International superstar, Karen Mok attended the press conference for her debut jazz album, 'Somewhere I Belong' at the Mansion, High Society located at Pacific Plaza.
The multi-talented actress-singer wrapped up her filming for a Hollywood film, Man of Tai Chi, directed by first-time director, Keanu Reeves.
'Somewhere I Belong' is Mok’s very first jazz English album and in this album, she adds her own Chinese flavour into it with Chinese instruments such as the Gu Zheng, which Mok admits to playing it well.
She added that jazz is a widely loved genre of music and now that a jazz album is coming out from a different part in Asia, she brings her group of Chinese musicians to recreate the genre of jazz. “We (the band and Mok) figured that it is vital importance to have our own character and identity in this album,” the 42-year-old singer said.
Karen Mok talks more about her latest album in this showcase!
When asked about the inspiration behind her album title, Mok revealed that ‘Somewhere I Belong’ was actually a poem she wrote a few years ago in her photobook, and because jazz has always been her love, the title sums up what she wants to talk about and share with the listeners out there.
(Check out more photos of Karen Mok on our Facebook page!)
Karen to hold her Autograph Session at Bugis+
Besides juggling her career as an actress and singer, Mok shares how she maintains her long distance relationship with German husband, Johannes. “We have known each other for 20 years and it was really fate that brought us back together after so long before we walked down the aisle. Now we’re often not together, so maybe this separation kind of keep the flames alive.”
Although a baby might not be in her checklist right now, the pop star stepmother often phones back to London with the little help of technology.
For Mok, there was a ‘turning point’ where she literally fell in love with jazz. It happened during her collage days where she chanced about an album by Ellifty Geldon and Louis Armstrong. She was wowed and intrigued the moment she listened to the songs and thereafter she begun searching for other big musicians who played jazz.
“It’s not about showcasing your vocals alone, it’s a team effort and that each must complement one another,” the singer commented on the qualities of a jazz singer. She continued saying, “if you’re happy, music should make you happier and if you’re sad and want to seek solace, music should also be able to do that.” Well said Karen!
Karen Mok was named as the ‘Roll Back Malaria Champion’ a few days ago where she becomes the latest to lend her celebrity voice to the global fight against malaria. “We are lucky to come from big cities like Hong Kong and Singapore but we are not aware that killer diseases like malaria are still around. I just want to stand up and speak up so we can create more awareness and reach out to more people.”
As her title states, Mok will leverage her platform in raising awareness of malaria with her fans and general public and will engage with leading stakeholders, including political and private sector leaders, around the world to encourage greater political and financial will and stronger coordination to help maximize the impact of efforts.
