Yoyo Sham: Unleashing the Inner Voice 岑寧兒：尋找音樂的形狀

ENGLISH 英 : Leona Lai | CHINESE 中 : Janet Cheung

VENUE: Shangri-La Toronto · ART DIRECTION: DEBORAH LAU-YU · Photographer: Jackson Huang, Ikonica Images · VIdeographer: Karl Man, Eyespie Productions · Fashion direction & Styling: Ashley Galang · MAKEUP & HAIR: Joan Huang, aglowbyjoan · Photography asssitant: Jonah Wiley · Office team: Lilian mak, Rhonda Lam

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“To find the different shapes of life, let go and embrace the unknown journey.”

A singer-songwriter whose passion for music is as infectious as her down-to-earth personality, Yoyo Sham is a talent on the move. When she sings the above lyric from Come What May, a Cantonese song written for her by manager Chan Wing Him, she’s not just performing. She’s giving soulful expression to her own reality as a culturally nomadic artist. As the jazz/pop/folk singer said herself in a conversation I had with her following her appearance at this past year’s Fête Chinoise Lunar New Year Gala in Toronto, she has been shaped by her constant travels around the world. Sham sings in Cantonese, English and Mandarin, languages reflecting her musical and life journey so far.

多年前，曾於陳奕迅演唱會上聽到一把陌生的女聲緩緩唱出「Why does the sun go on shining? Why does the sea rush to shore?」兩句歌詞，真摯動人的歌聲瞬間讓我莫名地感動不已。從那刻起，便開始留意岑寧兒（Yoyo），這位充滿才華、擁有多元文化背景和廣闊視野的音樂人。在剛過去的Fête Chinoise 2023文化藝術特色宴會展上，再次欣賞她現場演繹多首打動人心的歌曲。這次訪問讓我們更深入了解Yoyo的音樂世界，感受她對音樂和生活的熱愛。

Yoyo Sham at FÍte Chinoise Signature Lunar New Year Gala 2023.

Yoyo出身演藝世家，從小接觸音樂，於香港兒童合唱團的訓練，埋下了日後投身音樂界的種籽。長大後於多倫多約克大學藝術學院畢業，課程內容涵蓋攝影、電影理論和爵士聲樂等，使她更深入理解了多倫多人的情感和心境，培養她對不同文化的尊重和理解，這些經歷為她未來的音樂創作建立了穩固的基礎。

Sham was born and raised in Hong Kong, which deeply influenced her and filled her with a love for Chinese culture and music. Seeking personal and artistic growth, she moved to Toronto for her undergraduate studies, attending York University where, as part of a multidisciplinary degree in fine arts, she studied vocal jazz with acclaimed Canadian singer Rita di Ghent, in addition to photography. From there, she returned to Asia, where she immersed herself in the vibrant music scenes of Beijing and Taiwan, eventually becoming a professional backing vocalist for Hong Kong-based pop stars Khalil Fong and Eason Chan.

The experience of living and working in different international cities brought both complexity and clarity to her sense of self. She had to start from scratch several times over in places where she often didn’t know anyone. While admittedly difficult at times — especially in her younger years — these periods of readjustment and self-reinvention became vital sources of inspiration for her. Sham’s songwriting represents a seamless blend of musical genres and tongues, making it unique in today’s pop landscape. “I try to discover and develop my own sound and trust that there is a place for me,” she says.

2022年夏季，Yoyo再次踏足多倫多，展開為期一個月的旅程，雖然患上新冠肺炎，迫使部分計劃取消；可幸的是透過視像會議，Yoyo仍能以線上課程形式與居於Picton的爵士聲樂老師Rita di Ghent上課，這種既遠且近的聯繫成為她最珍貴的收穫。

提及對多倫多的感覺，Yoyo表示：「我很喜歡雪！雖然部分多倫多人對雪感到厭倦，但我很喜歡雪，尤其是初雪。」她最愛多倫多的冬天和雪景，飄雪讓一切變得寧靜，心靈也變得純淨。多倫多四季分明，她也十分喜愛秋天的楓葉，漫天緋紅，美麗的景緻深深觸動她的內心。

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談到音樂，Yoyo強調自己的音樂風格不受市場影響，全憑直覺和情感牽引。她熱愛原聲樂器，尤其喜歡以原聲吉他創作音樂。她堅持追求自己喜愛的風格，創作出獨特的原創音樂，在音樂路上找到自己的位置。她對於台灣、香港和中國各地的音樂有不同體會，總括而言喜見唱作歌手逐漸備受重視，機會越來越多。

Sham is drawn to the organic sound of acoustic instruments, finding inspiration in artists such as the Portuguese singer Maro and the English multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier, whose music blends jazz with elements from various genres. Her eclectic tastes previously put her on the margins of Hong Kong’s pop scene, where having star quality trumped sincerity of sound. But, as she observes, the scene is now changing. Indie music, like what she performs, is on the rise. There are now other musicians and singer-songwriters like her in Hong Kong who are gaining prominence and recognition in the mainstream.

When it comes to her own music, Sham strives to capture and convey the wise, calm and confident inner voice that individuals often discover within themselves during emotional moments. Rather than aspiring to make an impact on people (the pop star way), Sham more wants to share her authentic self through her performances. She hopes to inspire people to embrace and express their own authenticity, she says.

Sham’s personality shines through every aspect of her artistry. She is not a distant figure. Through her singing and songwriting she appears more as a friend, a confidante, a fellow traveller on the winding road of life. Her concerts are not mere spectacles. They are heartfelt gatherings where her audience feels seen, heard and understood. She connects with her fans on a personal level, bridging the gap between the stage and the crowd, creating a space where music becomes a conduit for shared experience.

Yoyo於香港出生及成長，亦分別於加拿大及台灣生活了好幾年，混合中西文化背景。她表示自己會遵守部份華人傳統習俗，例如特別喜歡慶祝農曆新年和中秋節、到訪親友家必定會帶手信；但亦坦承自己也不盡傳統，有著多重身份及文化，說話總夾雜粵語和英文，間中加上一兩句普通話也是等閒。在音樂創作上，她認為每種語言也有其獨特之處。英文歌注重節奏感，普通話唱起來較流暢，而粵語對咬字發音有很高要求。她的作品中會用上不同語言，首支個人創作歌曲便是寫給陳奕迅的《Baby Song》，以普通話入詞，歌曲彷彿有種魔力，無論如何演繹也能觸動人心。

Yoyo深信音樂是一種美妙的媒介，能打破界限、跨越語言，無論是溫柔的悸動，抑或悲傷的情感，音樂能觸動內心的每個角落，與人連繫。她期盼年輕的新世代能從音樂中找到最真實的自己，不受固有的規範限制，點燃創作的火花，堅持自己的音樂風格和表達方式。

作為穿梭於世界各地的音樂人，Yoyo不斷探索自己的音樂之路，以誠懇面對不同經歷。就像她在歌曲《風的形狀》中唱道：「為了找人生不同形狀/ 未知的放手去擁抱一趟/ 換個比回憶廣闊的視角。」她的音樂為人帶來溫暖和正能量，讓樂迷在她的音樂中找到屬於自己的「風的形狀」。

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