Malaysian voices find favor with Chinese fans

Fish Leong is one of the most popular Malaysian singers in China.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Shila Amzah gained recognition from Chinese fans after she performed two years ago in a reality TV competition called I Am a Singer, produced by Hunan Satellite TV.

In long-sleeved gowns and headscarves, the 25-year-old singer, born in Kuala Lumpur, has wowed Chinese audiences with her powerful voice. Though she is not fluent in Mandarin, she interprets Chinese love songs in her own style.

Within a month of her appearance on the show, her Sina Weibo followers soared to more than 2 million. In October 2013, during President Xi Jinping's visit to Malaysia, Amzah was selected as a representative of Malaysian artists to perform before him. Late last month, she held a concert in Hong Kong.

She has said in an interview: "I Am a Singer was definitely a great steppingstone for me to get to know more about Chinese music and Chinese audiences."

I Am a Singer has also given Chinese-Malaysian singer and songwriter Gary Chaw an opportunity to return to the stage after a long hiatus. In 2014, after participating in the show, he brought his two children, Joe and Grace, to join Hunan Satellite TV's reality show Where Are We Going Dad?

Born in Kota Belud, Sabah, Malaysia, he studied in Canada and New Zealand before launching his music career in Taiwan in 2000.

More recently, Malaysian singer Jeanie Lee has made her mark on Chinese TV shows. The 28-year-old, born in a musical family and a graduate of the International College of Music in Kuala Lumpur, joined the fourth season of The Voice of China, a Chinese reality talent show by Zhejiang Satellite TV.