Singer Vanessa Choy doesn’t want you to give up
- SETO KIT YAN
- Aug 6, 2016
- 2 min read
Don’t give up. Believe in yourself. Go for your dreams.
These simple words are often offered as encouragement when one is dealing with a setback. But what happens when there is one setback after another? After ten years of that, would you still persevere?
Well, Malaysian singer Vanessa Choy did, and after a decade-long wait, she finally realised her dream and released a single titled Xin Fu De Xuan Lu (The Rhythm Of Happiness) last year.
Also known by her Chinese stage name Wen Yu Jie, Choy revealed that she was the practical sort, so she went into the finance industry and made her fortune in banking so that she could finally produce her album and fulfil her dream.
“I still have fond memories of singing at lounges after work. When my work rewarded me with costly overseas trips, I looked up at the sky and thought to myself, ‘If I can achieve all these with my own hard work, why not an album of my own?’ So, I got inspired to invest in my own dreams,” she recalled during an interview in Kuala Lumpur recently.
Choy is now looking forward to release a full album (she has already recorded all the songs!) and making her way to Taiwan to further her music career. She also has some fresh ideas to promote it: “We’ll do a flash mob, where people have to learn the moves to a new dance tune!”
Before her single was launched, Choy’s dream had already been partially realised when she recorded a song that was part of an album released with five other singers, each with their own songs. “When the album was released, I was so excited as we each had our own songs,” she recalled.
After that Choy actually had other opportunities to release her own albums, but unfortunately, that never materialised. “Somehow, things never turned out right, so the albums were never released. And, this happened to me more than once,” lamented the singer, who continued to dream even after several setbacks.
Looking back, Choy reckons that she was not properly prepared to deal with the demands of the entertainment industry. However, she remained positive and has decided to dedicate her efforts to help other like-minded youths by co-founding HR Celebrities Academy in Cheras, where promising candidates can get professional coaching in a full range of trainee programmes including singing, dancing, music, and grooming. The academy is modeled after similar trainee programmes in other Asian countries like South Korea, Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong where talented youths are properly trained until they are well prepared to make their debut in the entertainment line.
“When I was young, I didn’t know how things worked and I didn’t know anybody who could help me. I felt it would be a tragedy if other young people had to go through the same obstacles and setbacks. So, I helped set up the academy to help other youths prepare themselves, give them a platform to express themselves, and an avenue to showcase their talents. I hope to make it easier too, for parents to nurture their kids.”
Source: The Star