The light flashed blindingly from above as a bass drum’s thunder drowned out thousands of screaming voices. Leehom’s face suddenly appeared on the screens towering overhead, and glorified he dropped down into the center of the stage as if it were some action movie and he were the hero.
It was the first time I had seen my brother in a concert in Asia since he was singing 雪人with 范晓萓and appearing on 龙兄虎弟. It was amazing to see how much had changed in the last ten years. He had accomplished so much. Over the past few weeks traveling together I had learned to see him differently: not just as a playmate, a role model, and above all a brother, but as an inspiration to literally hundreds of thousands of people. I was in awe.
Of course I’d known that Leehom was famous. But I hadn’t expected, for example, to see the flight attendants in airplanes giving him bottles of water with his own image on them. And seeing thousands of fans screaming his name was surely a breathtaking experience, not to mention that my identity as his brother earned me the rank of a minor celebrity, especially after he sang to me during his Beijing concert on my birthday.
That is one experience I will never forget: my brother, singing “Happy Birthday” to me in front of thousands upon thousands of people, with the lights of a dozen cameras in my face and people smiling at me from every direction. It took me completely by surprise and reassured me that, no matter what, our family comes foremost in his mind. That’s the way we were raised, and it’s comforting to know that no amount of fame will ever change that.
Another memorable moment occurred the next day in our hotel, when one of the staff there recognized me and wished me a happy birthday. Apparently she had been at the concert the night before! It’s definitely exhilarating being recognized by people I don’t know, but it’s easy to see how celebrities can develop a love-hate relationship with strangers and the media, having to deal with their constant scrutiny. I’ve been with Leehom when he’s been recognized as close to home as Manhattan and as far away as Greece. I know that sometimes he wishes he could just get a little bit of privacy, that he could go out to the movies or go shopping for some books or CDs like a normal person, that he could take a walk outside with a girl without it appearing in the newspapers the next day.
But it’s worth it for him because with celebrity comes influence. I know my idealistic brother cherishes that chance to make a difference, to make a positive impact on the world. Each new album of his represents his attempt to enrich the very essence of popular Chinese music. The idea has excited him for a long time and it has only become more urgent in his mind now that China’s place in the world is fast becoming stronger and China is drawing the attention of the globe. His greatest desire is that the rest of the world will look upon the state of popular music in China with respect and admiration. I hope that his uniquely cosmopolitan experiences enable him to accomplish what he is setting out to do.
I have always admired Leehom, but traveling with him in Asia I developed a new sense of respect for him, not because of the extent of his fame, but because of what a hard worker I learned him to be. Besides the granted keeping up of appearances that goes along with being a celebrity, Leehom also spends every moment of every day thinking about his music, thinking of how he might be able to incorporate new sounds into his craft, thinking about what directions his work should pursue.
I traveled with him to various villages in Yunnan , seeing many new sights and hearing many new sounds. It was incredible to see how these villages – butchers, carpenters, hard laborers during the day – transformed into musicians as soon as they picked up their instruments. But while for me it seemed like a wondrous vacation, Leehom was at work the whole time. And the best part of it was that it was so obvious that he was having as much fun as I was: that’s how much he loves his work. It was clear that he was there to learn from them. He took notes while they discussed age-old techniques and musical traditions. And when they played together, it was as if they had always played together; in music there are no individuals and everyone is equal.
If there’s one thing I wish I could learn from him, it’s the determination and passion that he has in everything he does. That is enough proof for me to know that he deserves every bit of admiration that his fans give him.
August 21, 2004 Leehom Beijing Concert
Article written by Leekai Wang
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