Taiwan Strikes Again

As I wave goodbye to 2008, I'll mainly remember it as the year I realized that Asian markets are good for more than just illegal fireworks, dangerously greasy food and exotic pets. About a month ago, I raved about Taiwanese/Japanese pop singer Makiyo, whose album Magic Age is one of the funkiest, catchiest CDs I've ever lucked into finding.

Last week, I made my way to the same market, and stumbled onto another Mandarin-language gem. Behold my latest discovery: A-Mei Chang!

Of course, after doing some research I found that A-mei has been one of Taiwan's biggest stars for more than 10 years. But who really defines what "discover" means anyway? It's such a vague word. The CD I got (for a very reasonable $3.95) is entitled Maybe Tomorrow. It features a wide variety of musical styles and great production, but is a lot less "pop" than Makiyo's. And A-mei's voice is truly beautiful.

Here's one of her older videos, called "Can I Hug You?" Ignore the language barrier and listen to the sadness in her voice. That alone can tell you what the song's about.