“The World Is Her Stage”—by Paul Sexton

The expression “the world is her stage” means exactly what it says when it comes to singer, songwriter, musician, award-winner, Olympic torch-bearer, superstar of concerts, films and musicals, the multi-lingual, multi-talented Karen Mok.

Eurasian Karen, who has Chinese heritage but also Welsh, Persian and German blood, is from Hong Kong by birth, but in reality she’s from everywhere. In a hugely accomplished career, Karen has repeatedly proved that she’s one of the most distinguished Oriental talents of her generation, but now she’s set to cross the bridge between east and west as never before, on her new album, and first English-language jazz recording, ‘Somewhere I Belong.’

With Karen’s sophisticated approach and with her unique background, this is “jazz, but with a bit of a Chinese approach,” as she describes it. It features an eclectic selection of interpretations plus two Chinese songs (one traditional, one written by Mok herself). The broad palette of ‘Somewhere I Belong’ runs all the way from Cole Porter to Portishead, from Chris Isaak to Sting and from George Gershwin to the Beatles.

“Basically I locked myself in my room and started to imagine what songs I would really want to sing,” explains Karen, whose love of jazz dates from her university days, sparked by such vocal figureheads as Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. “It was quite tough just to choose ten songs. It’s a bit like when I do the set list for my own concerts, you want a nice mix. And yes, we even threw in a couple of Chinese songs as well.”

The track listing is as varied as the contents of Karen’s iPod. It also embraces pop era classics such s Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game’ and Sting’s ‘Moon Over Bourbon Street,’ and songs that were already becoming standards long before World War II, such as Porter’s ‘Love For Sale’ and Gershwin’s ‘The Man I Love.’

‘Somewhere I Belong’ was recorded in Shanghai, “in an old, very organic studio, all wooden,” as Karen says. It also features her playing the guzheng, the traditional Chinese zither-like instrument she learned many years ago, notably on her imaginative cover of George Harrison’s Beatles classic ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps.’

After deciding to interpret the song, Karen decided to go one step further and reinvent Eric Clapton’s famous guitar solo in the Beatles’ original. “I don’t play the guitar, but I do play the guzheng, so I thought, let me do my version of the guzheng gently weeping,” she explains.

“It turns out that when George Harrison wrote that song, he had just read the Chinese Book of Changes, I Ching, so he was suddenly into the balance of the opposites, and the forces that play against each other.Then everything fell into place, because that’s what the I Ching is about: everything happens for a reason, there’s always cause and effect, and nothing just happens for the heck of it. A bit like what’s happened to me in my life.”

And a jazz-tinged album with Portishead’s trip-hop favourite ‘Sour Times’ on it? You bet. “I thought, why not do something really funky and completely unexpected on a jazz album? The melody of ‘Sour Times’ just calls for it to be done in a jazzy way. I love that song, and there’s so much you can do with your vocals, it gives you a lot of scope. It’s a very alternative song, but somehow there’s something oriental about it, it’s eerie at the same time.

To reflect her roots and give the album even more Eastern promise, Karen knew she wanted to include two Chinese songs. “Back in the 1930s and ’40s, Shanghai was very happening, it was the Paris of the Orient,” she says. “They did their type of jazz with very typical Chinese melodies, and we had some really big divas from those days. So I redid a famous song called ‘Shanghai Nights,’ and that fits very well with the whole concept of the album.”

Whatever the style, Karen was determined to make each song her own. “There’s no point trying to copy something that’s already great,” she says. “I had a ton of fun, because you’re reinterpreting something in your own way and trying to make it new.”

Fluent in English from childhood, Mok first travelled to Europe when she visited Italy at 17, before studying Italian literature at university in London. She’s now married to a German, even if she jokes that she’s not quite as good at his language as she might be.

But her experience and familiarity with Europe developed at the same time as a remarkable career in the Mandarin music market. Her album catalogue now stretches to some 15 releases, and she became the first female artist from Hong Kong ever to win the prestigious Golden Melody Award in Taiwan. That’s nothing less than the equivalent of a Grammy, and Karen has won it three times, in 2003, 2008 and 2011.

When she was about to apply for a scholarship in the UK, the Chinese youth orchestra in which Mok had played guzheng were offered the chance to play a concert in Italy. She accepted, and went on to study there. “The school was in a castle, up on a cliff on the Adriatic Sea. Then I came to London and did Italian literature, and things just kept going.”

