptly with "Is There a Song That Makes You Think of Emil," his unique lilting yet powerful vocals reminded Shanghai fans why they had been drawn irresistibly to him.

Chad's crystal-clear vocals, so expressive, wide-ranging and beautiful, were surrounded by very fresh and imaginative accompaniments, often with a special emphasis on guitars and keyboards.

Unlike the teeny-bopping boybands and instant pop idols who dish out empty entertainment calories, the singer proved once again that he is of a vintage that ages well.

His magnetic personality gathers friends from all around.

There were families spanning three generations, from grey-haired grandpas to pregnant mums and exuberant teenagers. There were middle-aged couples holding wobbly babies and clusters of friends in their 20s.

"Is there a song that makes you think of Emil?" when the concert was drawing to the end, the intoxicated audience gave the answer, yes -- dozens of them.

Then he comes north to Beijing.

After a six-year absence from holding a big concert in the capital, Chau regards the upcoming concert as a get-together with old friends.

Of course, the concert will not be short of his classic hits such as "Let Me Be Happy and Let Me Be Sad," "Friends," "Marriage Proposal" and "Day Lilies."

Chau describes his old songs as old wine: The longer they are kept, the sweeter they will taste.

When he sings his old songs now, there will be a different feel to them. Chau says: "For example, if I were to sing 'Let Me Be Happy and Let Me Be Sad' now, I will be touched differently, this is perhaps I have matured these years."

And also since "Flowery Heart" is a song which talks about life, Chau says that his rendition of it at first was more of a "flowery" sort, and now it is in a way more touching.

He looks forward to his fans hearing him sing "Flowery Heart" again, and together, explores the meaning of life.

Chau's road to fame was certainly a long and winding one, despite what he calls "overnight success in Hong Kong."

The singer-musician studied at the New Method College in Hong Kong.

When he was 19, he moved to Taipei to attend the University of Taiwan. For extra money, Chau started singing folk songs at many pubs around Taipei.

It took four years before he came to the notice of famed producer Jonathan Lee. Li quickly signed Chau to Rock Records and Chau released his debut album in 1986.

It was not until 1994 and the release of his best-selling hit single "Let Me Be Happy, Let Me Be Sad" that his hometown finally knew of his existence.

At his peak in Hong Kong, Chau's songs often pushed the songs of the "four kings" -- Jacky Cheung Hok-you, Andy Lau Tak-wah, Aaron Kwok Fu-shing and Leon Lai Ming -- off the top positions on the charts.

(China Daily September 19, 2003)