Viva la diva
Della Ding Dang is set to wow fans during her first concert in Malaysia.
FOR a girl who ran away from home to pursue her dream, rising Taiwanese pop diva Della Ding Dang has come a long way. The tickets to her first solo concert in Malaysia have sold out as fans know they can expect a sizzling stage performance.
“Fans will have lots of fun during the three-hour-long show. This concert in Malaysia is my first stop outside Taiwan,” she said during a press conference.Hailed as the Newborn Mandopop Diva, Della is particularly known for her powerful vocals, captivating voice and spectacular range. Known simply as Della or Ding Dang in Chinese, her real name is Wu Xian.
Kick-starting The Diva in Della world tour concert in Taipei last December, the singer put on a supremely entertaining show, demonstrating her vocal prowess as she changed from one colourful outfit to another. Said to be different from the previous soft-pop ventures, The Diva in Della show is a four-parter inspired by four classic Broadway musicals – Chicago, The Lion King, Rent and Swan Lake.
Would she be doing any quick costume changes on stage?
“Well, not this time. Most of the costumes are very elaborate and too complicated for me to manage on my own. I’ve got crew members helping me to put them on and take them off. Some of them are also quite heavy, so I’ve to be really careful while I’m wearing them.”
The vivacious singer had to learn all sorts of dances and train incessantly to prepare herself for the show. “I like to learn all sorts of new things. I really enjoy dancing and love that it adds another dimension to my performances.”
Unlike others who prefer to keep the identity of their guest performers a secret, Della happily revealed her guest – fellow singer Yen-j.
“We had a great time doing a duet during my show in Taiwan. I imagine our next collaboration will be even more enjoyable.”
The mainland Chinese songstress who hails from the Zhejiang province, China, celebrated her 30th birthday on April 17. She is surprisingly candid about the fact that she ran away from home at the age of 18 because her parents were not too happy that she wanted to pursue her dreams of becoming a professional singer. In fact, her first album was titled Run Away From Home.
“Actually, I did not run very far. I still lived in the same neighbourhood with some friends, just a couple of blocks away. That way, they needn’t worry about me and I could see them if I missed them. I just wasn’t living with my parents,” recounted the singer, whose other albums include Decisively Loved, Night Cat, Fu Good and Future Melody.
After singing in pubs for five years, she decided to move to Mandopop’s headquarters – Taiwan. Best loved for her rendition of romantic ballads like I Love Him, Why Did You Lie and I’m A Little Bird, the pretty lass has now added dance numbers to her repertoire.
● The Diva in Della Live in Malaysia 2012 concert, organised by Star Planet in celebration of its 10th anniversary, will be staged at the Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands, this Saturday at 8pm.
- The Star
