By M.L YEONG
WHO says you can’t travel back in time? With Hong Kong Cantopop legends Sam Hui and Alan Tam, you can.
The two superstars first teamed up in Hong Kong for the Sam & Tam Happy Together Concert in August 2017, playing 12 sellout shows in that city, and again for 11 packed shows in Sam & Tam Happy Together Concert Part II: Classic Express in August this year.
After selling out concerts in Hong Kong, the duo have now taken their Sam & Tam Happy Together Classic Express World Tour overseas.
Their first stop was Singapore, where they drew about 12,000 fans to the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Dec 1, in a concert organised by CK Star Entertainment and Red Spade Entertainment.
Both Sam and Alan rose to fame in the 1970s, but have remained as popular as ever till this day.
Sam, popularly known as the ‘God of Songs’, is widely acknowledged as the singer who popularised Cantopop among the masses not only in Hong Kong but also in Southeast Asia.
Recognised as the first major Cantopop superstar, Sam was the lead singer of the band Lotus, and went on to build an immensely successful career as a solo artiste.
Alan, who always insists he is ‘forever 25’, is a member of one of Hong Kong’s most successful bands, The Wynners, which has never formally disbanded and still reunites for the occasional performance.
A Cantopop legend in his own right, Alan is known for his romantic ballads, and he holds the record for the most number of concerts held by a solo singer.
The duo’s first stop in their Classic Express World Tour featured a three-hour performance of golden melody hits, one after another.
At 8.15pm, the lights dimmed, and Sam and Alan opened the show with Aces Go Places.
They then did solos and duets of their own and each other’s megahits, such as Love Trap, Love in Autumn, Lorelei, Half Catty Eight Taels, Twin Stars’ Love Song, and Tower Ballad, among others. Two Mandarin songs also made it to the rundown too.
And the capacity crowd lapped it all up. Not only did Sam and Alan hardly look their age (70 and 68 years old respectively), they danced and sang like they were still in their 30s, in a display of stamina, energy, and vocal prowess that would put many youngsters to shame.
Highlights of the show included Alan asking the audience: “Who among you are from the 90s?”
Cheers rang out. “Who are from the 80s?” Cheers rang out again.
“Who are from the 60s and 70s?” This drew the loudest cheers.
“Ah,” Alan said, “these are the ones (generation) who know what a good song is!”
Later, Sam’s sons Ryan and Scott joined their father and Alan onstage in an energetic jam session.
The music kept flowing, with Sam’s superb rendition of Alan’s hit Love in the Fog, and the duo paying tribute to late Cantopop stars Danny Chan, and Wong Ka Kui of Beyond.
There were two encores. The first featured, among others, Sam’s signature tune, From the Heart of a Wanderer.
The second carried only one song, Alan’s smash hit Friends.
Three hours and 40 songs went by in a flash. Sam and Alan displayed great chemistry with each other, and their coordination and harmony were impressive, hardly putting a step wrong.
Alan was the more talkative and jocular of the two, and engaged in some great banter with the audience.
Sam and Alan put on a show that I believe had many among the audience wondering: how could the two of them at their age command a performance like that?
Well, one thing’s for sure: these two great Cantopop legends’ stars will continue to shine as brightly as ever for years to come.
Don’t miss the Sam & Tam Happy Together Classic Express World Tour in Malaysia concert, happening on Dec 22, at the Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.
For more, visit the Star Planet website.
