Bevlyn Khoo

Hello guys, so I’ve been slacking with my blog updates. Sometimes I just imagine I have already shared what I’d like to share, but of course, it was only imagination. This time round, it’s not laziness at work…many things happened and time just flew by….

My baby wedding-singing group A Little Dream had our AGM again on 30 Jan, nothing formal because AGM stands for Annual Gossiping Meeting afterall. I wish we had more moving space (cos the area was quite small), but it was still heart-warming to see so many of the musicians make time for this meetup.

Then….it’s the Chinese New Year celebration! It’s my favourite holidays of all year, mainly because I get to meet and catch up with some of my relatives….Well, Beanie is not a relative, but he is nonetheless quite family!

And yes..everybody’s been asking about my MV…well, some things happened and we decided to reshoot it. We might make it just in time for the 1st year anniversary of the album ha. But I want it good, it’s ok. At least we had a lot of fun heee:

A lot of things have been delayed….if you believe in astrology, it’s because Mars turned retrograde during this period. Yes….I do believe in all these, haha! (It just turned direct recently, so yeah!)

We had this MV re-shoot on the eve of my birthday celebration. We didn’t quite sleep, hence by the time it was the birthday dinner, I was ZOMBIFIED. Nobody really seemed to notice, maybe because Cafe Iguana was sooooo dark. I’m so blessed to have this group of friends!

And then….the E-awards pre-show event “姜是本地辣” on 27 Feb 2010 @ Bugis Junction. Definitely an honour to be invited back to perform for the organisation after they awarded my EP album with “2009 Best Local Indie Album” last year. This category is so encouraging for the local music scene - not only do they root for fellow musicians who have already made it overseas, they are also showing support for many more of us who are really just trying to reach out to a wider audience. This time round, I played the piano and sing, and had Jixiang to back me on his guitar. I love it! The first thing to strike me when I arrive at the scene was, “Who are all these people with professional BIG and LONG camera lens?” I really don’t think all of them are from the media…how interesting. I’d really like to know!

Someone from Facebook took this photo of me….and I LOVE it. Mainly because I have NO…IDEA…just…what…I…was…doing….ha ha ha ha ha….!

And of course, I went overseas to record the French album of my dreams. But that’ll be another entry when I’ve more time. Going to watch Pink Martini’s concert now. Tata!

Remember my little post last Oct?

It has always been a secret wish…for my works to be part of a movie soundtrack.

And my wish came true tonight! It is actually a project by Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s 2009 Grad students from the Film Sound and Video course (School of Film and Media Studies). 6 groups produced a short film of approx 15min each and voila! Many people’s dreams came true yesterday night, because the films were screened at GV, Great World City!

Funnily, the students used the demo I anyhow-recorded at home as the ending song. Not ideal (cos I hear all the mistakes and lack of right reverb etc lol), but definitely all in good spirit

I am most happy to be involved in one of the films, specifically a musical titled ‘Love Story’. The pride I got when I hear actor Rayve sing my song with the emotions and all that jazz on the big screen - priceless! (Incidentally Rayve is the actor in the recent Koka advertisement which I loveeeee.)

Many thanks to people I’ve come to known because of the film: Calvin, Singwei, Jean (for the wonderful arrangement to my song), JJ, Marilyn, and many others for making this such a memorable one for me. It’s my first time doing this, but definitely one of good experience! Hope for many more of such to come. Here’s the trailer for you:

The CEO of S2S, Kazunari Suzuki (more commonly known as Ken), passed away peacefully on 31 Jan 2010, aged 55. When I received the news, it took me a while before the news sink in, then I couldn’t quite control my grief.

This is a very personal post for me. I finally decided that I should post it.

Amongst other reasons, Ken is the major one which made me decide to sign with S2S. When I first met him, I didn’t know him of course. But during those brief moments of first few meetings, his honesty, sincerity, positivity, fairness (which I’d really never quite seen in the music industry) touched me. As time went by, I knew I was in the right ship, because he was a brilliant captain. After I joined the family, everyone in the music industry I met has nothing but positive things to say about him.

