Singapore’s Ding Yi Music Company marked the 70th birthday of singer-songwriter Dick Lee with a concert dedicated to his Cantonese and Mandarin repertoire, showcasing his contributions to the region’s pop music beyond his well-known English-language musicals. The event took place on the evening of July 25 at the Esplanade Concert Hall, drawing a predominantly boomer-aged audience.
Conducted by Dedric Wong, the concert featured arrangements of Lee’s Chinese-language songs reinterpreted by eight composers from Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. Many of these arrangements were unveiled during the event, never before heard by Lee himself. The programme was structured chronologically, framed by a series of filmed interviews with Lee that chronicled his musical journey and began with his early efforts in Chinese songwriting.
A turning point in Lee’s career came after his move to Japan in 1990, which propelled him into the Cantopop scene. There, he collaborated with major industry figures such as Sandy Lam and the “Four Heavenly Kings” — Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok, and Leon Lai — composing for all of them and establishing his influence in the genre.
Four vocalists led the performances: Jessie Yeong and Lennerd Lim from Malaysia, Skye Sirena from Singapore, and Wysom Wong from Hong Kong. Each brought distinct interpretations to Lee’s songs, invoking a mixture of nostalgia and renewed appreciation for the Golden Age of Cantopop prior to Hong Kong’s handover to China. Yeong delivered sensual renditions of tracks originally performed by Lam, Dawn, and Ye Hua, while Sirena was noted for her performances of Anita Mui’s ballad “Ru Ye” and Kit Chan’s “Deng Le You Deng.” Lim energized the audience with Jeff Chang’s Mandopop hit “Duo Xiang,” and Wong’s crooning style in Andy Lau’s “Yue Dui Zai Hu Ni” received particular acclaim. The two male singers also energized the crowd together with Lee’s upbeat “Love Is Cha Cha Cha.”
The concert also offered moments for Ding Yi’s instrumentalists to shine. Koh Yu Jie on erhu and Yvonne Tay on guzheng were highlighted in the instrumental rendition of Tracy Huang’s “Everything I Know,” while dizi player Lyu Sih-Ying provided melodic solos throughout the evening.
Following a medley from “Snow.Wolf.Lake,” Lee took the stage to perform his own compositions, including Jacky Cheung’s “Love Is Eternal” and Leslie Cheung’s “Chase.” His vocal performance and piano playing displayed enduring vitality and stage presence. The event concluded with an encore of the Singapore anthem “Home,” sung by all the performers and the audience, bringing the celebration to a patriotic finale.
Lee’s multifaceted career, blending local cultural identity with regional pop music, was aptly recognized in this commemorative concert, underlining his role as a seminal figure in Singapore and the wider Chinese-language music scene.