Singapore girl comes home
By Tiffany Fumiko Tay
Publisher:The Straits Times - Publication Date: 07-03-2008


Moving to a foreign land on your own at the age of 17 may seem a scary thought to most, but not to Singaporean Olivia Ong.

She relocated to Japan five years ago after completing her O-level examinations to kickstart her singing career on the advice of her then music company, which was Japanese-based.

The now 22-year-old certainly did that, returning triumphantly after a stint with J-pop band Mirai and also with four solo bossa nova albums under her belt, including her 2005 solo debut, A Girl Meets Bossa Nova, which sold over 10,000 copies in Japan and Singapore.

The versatile singer-songwriter returned to Singapore in August last year, and plans to stay, at least for now.

What's more, she formed a band in January which she describes as a mix of jazz, funk and bossa nova, called the Olivia Ong Quintet.

The other members are drummer Alvin Tan, bassist Wah Yong, a guitarist known simply as K.C. and a Brazilian keyboardist whom Ong refers to as just Luiz. She met these bandmates, full-time music instructors who are a generation older than her, through a friend, she says.

Though they are currently not under a record label, plans to record an album are in the works, she tells Life! excitedly.

Fans will get a taste of what's to come at the Mosaic Music Festival next Friday (March 14) as Ong will perform songs from her albums, along with some new ones, with the band backing her.

On why she is continuing her music career in Singapore, which she describes as having a small market for musicians and designers alike, she tells Life! in a phone interview: 'Singaporeans are beginning to open up, there's more support now for local artistes.

"It's good to have overseas success, but to have your music accepted at home is an even greater feeling."

Of her time spent overseas, she says: "It was hard at first, because I was on my own most of the time going to school and learning Japanese, but my parents visited often and took care of my welfare so I settled in."

She says that her experience in Japan was an eye opener, as the music market there is much more open than Singapore's.

"The people there are very creative, you can tell just from the way they express themselves in fashion.

"They're also very receptive to new acts," she says.

Olivia Ong will perform at The Living Room@The Concourse, The Esplanade, on March 14 from 9 to 9:45pm. Admission is free.

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