Bittersweet comeback
AFTER a seven-year hiatus, Datuk Elaine Kang has decided to return to the stage and hold her next solo concert.
“I have decided to stage this concert because I want to be able to perform for everyone ... while they can still hear me sing, and when I can still hear them listen to me sing,” said the popular local singer in a press conference last week.
Kang had gone into semi-retirement while trying to deal with an incurable ENT (ear, nose and throat) medical condition. She had inadvertently developed tinnitus (buzzing in the ear) nine years ago, partly due to having undergone three surgeries to correct her sinus condition.
“It doesn’t affect my singing. But, it means I cannot bear to be in places that are too quiet or too noisy. And if I get too nervous or excited, then it gets even worse, as the sound changes according to my pulse rate,” said the glamorous pop star, who has been busying herself with various charity events.
“I once thought of giving up, because this problem really bothered me a lot. I keep hearing a sound even though there is none. There were times when I didn’t even want to get up. I just wanted to continue sleeping. Sometimes, I’d pummel the wall with my fists. It’s really very frustrating,” she said.
Kang has consulted many medical practitioners for her chronic condition, but they have all given her the same prognosis. “The doctors tell me that there is no cure for it. There is no medication I can take. There is no surgery to correct it. So, I have learnt to live with it,” lamented Kang, who is now concerned that she may lose her hearing altogether after observing the condition of award-winning Hong Kong actress Josephine Siao, a fellow tinnitus sufferer who was bothered by three different sounds.
“Singing is something that I love doing most of all. And when I’m on stage performing for an appreciative audience, it’s like really quite therapeutic because the sound doesn’t bother me,” explained Kang, 50, who will be backed by a 20-piece band, 12 dancers, and a six-piece chorus.
Zaiton Sameon, winner of Anugerah Juara Lagu 1987, will serve as Kang’s guest artiste at her upcoming show. “Zaiton is a positive inspiration for me. I see her as a strong woman who has made a recovery from her 1990 accident,” said Kang about her good friend, who made a comeback to singing after awaking from a six-monthlong coma following the tragedy, which took the lives of her only son and her assistant. - Seto Kit Yan
Elaine Kang Live 2015 will be staged at KLCC Plenary Hall on May 23 at 8pm. Tickets are selling at RM383, RM283, RM253, RM193, RM163, RM103. For ticket reservation, contact Galaxy Group (03-22822020 / www.galaxy.com.my)