Angel and Wolf" thrilled some 20,000 people at Taipei Stadium in 1988, the province's first open-air concert. Since then "Angel" Chyi Yu, and her brother, Chyi Chin (called the "Wolf from the North") have arguably become the most popular sister-brother act on China's pop music scene.
Two decades later, the 50-year-old sister and 48-year-old brother will revive the "Angel and Wolf" concert. They will tour Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and several cities on the Chinese mainland. The Beijing leg will be at the Workers Gymnasium on March 29.
They will sing hits such as Chyi Yu's Oliver, Smile Face, The High-heel Shoes in September and Chyi Chin's Wolf from the North, Winter Rain, Memorial Day and Cliff. They will also duet on numbers such as The Windflowers.
The youngest son of divorced parents, Chyi Chin was so rebellious as a youth that he was sent to a correctional institution for three years. His sister Chyi Yu went to see him every week and gave him a guitar.
Chyi Chin taught himself to play and later entered singing competitions. He didn't win but his belief in himself grew and he kept practicing even during his days of military service.
Then, like many Taiwan pop singers, he was discovered by a rock record company and released his first hit Wolf and the debut album See Her Again in 1985.
Chyi Chin's early musical influences were heavy rock and he formed the band Rainbow to perform concerts. As he developed from bad boy to family man, falling in love with Taiwan actress Joey Wong, he created many love songs such as Around the Time of Winter and Don't Let My Tears Go Through the Night.
Chyi Yu's path to success was more straightforward. She won a singing contest in 1978 when she was 20 and has since become one of the most popular female ballad singers.
Thirty years on the Chyi's music is as touching as ever. Their life experiences actually add a deeper understanding of music, love and family.
(China Daily March 7, 2008)
