The Straits Times Life Section - June 13, 2007

June 13, 2007

Ho's Olympic date

Singer Ho Yeow Sun has been named sole music ambassador for the Beijing Olympics
By Tay Suan Chiang

HOME-GROWN singer Ho Yeow Sun will be taking part in the Beijing Olympics next year, not as an athlete of course but as 'Olympic music ambassador'.

On Monday night, she was named music ambassador by the Beijing OrganizingCommittee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad at a ceremony in BeijingJiaotong University. She said she is the only such music ambassador.Her role involves motivating university students in China to write songs forthe Olympics.She will also 'help make their songwriting more presentable so that it willbe selected for performance at the Olympics', she told Life! yesterday.
The plan is for her to visit at least 15 universities in big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, where she will perform and talk to the students about songwriting.
'It is also to let the students have a feel of international music and toencourage them to be more involved in the Olympics,' said Ho, who plans tostart the university visits in two months' time.The costs of her travel and stay will be borne by the committee but she willnot be paid for her role as music ambassador.
'Rather, I will be paid with the love from the students,' said the singer,who sings in both Mandarin and English.Songs to be performed at the Olympics, including the theme song, will bedecided 100 days before the opening ceremony on Aug 8, 2008.
Apart fromstudents, professional songwriters and singers will also be submitting songs to the committee for consideration.
Ho said that she is working with American hip-hop producer Wyclef Jean andsongwriter Diane Warren to write a theme song to be considered.She added that she was surprised when approached by the committee last weekto become the Games' music ambassador.
'It was very sudden,' she said.
She added that the committee was looking for someone who met their three requirements: an ethnic Chinese, a star with a healthy image and one who hasworked in the international music scene.
She is now back in Singapore and will fly to China for a series of concertsin a week's time.