It wasn’t just his capabilities, but also his lack of air as a boss, and willingness to show himself as a mere human being which really impressed me. I don’t really like to talk about my love life (lack of), but I’d like to now, just to demonstrate how fun a person he was.

Anecdote 1:

Close to 2 months after I joined the label in 2008, I was invited to a New Year Eve lunch with the staff. In one of the conversations, one of them asked how I celebrated Christmas eve. I said I hung out with some girlfriends. My very-new Jap boss Ken who was seated beside me, burst out laughing, then tried very hard to quickly contain it with his hand. At first I was bewildered. Everyone else was bewildered. Like, “what!? what was the joke!?” Nobody understood the joke.

After 3 seconds, I quickly clarified, “Oh no, I’m not a lesbian” (just in case he found it funny that he had signed on another lesbian singer. Don’t be offended, that was the wildest guess I could come up with in split second. I mean, I didn’t know him well, and I’ve zero ideas about Japanese humour). Then he shook his head and said in thick Japanese accent in between gasping laughs,  ”No no…. Hopefully next year……you will spend your Xmas….. better “. I got what he meant, and thinking it a Japanese-appropriate answer, replied sheepishly, “Yes yes, I will get a boyfriend next year “. <– on hindsight, my reply was uncalled for, because I really don’t think he cared for any; he just found it funny.

I couldn’t quite believe it. He actually laughed at me!

Anecdote 2:

I can’t remember which month this was; this time round he got me an interview for a Japanese travel publication. As I had been mocked by him in Anecdote 1, I felt that I could let my guards down and be more ‘myself’. He personally went with me to the interview, mainly because the journalist was Japanese, and he could do some translation if necessary. The interview went very well with some help of translation; questions were mainly on my inspirations on song-writing, and music related issues. Then the journalist asked about my love life. When she knew I was single, she asked what kind of guy I like, well so, I replied blah blah blah. Ken, who was seated beside me all these while, looked at me with near disgust and commented, “Tsk. Very difficult“. Then I believe, he shook his head. Almost as if talking to a father-friend, I said (in front of the journalist), “Noooooo….it’s not!“. He said, “Difficult. You want this that.” Shook his head again. Luckily I did not need his translation for that part of the interview. (My standards are really not that high. Just too high for Ken).

As time went by, he was less a boss-figure and more a father-idol figure. His generosity, fairness to artists, kindness, sense of humour, and always on the ball attitude, fearlessness, and passion for living life, inspired me.

There are many other fond memories of him: When he spoke sprinkles of Mandarin to me… How nobody batted an eye when I performed with Aiza, well before the contract was signed… On one occasion he wanted me to sing at one of his Japanese friend’s wedding (we were very fairly paid), and he even came round to my band and I at the end of the performance to make sure we get to take some nice Japanese desserts home (each of us went home feeling really happy about the desserts more than anything else)… My last conversation with him at the Christmas party about Lisa Ono and music scene in Japan….and him spurring me to write more original songs… My best memory will be when he shared with me what S2S stands for. I wish he could have stayed on longer to see the success he envisioned for his artists, and S2S. I had really wanted to tell him, “I think your English has improved over the past year.”

My deepest condolences and sympathies to his lovely family… Here’s a song dedication to Ken for being a dream-weaver, and for everything positive he stands for. It’s my misfortune to not have a longer working relationship with him.

Wherever you may be
In that canopy of stars
I know that you are not so very far
Wherever life takes me
I will carry you
In every dream that comes true

If you have 1.5 hours to spare, watch this spectacular movie “HOME”, free of charge on youtube.

It is free of charge, because the maker (French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand) needs it to reach you, fast.

To know what you’re going to be watching, read here. Abstract:

“Home is a 2009 documentary by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The film is almost entirely composed of aerial shots of various places on Earth….Opening in 181 countries, the film broke the world record for the largest film release in history…..Taking over eighteen months to complete, director Yann Arthus-Bertrand and a camera man, a camera engineer and a pilot flew in a small helicopter through various regions in over fifty countries….The film received a large response upon release, receiving over 400,000 combined views within the first 24 hours on YouTube. As of December 2009, it has a total of more than 4 million views…”

“On March 9, 2009, a press-conference was held in Paris, France, where Yann Arthus-Bertrand and various producers talked to the media about the issues raised in the film, as well as confirming that Home would be the first film ever to be simultaneously released in theaters, on television, on DVD and on the Internet in five continents.

