"Malaysia's Iron-Lung Diva" Fu Qiongyin surprised fans yesterday by releasing a duet video with Canadian vocal coach Rozette, taking on the classic Malay song "Gemilang." Their perfect pronunciation and strong chemistry set off a frenzy among fans. The video was filmed in Kuala Lumpur while Rozette was in town from Canada to attend an awards ceremony, and took the chance to travel and try local foods, which unexpectedly led to their collaboration. Fu Qiongyin revealed, "We happened to be at the same awards ceremony. The organizer is my friend and became our matchmaker.”
She admitted she was already Rozette's fan: “I love her live commentary on 'Singer', and realized we share a lot of the same musical ideas.” She was even more surprised to meet the teacher in person: “I thought she’d be a tall, Western type, but in reality she’s super petite, super hot, and super pretty!” The two hit it off instantly and decided to sing "Gemilang" together.
Fu Qiongyin said the song holds special meaning: “‘Gemilang’ is a positive-energy classic in Malay and was also the designated song for the finals in the first season of ‘Malaysian Idol’—I was one of the Top 33 that season.” She also shared some funny moments teaching Rozette to sing in Malay: “She’s sung in Cantonese, Korean, and Mandarin, but never Malay. I wanted to be the first to teach her, so I knew she’d be up for this challenge! During our interaction, she was super professional and dedicated, eager to learn, and totally down-to-earth.”
In addition to this cross-border collaboration sparking discussion, Fu Qiongyin has recently transformed into a judge for Astro’s ‘Classic Songs Competition’, appearing alongside Hong Kong star Nancy Sit to showcase her expertise. She revealed: “Anyone wanting lessons can send an a cappella recording via private message to my fan page. Currently, lessons are in Kuala Lumpur, and in Taipei they’ll take the form of singing workshops.”
Source: ETtoday