They did indeed. Mok went home when some of her vocal demos found their way to Hong Kong record companies, leading to a deal and her first album, in Cantonese, 1993’s ‘Karen.’ “Very soon, I got a phone call from a producer wanting to cast me in the next big Chinese New Year movie.” Her parallel life as a film star was about to begin.

“In the mid-’90s, there was one year where I was just doing films non-stop,” she recalls. “I did maybe seven or eight back to back, which was quite gruelling, but it was an experience. Soon after, I signed with Rock Records, based in Taiwan, who were very big. They had the foresight to bring me over to Taiwan to get into the Mandarin market, much earlier than other Hong Kong artists.”

So Karen’s career continued to blossom across many media: on countless album releases, in the Jackie Chan movie ‘Around The World In 80 Days,’ as the voice of Princess Kida in the Cantonese soundtrack of Disney’s ‘Atlantis: The Lost Empire’ and in the tenth anniversary Asian tour of the Broadway smash ‘Rent’ in 2005-06, in the lead role of Mimi. She was also front and centre on the global stage, as torch-bearer when Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympic Games.

‘Somewhere I Belong’ is the next chapter in a momentous story, introduced by Karen with a debut performance at the Shanghai Jazz Festival in late October. The album is released across Asia in mid-January 2013, and the rest of the world a couple of weeks later, in time for Chinese New Year.

“I do feel that jazz is a genre that can cross borders and cultures, and if I try something new, hopefully people who already like my music will be tempted to check it out,” says Karen. It’s yet another exciting challenge for an artist who absolutely thrives on them. 2013 promises to be one of her biggest years yet, with another cinematic landmark on the way, starring in ‘Man Of Tai Chi,’ co-directed by its leading man, none other than Keanu Reeves.

“Maybe because my background was very different to a lot of my school friends, I’ve always felt it’s fun to be different,” she concludes. “I don’t want to be like everyone else.”

(October 2012)

2016 ：大话西游3

2014 ：催眠大师

2013 ：太极侠
2011 ：东成西就2011
2011 ：万有引力
2011 ：一路有你
2010 ：杜拉拉升职记
2008 ：秘岸
2008 ：棺材
2007 ：老港正传
2005 ：童梦奇缘
2003 ：大佬爱美丽
2003 ：环游世界80天
2003 ：千机变
2002 ：办公室有鬼
2002 ：猪扒大联盟
2001 ：极地营救
2001 ：夕阳天使
2001 ：少林足球
2001 ：走到底
2001 ：九龙冰室
2000 ：烟飞烟灭
2000 ：车神传说
1999 ：喜剧之王
1999 ：心动
1997 ：97 古惑仔战无不胜
1997 ：初缠恋后之二人世界
1997 ：算死草 / 整人状元
1997 ：热血最强
1996 ：古惑女
1996 ：古惑仔III之只手遮天
1996 ：四面夏娃
1996 ：我爱厨房
1996 ：飞虎II之傲气比天高
1996 ：黑侠
1996 ：色情男女
1996 ：食神
1995 ：西游记
1995 ：回魂夜 / 整鬼专家
1995 ：救世神棍 / 王牌神棍
1995 ：墮落天使
1994 ：清官难审

　
2021 ：The Voyage（广东专辑）
2018 ：我们在中场相遇（国语专辑）
2014 ：不散, 不见 （国语专辑）
2013 ：莫后年代 莫文蔚20周年世纪典藏（英文、国语、广东专辑）
2013 ：倾国倾城 (英文专辑)
2012 ：回蔚莫文蔚演唱会@台北小巨旦DVD
2010 ：宝贝 （国语专辑）
2009 ：回蔚 （国语专辑）
2007 ：拉活…莫文蔚 （国语专辑）
2006 ：如果没有你 （国语专辑）
2003 ：【X】爱死你 （国语专辑）
2003 ：好莫文蔚演唱会现场实录 DVD/VCD
2002 ：【i】爱 （国语专辑）
2002 ：夕阳天使电影原声带
2001 ：一朶金花 （广东专辑）
2000 ：十二楼的莫文蔚 （国语专辑）
2000 ：再生 （广东EP）
2000 ：莫文蔚 （广东EP）
2000 ：莫文蔚MORE精选辑 （国语专辑）
1999 ：实况转播 （国语EP）
1999 ：喜剧之王电影原声带
1999 ：你可以 （国语专辑）
1999 ：回家 （广东EP）
1999 ：就是莫文蔚 （国语专辑）
1998 ：海上花电影原声带
1998 ：我要说 （国语专辑）
1998 ：莫文蔚Silently (英文EP)
1998 ：我爱你电影原声带
1998 ：我要唱演唱会VCD
1997 ：做自己 （国语专辑）
1997 ：爱自己 （国语EP）
1996 ：全身莫文蔚（广东专辑）
1993 ：莫文蔚同名专辑（广东专辑）