On May 5, 2009, a second press-conference was held again in Paris, where the same crew members announced that the film’s release date would be June 5, 2009, World Environment Day. Here, they also announced that Home would be 100% free for everyone to view, as “The benefits of this film cannot be counted in dollars, but in audience figures.”"

Enjoy the spectacular pictures of our mother earth, and think about what we can do as individuals with buying power.

If consumerism rules mankind (governments, and corporations who cares about figures), then let’s make use of it to indicate what kind of products we want, and help ourselves (and them) by saving the earth.

Even if you’re not cool enough to watch it, pls pls pass it along (by blog or email) to your cool friends! :p

Ok, this is so cool. Speaking of faith in the Universe, I’m sure I did something like that too when I was reeeeeaally young:

And for hardcore fans, he’s sooooo adorable here.

Yes I’ve been lazy to blog…but also mainly cos I don’t feel a need to blog..I’ve been too busy experimenting with music, and….having fun!

I’m sad that Alicia is back to Italy, but well, I will go visit her next year. Venice is one of the spots on earth I gotta go, and she’s a good reason for me to book a ticket there! Though I hope I’ll not be the Philips lightbulb between Tienyao and his wife when we go there together.

Anyways, a couple of my favourite youtube links for this past month:

After watching this clip, I really feel like I should shut up everytime I want to whine about something. Like, ”Get your act together Bevlyn!”

And this, is how I wanna live when I’m a grandmother:

I saw this dancing uncle with my own eyes some time ago, and I was totally drawn in by his non-chalent attitude. He is cooooool.

And I was so appalled after watching Blood Diamond on TV, and after reading this article: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/198202/diamond

I don’t need a diamond. Can I have erm, blue sapphire? On second thoughts, it’s okay, just give me the monie, I’ll happily go buy a red baby grand piano.

At first I was feeling quite bad for the kids…what kind of adults will do this to innocent young kids?

Ok, morally I think it’s wrong to do that to the kids. Full of twisted guilt yet very amused now, I have to say I haven’t laughed like that for a long time. I wanna marry that boy! Don’t you!?

I only got to see and touch my own album when I met Dengli for dinner on Sat. Who would have thought that I’d have another album this year? I was prepared not to have another one after the EP album cos of financial reasons…While I know of people out there who bought the album, truth is, a substantial amount of people pirate it. So what’s the point of continuing to do DIY albums if I have to live off air?

So, to have the opportunity to continue my passion, I am most grateful. The best way to show support is to buy the authentic album! That is the best and most direct way to let my record label (and me) know that this album is a good idea.

And I’m honoured to have Caramel be my Official Wardrobe Stylist! They have gorgeous tea-dresses, elaborate evening dresses, and from Mel the funky stylist’s mouth, the spring-summer dresses are already here!  Check out the masterpieces at www.caramel.com.sg. I love the dresses to bits! Btw, the dresses I wore for the album’s photoshoot are also courtesy of Caramel.

My band and I did the opening gig for the fashion show week on 19 Mar 09. And this dress is designed by Mel!

Band: Fabian, Lin Hui, Shawn, Bevlyn, James (Brandon not in pic)

And thanks to those who have been asking…No promo activities for the moment..I’ll update if there’s any upcoming events here soon!

Music available for preview on my blog, MySpace, and Reverbnation.

I went to watch Duffy’s concert last Sun… it was a totally mind-blowing experience - her vocals are just too incredible.

Her songs….I don’t know, they have the same healing effects as Rachael Yamagata’s music. The songs are strongly influenced by the blues, and the stingy lyrics - they  just suck me in and spurn me in that little corner again. My current favourite is (did you notice what changes in the mtv? Amazing idea):

Love love love Warwick Avenue and Mercy too…Listen to the strings.