From campus to capital

Kay Huang has been part of the Chinese music scene for more than 30 years. Provided to China Daily

More than 30 years ago, Rock Records dominated Asia's music industry as the region's largest independent record label.

Becoming a songwriter for the Taiwan company was a dream for aspiring musicians and Kay Huang was no exception.

The skinny, big-eyed young women who won the Taiwan Campus Folk Music Competition arrived at Rock Records at the age of 14 .

She was made an assistant to Lo Ta-yu, the influential singer-songwriter of the 1990s. Encouraged by him, she wrote one song a day for a year.

"It was a terrible experience," she giggles. "He asked me to write whatever I felt or wanted to say."

She released her debut album, Sad Boy, in 1986, which was a commercial success, but Huang preferred writing songs to being in the spotlight.

Decades later, Huang, 48, is a veteran known for her witty female perspective.

Now, she will celebrate her 30-year career with a concert, called One Day, at which Lo Ta-yu, Rene Liu and Chyi Chin will perform Huang's works.

The three-hour concert will be divided into four sections: "good morning", "lazy afternoon", "sunset" and "night carnival"; while the stage will be designed to look like a home.

"I call the concert a party or a star-studded reunion," Huang says. "I've been busy for years. When I look back I feel contented that I wrote so many songs that are remembered."

One of her favorite songs is Dream Field, performed by Taiwan singer Chyi Yu. Huang produced the album for Chyi Yu and will accompany her for the first time live.

The songwriter and producer also wrote songs for mainland singers such as Na Ying. Na will sing with Huang and other stars at the concert.

In the past few years, Huang has also tried her hand at stage dramas and musicals in Taiwan, which received both critical and commercial success.

chennan@chinadaily.com.cn