2018 – 2021：绝色莫文蔚世界巡回演唱会

2015 – 2016：莫文蔚『看看』世界巡回演唱会(台北，深圳，苏州，厦门，北京，贵阳，武汉，——————–佛山，广州，重庆，合肥，昆明，上海，西安，长沙，青岛，新加坡，澳门，伦敦，——————–马德里，米兰，悉尼，墨尔本，奥克兰，温哥华， 多伦多)
2013 – 2015 ：【莫后年代】莫文蔚20周年巡迴演唱会(上海，重庆，北京，深圳，广州，宁波，——————–杭州，南京，成都，常州，长沙，汕头，青岛，郑州，澳门)
2009 – 2011 ：回蔚莫文蔚巡迴演唱会(北京，上海，昆明，成都，长沙广州，台北)
2008 ：           约翰.传奇2009巡迴演唱会上海站表演嘉宾
2008 ：           芝华士音乐现场(莫文蔚x黑眼豆豆)上海
2007 ：           北京中央电视台除夕晚会
2007 ：           澳门NBA巨星篮球赛现场嘉宾表演
2006 ：           嫁给莫文蔚台北演唱会
2006 ：           北京中央电视台除夕晚会
2006：            上海【黄金大赛】与美国格林美音乐大奖得奖者Macy Gray担任表演嘉宾同台演出
2005 ：           极度莫文蔚巡迴演唱会 – 香港 / 上海 / 成都 / 杭州 / 南京 / 苏州
2004 ：           北京中央电视台春节联欢晚会
2003 ：           莫文蔚中国Live巡迴演唱会 – 上海 / 北京
2002 ：           莫文蔚演唱会 – 洛杉矶
2000 – 2001 ：“好” 莫文蔚Live巡迴演唱会 – 台北 / 新加坡 / 香港
1998：            台北大安森林我要唱演唱会

2005 ：纽约百老汇歌舞剧
———–“吉屋出租”十周年世界巡回之旅 首位华人女星担任女主角(星加坡/香港/韩国/中国/台湾)
2004 ：香港艺术节 – 再生缘

2010 – 2015 ：百雀羚草本护肤产品代言 (中国)
2011 – 2014 ：凯迪拉克SRX房车（中国）
2011 – 2013 ：露得清护肤品代言（台湾）
2011 ：            KAPPA运动产品代言 (中国)
2009 ：           清扬丝柔系列洗发产品代言人 (China中国)
2004 – 2012 ：佳能数码相机“IXUS”系列 (中国，台湾)
2008 – 2009 ：丰田”雅力士”汽车 (中国)
2007 – 2008 ：铁达时手表 (中国, 香港, 台湾, 澳门, 新加坡, 马来西亚, 泰国, 印尼)
2007 – 2008 ：红蜻蜓皮鞋 (中国)
2006 – 2008 ：周大福珠宝 (中国, 香港, 台湾)
2005 – 2006 ：SKII护肤品 (中国, 香港, 台湾)
2004 – 2006 ：蕾妮亚卫生棉 (台湾)
2004 – 2006 ：摩凡陀手錶广告 (中国, 香港, 澳门)
2003 – 2006 ：异乡人休闲服装 (中国)
2006 ：           力士沐浴乳 (中国)
2006 ：           力士洗发水 (中国)
2006 ：           OTO纤腰带 (中国, 香港, 澳门, 新加坡)
2004 – 2005 ：蜜丝佛陀彩妆系列 (中国, 香港, 台湾)
2004 ：           佳洁士牙齿美白系列 (中国, 香港)
2004 ：           力士沐浴乳 (马来西亚)
2003 – 2004 ：Center 菲力伟健身中心 (香港, 新加坡, 马来西亚)
2000 – 2004 ：每日C蔬果汁 (中国, 台湾)
2000 – 2004 ：力士洗发水 (中国, 香港, 台湾)
2003 ：           Lee牛仔裤 (台湾)
2003 ：           沐林谷物类早餐食品 (中国)
2002 ：           视康隐形眼镜药水 (台湾)
1999 – 2000 ：山叶“Vino” & “Biano”机车 (台湾)
1999 ：           戴比尔斯钻石系列 (台湾)
1997 – 1999 ：资生堂“ZA”系列化妆品
———————(中国, 香港, 台湾, 新加坡, 泰国, 马来西亚, 印尼, 纽西兰, 澳洲)
1998 ：           正官庄人参 (香港, 台湾)
1998 ：           博士伦隐形眼镜 (香港, 台湾)
1996 ：           Takeo Kikcuki男士服装系列 (日本)
1994 ：           Michel Jordi 手表广告 (香港)

