While people around the country are enjoying their week-long National Day holidays, CoCo Lee is putting in the hard yards, rehearsing every day in Hong Kong for her first Beijing gig at the 80,000-seat Workers' Stadium on October 6.

Because of the time difference between China and San Francisco where she used to live, Lee wakes up at 11 am and works through until 2 am, practicing dancing for five hours in the afternoon and then singing.

According to the promoter of Monday's concert, the staging is costing US$1 million and the costumes almost as much.

The play list has "So Crazy,'' "Feeling Good,'' "True Lover'' and other hits from over the years and all have been re-arranged. Lee has promised to bring local fans a brand-new type of entertainment with her new style and dancing moves.

As part of the build up, she will have an online chat at http://yule.sohu.com with fans on October 4.Beijing is Lee's first stop of her "So Crazy Concert Tour in China 2003.'' Following the national capital, she will perform in Jiangxi Province's Nanchang on October 18, Zhejiang Province's Ningbo on October 21, Chongqing Municipality on October 31 and Hunan Province's Changsha on November 9.

Endowed with a soul-stirring voice, an innate sense of rhythm and a natural talent for performing, Lee has established herself as one of the superstars of the Chinese pop scene.

The 28-year-old has recorded and released 12 albums since her 1994 debut, eight of which have been released by Sony Music, which she has been with since 1996. Whether in Mandarin or English, all of her albums have enjoyed brisk sales in Chinese-speaking territories throughout Asia.

"People in Asia like my voice so much, it is so different. I combine the R&B (rhythm and blues) feel with Chinese pop music,'' she says, adding she wants to bring an R&B flavour and other Westernized sounds to her music "because that's the type of music I grew up listening to.''

Born in Hong Kong and raised in San Francisco, Lee is the youngest of three girls -- all of whom like singing. Their mother, a doctor and a musical talent in her own right, encouraged the children to pursue more traditional careers.

Nevertheless, CoCo's older sisters began entering local singing contests and were quite successful. CoCo spent much of her spare time singing songs by such favorite artists as Whitney Houston, Madonna, Debbie Gibson and George Michael -- so her move to the next level of performing came naturally.

"I really idolize everything my sisters do, so I went into singing contests and also won,'' she says. "That's how I really got into singing.''

Unforgettable moments like the standing ovation she received after performing for her high school junior class kept the dream alive for the then teenaged Lee.

"I remember going to a karaoke place at the Fisherman's Wharf (San Francisco) where you can record your own songs,'' she recalls. "My best friend paid for it and I made a tape. Later, she'd play it in the restaurant she worked at and people would want to buy it. And that's when I was like, 'Wow, I can actually sing.'''

CoCo's first big break came during the summer vacation in Hong Kong following her high school graduation. Just for fun, she entered an annual local singing contest for new comers, which is actually a breeding ground for some of China's biggest stars.

CoCo came second and remarkably, was the only contestant to sing in English, delivering a heartfelt rendition of Whitney Houston's "Run To You.''

The next day, a local record company called her and wanted to sign her because they felt her voice was so different compared to other Asian artists.

One year later, CoCo signed a contract with Sony Music Taiwan and released her "CoCo Lee (Former Day's Love)'' Mandarin album.

In her 1996 English album "CoCo's Party,'' she worked with hit master Walter Afanasieff to create an album which officially launched her onto the world stage.

In 1997, CoCo released her third Mandarin album entitled "Each Time I Think Of You'' as well as a Cantonese album called "Be Careful Next Time.''

The following 12 months turned out to be an even bigger year for her. Her Mandarin albums "DiDaDi'' and "Sunny Day: Feeling Good'' were released. The former won the MTV Asia Music Award for Best Album and Best Music Video.

The same year, she supplied not only the voice for the lead character in the Mandarin-language version of Disney's animated adventure "Mulan'' but also performing the film's theme song as well.

Her latest album in English, "Just No Other Way'' is a vibrant, pulsating collection that reveals a special voice of not only power but also range and emotion.

Whether moving the dance floor with the joyous and sexy rapture of "Do You Want My Love'' or exploring the untamed longing of lost love in "Can't Get Over'' with second vocalist Kelly Price, CoCo commands attention with her tone, taste and drive.

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