Kit Chan
Kit Chan | |
|---|---|
 Chan in 2022 | |
| Born | 15 September 1972 |
| Other names | Chen Jieyi |
| Education | |
| Alma mater | Lasalle-SIA College of the Arts |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) |
| Awards | Star Awards 2000 : Best Theme Song Star Awards 2012 : Best Theme Song Star Awards 2016 : Best Theme Song |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Labels | Ocean Butterflies (1993–2004) Banshee Empire (2010–Present) Taihe Music Group (2015–Present) |
| Chinese name | |
| Traditional Chinese | |
| Simplified Chinese | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Chén Jiéyí |
| Bopomofo | ㄔㄣˊ ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄧˊ |
| Jyutping | can4 git3 ji4 |
| Website | www |
Kit Chan (born 15 September 1972) is a Singaporean singer and actress.
Early life and education
[edit]Born on 15 September 1972 in Singapore, Chan is the third daughter in a family of four sisters.
Chan studied in Fairfield Methodist School, Raffles Girls' School, Raffles Junior College and Lasalle-SIA College of the Arts.[1] During Chan's six-year hiatus from the music scene from 2004 to 2010, she returned to LaSalle as a mature student. She wrote a thesis on the psychology of performance and graduated with first-class honors.[2]
Career
[edit]Since her debut in 1993, Chan has worked in singing, theatre, television drama, poetry, song-writing, entrepreneurship and creative direction. In 1994, Chan released the album Heartache (
Chan performed a song, Home, during the 1998 Singapore National Day Parade which became very popular in Singapore. It was subsequently performed in various editions of the National Day Parades.
Chan took a hiatus in 2004 from her performing career to further her studies and joined international PR consultancy Hill & Knowlton as a campaign specialist in 2007. She worked on the Ministry of Defence's 2009 Total Defence campaign, 'What Will You Defend?'.[2] She left the company after 19 months.[3][4]
Chan has also worked linguistically and theatrically, with her Cantopop, and English albums. She has held lead roles in the Hong Kong musical Snow.Wolf.Lake with Jacky Cheung – both the Cantonese version in 1997 and the Mandarin production in 2005 – followed by The Legend (where she played the late Teresa Teng), and Forbidden City: Portrait of An Empress (where she played the young Empress Dowager Cixi)– first performed in 2002 as part of the Esplanade's opening programme, and again in 2003. Chan has also played the lead in the Dutch-Hong Kong production of East Meets West, and the Taiwanese musical What's Love Got to Do with It?.
In September 2006, she reprised her role again in Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress, as part of a plan to make this musical internationally recognized, in the hope of going on a world tour. Chan later fronted the first Singapore Day in New York City in 2007. After her corporate sojourn, Chan performed the commissioned theme song One World at the APEC 2009 Gala Night and returned the theatre as leading lady (Li Qing) in the Mandarin musical December Rains (
In 2011, Chan released her first studio album Re-interpreting Kit Chan (
In 2014, Chan performed in her first leading film role in Jason Lai's Miss J Contemplates Her Choice as the titular Miss J, who offers advice to callers on a radio talk show. The film premiered at the Singapore International Film Festival in December.[7] In 2014, Chan reportedly underwent a surgical procedure that left her barely able to speak, however she completed her 'Spellbound' concert eventually in 2015 at Star Theatre.[8][9][10] She also participated in China reality singing contest I Am A Singer where Chinese critic Deng Ke remarked that Kit Chan can't sing.[11] She announced her retirement from performing at the National Day Parades in 2015 after making her last NDP performance.[12] In 2015, she sang the theme song for Channel 8 Blockbuster The Dream Makers II.
In July 2016, she released her first album of original material in 12 years, titled The Edge of Paradise (
In 2018, Chan marked her 25th anniversary as a singer with an acoustic live sessions album in which she also penned the lyrics for the title track “A Time for Everything”. She also staged “25 Years On: A Time For Everything” concerts in Singapore and Taipei.
Chan has published a collection of her English poems, Cork out of my Head, in 2000 in Taiwan, I Write a Page in 2000 in Singapore, and a fiction book (together with her friend, Siew Fern Yong) titled Cathy and Jodie: The Princess and the Flea.[13]
In 2022, Chan performed in The LKY Musical, where she performed as the late Madam Kwa Geok Choo, the wife of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.[14][15]
Community involvement
[edit]In 1998, Chan was appointed as the first National Youth Ambassador for Singapore's National Youth Council. She served for two years.[1] From 2001 to 2005, she served as a council member with the National Youth Council.[13] In 2002 the Commonwealth Youth Programme Asia Centre awarded her an Award for Excellence in Youth Work.[1]
In 2007, Chan was appointed to the board of the National Heritage Board over a two-year period, reaching out to the Singapore audience and linking with the creative industries.[16]
She is also the ambassador to the Christian relief organization "World Vision".
