We recently concluded our first ever, Cheng & Tsui SuperStar, a national karaoke contest for Japanese students and teachers. Many entered but only a few won. Alex Yin, a student from Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, CA was the grand prize winner in the student category with his music video for "Kizuna". We sat down with the newly chosen student superstar to learn a little more about his background, love for singing, and contest experience.
Cheng & Tsui: So Alex, how long have you been singing in Japanese? How did you get started?
Alex Yin: I just recently started singing Japanese songs in
2004, so that's about 4 years ago. Listening to Otsuka Ai is what got me into
listening to Japanese music
C&T: How
did you hear about the Cheng & Tsui SuperStar karaoke contest?
AY: I heard about the Cheng & Tsui Superstar Contest from my second year
Japanese teacher Mr. Inui at Long Beach Poly High School.
C&T: Who are your favorite
musical artisits and idols you derive inspiration from?
AY: I'm a really big fan of Otsuka Ai. Her song "Daisukidayo" was the
song that inspired me to listen Japanese music. Then I found out about Kat-Tun,
the boy band which inspired me to really sing.
C&T: Is
singing something you’d like to do professionally in the future?
AY: Yes. I have a passion for singing and it's something I can see myself
pursuing as a career in the near future.
C&T: What
else do you do for fun besides singing and listening to J-Pop?
AY: Besides singing, [in] my spare time, I find myself playing the guitar. I also
enjoy playing sports such as tennis and badminton. But the major thing I enjoy
doing the most is exploring the Japanese culture and learning their language.
C&T: Do
you have anything you would like to say to your fans who voted for you?
AY: I want to thank everyone who took their time to visit the Cheng & Tsui
Superstar website. All the contestants were great but I would like to thank all
of the people who voted and supported me.
C&T: Do
you have any words of advice for future Cheng & Tsui SuperStar hopefuls?
AY: Don't be afraid to be yourself. If you enter the competition for fun, then
enjoy the moments. If you enter to win, sing your heart out. Just remember to
have fun and hopefully we'll see your videos at the next Cheng & Tsui
Superstar Karaoke Contest!
Alex will join our panel of judges next year, when Cheng & Tsui SuperStar (Japanese edition) returns for a second season. We would also like to congratulate our student runner-up, the students of Whitney High School in Cerritos, CA and our SuperStar teacher, Tomoko Graham of Dedham, MA and the runner-up, Caleb Rennings of San Francisco, CA. Thank you to our judges and everyone who participated in the contest. To learn more about the contest, visit www.cheng-tsui.com/superstar. And stay tuned for our Cheng & Tsui SuperStar, Chinese edition starting later this summer.