2017 ：  Karen Mok x Replay牛仔裤系列
2016至今 ： Karen Mok x Ruco Line鞋履系列
2015至今 ： Karen Mok x iHubb “Save me”服装系列
2008 ：全球首位亚洲名人香水品牌【莫文蔚香水】
2007 ：首位华人女星内衣裤设计【莫文蔚系列】

电影奖项

2012 ：金鸡百花奖提名最佳女配角“杜拉拉升职记”
2007 ：香港电影金像奖提名最佳女配角“老港正传”
———–金鸡百花奖提名最佳女配角“老港正传”
2005 ：香港电影金像奖提名最佳女主角 ”童梦奇缘”
1996 ：香港电影金像奖提名最佳女主角 “食神”
———–台湾金马奖提名最佳女主角 “食神”
1995 ：荣获香港电影金像奖最佳女配角 “堕落天使”
———–荣获金紫荆奖最佳女配角 ”堕落天使”

音乐奖项

2017 ：《2017 Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong》亚洲音乐大奖 – 亚洲最佳艺人奖

2017 ：网易年度态度大赏【年度最有态度爱情金曲歌后】

2016 ：第二十届全球华语榜中榜暨亚洲影响力大典 – 榜中榜最佳女歌手(港台), 亚洲影响力最佳跨———-界歌手及年度电影金曲 – 张杰合唱的电影《道士下山》主题曲《一念之间》

2016 ：第18届华鼎奖 – 中国最佳女歌手

2015 ：第十六届华语音乐传媒大奖 – 年度国语专辑、最佳国语女歌手、百家传媒年度最受瞩目音乐———–人及年度粤语歌曲

2015 ：2015 音乐人交流协会 – 年度十大单曲及十大专辑

2015 ：第19届全球华语榜中榜 – 亚洲影响力最受欢迎歌手及Channel V 全能歌手

2013 ：第18届新加坡金曲奖 – 最佳演绎女歌手、亚洲风云人物大奖及最具舞台魅力女歌手奖
2012 ：第十三届 cctv MTV音乐盛典 – 大中华地区最受欢迎女歌手
2012 ：{V}音乐台颁奖典礼 － 最佳女歌手及风尚女歌手
2011 ：第二十二届金曲奖最佳国语女演唱人奖
2011 ：第五届腾讯星光大典 – 年度唱片<宝贝>
2011 ：中国歌曲排行榜最受欢迎女歌手
2010 ：音乐风云榜十年盛典最具影响力音乐风云人物
2009 ：中国歌曲排行榜年度全能艺人
2009 ：中国歌曲排行榜年度最佳专辑 – 回蔚
2009 ：中国移动咪咕汇最畅销首发数字专辑 – 回蔚
2009 ：MTV超级盛典最具风格香港地区女歌手
2008 ：TVB8频道金曲榜 – 内地观众最爱女歌手奖
2008 ：第八届华语音乐传媒大奖最佳国语女歌手
2008 ：第九届 cctv MTV音乐盛典 – 香港区最受欢迎女歌手
2008 ：亚洲音乐节 – 亚洲歌手大奖（香港）
2008 ：MTV亚洲大奖 – 启发精神大奖
2008 ：第十九届金曲奖最佳国语专辑奖 “拉活…莫文蔚”
2007 ：北京流行音乐典礼 – 年度最佳舞台演绎女歌手
2007 ：风尚大典 – 风尚亚洲突破歌手大奖”
2006 ：新浪网络盛典年度女歌手奖
2006 ：风尚女歌手奖
2004 ：雪碧榜我最喜爱女歌手奖
2003 ：第十四届金曲奖最佳国语女演唱人奖
2003 ：中央电视台 / MTV 音乐盛典 – 香港区年度最佳女歌手
2003 ：TVB8频道金曲榜女歌手金奖
2003 ：香港电台亚洲女艺人奖
2003 ：MTV巨星炫风奖 – 最具风格港台女歌手
2002 ：台湾MTV我最喜爱艺人
2002 ：香港新城电台国语女歌手奖
2002 ：TVB8频道金曲榜女歌手传媒大奖
2000 ：音乐风云榜年度飞跃奖
2000 ：北京MTV颁奖礼 – 新进亚洲艺人
1999 ：叱吒乐坛流行榜 – 叱吒东方飞碟至尊歌手奖
1998 ：Super Live Awards Taiwan, Most Popular Female Singer 台湾 Super Live – 最受欢迎女———–歌手