Business ventures
[edit]Chan has invested in two boutiques in Singapore, Flowers in the Attic and Roses in the Loft.[1]
In 2010, Chan set up her own record label, named after her singing group Banshee Empire from when she was in secondary school.[17]
Personal life
[edit]It was reported that Chan married her long-time boyfriend in 2012 [18] and divorced in 2017.[19]
However, during an interview on “The Assembly”, aired on news network CNA in January 2025, Chan clarified that although she held a “wedding dinner” she was never legally married and hence, was never divorced. [20][21][22]
Discography
[edit]| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Do Not Destroy The Harmony (EP) |
| 1994 | Heartache |
| 1995 | Cornered |
| 1996 | Sadness |
| Don't Let Me Hate You | |
| 1997 | Revelation |
| 1998 | "Home" (Single) |
| Dreams and Memories | |
| Too Deep in the Act | |
| 1999 | Dazzling |
| 2000 | That Day, That Night |
| Best | |
| Lola | |
| 2001 | Numbness |
| 2002 | Like Kit |
| Dreamscape | |
| 2003 | Understand |
| 2004 | East Toward Saturn |
| 2008 | Love Again |
| 2008 | Kit Chan Selections |
| 2009 | Kit Chan Selections |
| Wait and Wait | |
| 2010 | Songs From The Heart |
| 2011 | Re-interpreting Kit Chan |
| Re-interpreting Kit Chan | |
| "The Music Room” Concert Live Recording | |
| 2012 | An Enchanted Evening with Kit Chan & Chiu Tsang Hei featuring the HKCITYPOPS |
| 2016 | Wait |
| The Edge of Paradise | |
| 2018 | A Time For Everything |
| 2022 | In Parallel |
| 2023 | |
| Home (25th Anniversary Remake) (English, Single) | |
| 2024 | |
Theatre
[edit]| Year | Performance type | Title | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Musical (Cantonese) | Snow.Wolf.Lake | Hong Kong |
| 1998 | Musical (Cantonese) | The Legend |
Hong Kong |
| 2001 | Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese) | That's Kit |
Singapore |
| 2002 | Musical (Cantonese) | East Meets West |
Hong Kong |
| Musical (English) | Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress |
Singapore | |
| 2003 | Musical (Mandarin) | What's Love About? |
Singapore |
| Musical (English) | Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress |
Singapore | |
| 2005 | Musical (Mandarin) | Snow.Wolf.Lake | China, Hong Kong |
| 2006 | Musical (English) | Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress |
Singapore |
| 2009 | Concert (Mandarin / Cantonese) | Join Love Club Concert |
Hong Kong |
| 2010 | Musical (Mandarin) | December Rains |
Singapore |
| 2011 | Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese) | My Musical Journey |
Singapore |
| Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese) | The Music Room |
Singapore | |
| 2012 | Concert (Cantonese) | An Enchanted Evening with Chiu Tsang Hei |
Hong Kong |
| 2015 | Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese) | Kit Chan Spellbound |
Hong Kong, Singapore, China |
| 2017 | Musical (English) | Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress |
Singapore |
| 2018 | Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese) | Kit Chan 25 Years On：A Time For Everything | Singapore |
| 2019 | Musical (Cantonese) | Matteo Ricci The Musical |
Hong Kong |
| Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese) | Kit Chan 25 Years： A Time For Everything | Taiwan | |
| Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese) | MOOV Live Kit x Gin x Aga Love Encounter |
Hong Kong | |
| 2020 | Musical (Cantonese) | Matteo Ricci The Musical |
Hong Kong |
| 2021 | Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese) | Reignite 'Live' in Concert | Singapore |
| 2022 | Musical (English) | The LKY Musical |
Singapore |
| 2023 | Concert (English / Mandarin / Cantonese) | Little Things - Kit Chan 30th Anniversary Concert | Singapore |
| 2024 | Musical (Mandarin / Cantonese) | I Am What I Am |
China, Hong Kong |
| 2024 | Musical (Cantonese) | Matteo Ricci The Musical |
Hong Kong |
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Eating Air | Mysterious Girl | ||
| 2010 | Lover's Discourse | Mrs. Lai | ||
| 2014 | Miss J Contemplates Her Choice | Miss J | [23] |
Television series
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Healing Hands II | Dorothy Yuen | |
| 2004 | Cash Is King | Huang Jin Hao |
Web series
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Patisserie Fighting | See Yu Tin | Mediacorp Toggle web-series |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Singapore Hit Awards, Media Recommendation—Best Newcomer | |
| 1995 | Singapore Hit Awards, Best Local Artiste | |
| 1996 | RTHK 18th Top 10 Mandarin Hit Awards, Best Vocalist - Best Newcomer | |
| 1997 | 8th Gold Awards, World Best Chinese Female Artiste | |
| Hit Radio Pop Music Awards, Outstanding Female Artiste | ||
| 8th Golden Melody Awards, World Best Chinese Female Artiste | ||
| 1998 | TVB Pearl Channel Top 10 Hit Awards, Outstanding Performance (Gold) | |
| Hit Radio Pop Music Awards, Outstanding Female Artiste | ||
