Courtesy to Toronto TheStar.com
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/434509
Hong Kong star loves loyal fans
Cantopop, Mandopop singer thrills 10,000 at Rogers Centre, greets followers up-close
May 31, 2008 04:30 AM
Nicholas Keung
Staff Reporter
It doesn't happen too often when you have a jet-lagged superstar telling a handler to give a reporter more time for an interview.
But it is that easygoing and grounded character that has made Hong Kong Cantopop and Mandopop icon Leo Ku Kui-Kei a darling to his fans worldwide, including those who filled 10,000 seats at Toronto's Rogers Centre last night.
Having travelled to Canada numerous times for charities and concerts going back to 1996, Ku is no stranger to Toronto, though all he has ever seen in the area is Niagara Falls. (His stays are often too short to allow him time to do any sightseeing – not even to the CN Tower.)
But he loves his "up-close-and-personal" moments with his followers overseas, fans he gets to meet once every few years, such as the 500 or so who greeted him Thursday afternoon at a Markham mall to chat with him and collect his autographs.
"My relationship with my fans abroad is like a long-distance love affair," Ku said during a 40-minute, sit-down interview in Cantonese. (It ran long by 10 minutes.)
"We probably only get to see each other several times in our lives, but we are connected somehow. They are just so loyal and I'm touched."
Ku was last in Toronto in 2005 for a performance at Casino Rama. That appearance was part of his world tour to promote his album, Games, which was based on the video game theme.
His latest tour – accompanied by three up-and-comers, Theresa Fu, Kary Ng and Terence Siufay – is titled The Magic Moments after his new album, Moments.
A veteran artist with a 17-year career, the 35-year-old Ku is a "big kid" at heart, fascinated by both video games and Japanese animations.
"Leo is just a very nice guy, a talented artist with a big heart for charities," said Teresa Woo, an organizer of Ku's Toronto fans' club, whose members received their idol at Pearson International Airport Tuesday.
Sporting the club's black T-shirt, imprinted with Ku's concert poster, Woo, a University of Toronto student, said the multiple-award-winning singer is a role model for young people, especially in the midst of the sex scandals that recently rocked the entertainment industry in Hong Kong.
These days, Ku is also devoting time to his childhood passion – painting. He has released two comic books, titled The Story of Kubi, about an alien who got dumped on earth for his birth defects but used them to his advantage to help others in the human world.
"I always wanted to do this, but didn't get to it until 2003, when Hong Kong was struck with the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic and everyone, including myself, was stuck at home," explained Ku, who picked his anglicized name, Leo, because that is his astrological sign.
"I spent about four months to finish my first book. My next step is to turn Kubi into an animation."
Ku was named one of Hong Kong's 10 outstanding young achievers in 2005. The award recognizes the hard work he has put in during his career and his contributions to the community, including the Leo Ku Children Medical Fund that he established to support expensive medical treatment for needy kids.
Coupled with his artistic talent, it's Ku's offstage persona that helps win his older fans' hearts. (He had to cut short his tour to return to Hong Kong Saturday for a June 1 fundraising performance for recent earthquake survivors in China.)
"I am thrilled to be able to meet him," said Julianna Wong, a middle-aged woman who took a day off Thursday and arrived at the Market Village Mall at 9:30 a.m. to get a glimpse of Ku.
"We have a better chance to chat with him and get his autograph in Canada," added the Toronto social worker, holding a CD, a poster and a T-shirt for Ku to sign. "In Hong Kong, people are so crazy for Leo that you can't even get near him."
Despite his success, Ku said he has managed to keep his feet on the ground because of all the ups and downs in his long career, including a span of several years when he was stalled by his label company due to a contract dispute.
"Life is not a sprint; it is a marathon. You've learned to appreciate your success and fans' support more," Ku paused.
"All these awards, albums and books don't matter to me as much (as) if I can use my celebrity to make a difference and bring about some positive influence among our young people. I think that's what really matters."
Ku is not sure when he will return to Toronto, but said Canada is his favourite country, an ideal place for retirement.
"I just love the blue sky, the warm sunshine and the clean air here," he said, pointing at the window behind the couch of his hotel room.
"And the fans, too."
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