杰出荣誉

2016 ：意大利贝加莫省政府国际艺术勋衔 － 文化大使

2015 ：玛丽嘉儿杂志25周年纪念颁奖典礼 － 杰出女性

2015 ：中国中央电视台春节联欢晚会2015 – 表演嘉宾

2014 ：Estée Lauder「自主人生大奖」

2013 ：「莫后年代 － 莫文蔚20周年展览」@香港置地广场
2013 ：拥有超过三千六百万个用户收听莫文蔚的腾讯微博及新浪微博，成为全国女星之首
2012 ：获得《东方文化酒店》邀请成为“文华之友”
2012 ：玛丽嘉儿杂志22周年颁奖礼 － 灵感女神奬
2010 ：广州亚运会大会指定歌手
2010 ： <宝贝>专辑获得全中国电台、电视台等多个排行榜上多达150个冠军宝座
2010 ：单曲<耳朵要解渴>连续两个月获得NOKIA音乐平台Comes with Music全球下载
2008 ：克林顿全球倡议亚洲会议晚宴唯一表演嘉宾
2008 ：北京奥运火炬手
2008 ：北京奥运开幕及闭幕表演歌手
2008 ：ELLE 20周年风尚大典颁奖典礼 – 风尚全能之星
2008 ：MTV亚洲大奖主持人
2007 ：时尚杂志年度女性大奖
2007 ：网年度女艺人奖
2005 ：香港贸易发展局时尚典范大奖
1999 ：香港时装设计师协会 – 香港十大杰出衣着人士
1998 ：Vogue – Karl Lagerfeld Prize Vogue Karl Lagerfeld大奖

减虐伙伴关係RBM大使 2013至今
世界自然基金会大使 2013至今
成都省熊猫守护使 2012至今
亚洲动物基金 《拯救黑熊》永恆爱心大使 2003至今
联合国儿童基金会香港委员会大使 2004至今
香港爱护动物协会爱心大使 2002至今
关爱儿童中国大使 2004至今
香港圣约翰救伤队大使 2003至今
仁人家园义工 2008至今
香港启迪会－启迪大使 2008至今
国际人道协会举办停止猎杀海豹行动 2009
世界心脏日健康荣誉大使 2008
特殊奥运会全球大使 2007
香港女童军总会大使 2007
香港癌病基金大使 2006至2007
香港旅游协会”香港购物节大使” 2005－2007
香港女童军总会90週年大使 2006
香港贸易发展局香港形象推广大使 2006
中法文化年–世界和平女神形象大使 2004
台湾世界展望会–饥馑30莫三比克之旅大使 2001至2002
香港旅游协会台湾旅游大使 2001至2002

电影评审委员

2002：第二届摩洛哥电影节
———-首席评审 : Jeanne Moreau
———-特别嘉宾 : Catherine Deneuve, Francis Coppola, Matt Dillon
2001：第四届多维尔亚洲电影节
1997：第一届韩国富山市国际电影 (评审委员成员包括Jacqueline Bisset)

电影观摩

2001：乌迪耐电影节观摩电影“走到底”
1995：柏林影展 “堕落天使”