| 1999 | Singapore Hit Awards, Best Local Artiste | |
| Her World Young Woman Achiever[24] | ||
| 2000 | Singapore Hit Awards, Best Local Artiste | |
| COMPASS Award, Top Local Artiste of the Year | ||
| Hit Radio Awards 2000, Best Chinese Artiste Outside Hong Kong & Taiwan Territories | ||
| 2003 | Singapore Hit Awards, Decade of Outstanding Achievement Award | |
| 2009 | COMPASS Award, Artistic Excellence Award | |
| 2011 | Singapore Entertainment Awards, Outstanding Achievement Award – Music | |
| 2012 | Global Chinese Music Awards, Pop Music Outstanding Achievement Award | |
| 12th Chinese Music Media Awards, Best HIFI Artiste | ||
| 2015 | QQ Music Awards, Special Achievement Award | |
| Inaugural Voice of ELLE, Style Music Achievement Award of the Year | ||
| 2016 | 23rd Oriental Billboard Awards, Most Popular Artiste: Singapore Region & Best Asia Style Artiste | |
| KU Music Asian Music Awards, Artiste of the Year | ||
| Inaugural Fresh Asia Music Awards, Media Recommended Artiste of the Year | ||
| 2017 | Oriental Billboard Awards, Most Popular Artiste: Singapore Region & Influential Artist of the Year |
Star Awards
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Star Awards 1998 | Best Theme Song | Myths & Legends of Singapore | Nominated | |
| 2000 | Star Awards 2000 | Best Theme Song | My Home Affairs | Won | |
| 2012 | Star Awards 2012 | Best Theme Song | Devotion | Won | |
| 2016 | Star Awards 2016 | Best Theme Song | The Dream Makers II | Won |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Kit Chan | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Kit Chan". Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
- ^ "Kit Chan: From showbiz to office and back again". Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
- ^ "Kit is back in showbiz". Archived from the original on 24 August 2010.
- ^ "Singapore classic "Home" gets remade for Total Defence Day". Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ "The Final Roar at Singapore's National Stadium".
- ^ "Miss J Contemplates Her Choice". SGIFF. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ^ "Kit Chan Spellbound Concert 2015". VizPro. MediaCorp VizPro International Pte Ltd. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ Toh, Christopher. "Concert review: Kit Chan's Spellbound". Today. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ Han, Wei Chou. "Kit Chan enthralls at Spellbound concert in Singapore". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ Quek, Eugene. "The shocking reason behind Kit Chan's exit from I Am A Singer!". her world plus. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ Hio, Lester. "Kit Chan says this year may be her last NDP performance". The Straits Times. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ a b "CREATIVE YOUTH XCHANGE @ HELLO KITTY WINNERS UNVEILED" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2011.
- ^ "Kit Chan to play Mrs Lee Kuan Yew opposite Adrian Pang in The LKY Musical". The Straits Times. 26 April 2022.
- ^ "Theatre review: The LKY Musical's strong cast performances bring history to life for younger generations". The Straits Times. 13 September 2022.
- ^ "NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD CHARTS FRESH DIRECTIONS WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2011.
- ^ "FINDING HER VOICE". Jetstar Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
- ^ Soh, Elizabeth. "Local songbird Kit Chan ties the knot". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ "Newly-single Kit Chan opens up about her divorce - Toggle". Toggle. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
- ^ CNA Insider (16 January 2025). "Worse Than Tabloids": Kit Chan Gets Personal With Neurodiverse Interviewers | The Assembly - Part 3. Retrieved 17 January 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ "'I was never married': Singer Kit Chan on keeping her 'divorce' a secret". The Straits Times. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ "
未 及 时 澄 清 离 婚 误 会 陈 洁 仪 ：一 切 皆 有 时 ". www.zaobao.com.sg (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 18 January 2025. - ^ "Ms J Contemplates Her Choice". TODAY. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ "KIT CHAN". Retrieved 4 December 2015.
External links
[edit]| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1972 births
- Living people
- Raffles Junior College alumni
- Singaporean people of Cantonese descent
- Singaporean composers
- Singaporean women composers
- 21st-century Singaporean women musicians
- 21st-century Singaporean women singers
- Singaporean Mandopop singers
- TVB actors
- Singaporean expatriates in Hong Kong
- Cantopop singers
- Raffles Girls' Secondary School alumni
- 20th-century Singaporean women singers
- Lasalle College of the Arts alumni
- Singaporean television actresses
- Singaporean film actresses
- 20th-century Singaporean actresses
- 21st-century Singaporean actresses
- 21st-century Singaporean businesspeople