Taiwan singer celebrates career with tour of the mainland
Soon after Yoga Lin, 31, took his first steps to stardom by winning the first season of the
competition in 2007, a popular reality TV singing contest in Taiwan, he built up a fan base with his soulful voice as well as his ability to interpret classic Mandarin pop songs in his own style.
Now, he is marking 12 years in the music business with a world tour called Idol.
On Dec 29 and 30, Lin gave two shows at Taipei Arena, which kicked off the tour.
The shows attracted about 22,000 people.
Separately, on April 13, he will begin a tour of the mainland, starting in Chengdu, Sichuan province, and covering cities like Beijing and Shanghai.
Speaking about his 12-year career, he says: “It’s unbelievable how time flies.
“But for me, one of the most special parts of being a singer is that I could have music to mark different stages of my life, which I can share with people.”
Lin’s last tour was from June 2016 to December 2017, and it was called The Great Yoga.
Meanwhile, the last have been momentous other ways too. two years for Lin in
On Jan 7, 2017, Lin married the mother of his son.
Separately, Lin says that the name of the latest tour not only shows how he views his career as a singer but is an expression of a desire to become an idol for his son.
Speaking about his early days, he says: “When I watch videos of me from 10 years ago — playing the guitar and singing — I see a shy and gloomy young man. But now, I sing assuredly about the messages that I want to deliver through my music.”
On Aug 5, 2018, Lin released a new single, titled
with the Beijing I Hear U Charity Fund and Chinese music streaming service NetEase Cloud Music.
Each song download costs 3 yuan ($44 cents), and the money raised is donated to the charity. So far more than 1.2 million yuan has been raised.
Lin, who was born in Pingtung, Taiwan, joined a rock band while in high school and performed in local pubs before launching his career as a singer.
So far, Lin has released five fulllength studio albums, including
and both nominated for awards at the prestigious Taiwan Golden Melody Awards.
For the Idol world tour, Lin is music director. And he has rearranged his hits and worked with multimedia artists to design visual images.
The team has been working with Lin since his last tour.
Speaking about the latest tour and what it offers, Lin says: “I’ve performed songs in various styles — pop, jazz and rock. And experiences like that have made it clear to me about the kind of music I want to create.
“I want more than catchy tunes but profound lyrics and touching melodies. I want to inspire the audience with my music.”
The first concert Lin watched in 2019 was Taiwan singer-songwriter Cheer Chen’s performance in Taipei.
“Though the stage set was simple, she was able to foster intimacy with the crowd. Her music is not for the mass market but draws a large group of people,” says Lin, adding that Chen played the guitar and piano at the show.
During his concerts in Taipei in December, Lin performed Chen’s song, while playing the ukulele, to pay tribute to his idol.
Speaking about how Chen’s songs affect him, he says: “I am inspired. I am still learning and the learning never stops.”