IN HIS own words, there's no hiding the fact that he has "downgraded".
While Kelvin Tan used to be a chart-topping singer who sold albums in the region, he is now an exhibition guide and a freelance performer. The 29-year-old blind balladeer became an overnight success when he was crowned championof the first Project SuperStar,Channel U's singing competition, in 2005.
Following that, he released three full-length albums and toured Malaysia, China and Taiwan. But these days, his work as a singer has been relegated to a secondary role.
His contract with record label Warner Music was not renewed after it expired in September. His main job now is working at Ngee Ann Polytechnic's permanent exhibition, Dialogue in the Dark.
The exhibition, part of a social enterprise programme founded by Jewish-German Andreas Heinecke in 1988, aims to give the sighted an experience of what it means to be visually handicapped. It has gained ground in a number of countries and arrived in Singapore last year.
Tan said: "Basically, we lead visitors on a tour in pitch darkness so they can experience what it's like to be blind."
He claimed he was one of the "pioneering batch of visually impaired guides".
Last year, his schedule was hectic, so he could pitch in occasionally. Now, he is there three or four days a week. Like the other blind guides, Tan works shifts and is paid by the hour.
Tan declined to reveal if he earns more in this job than what he got as an artiste.
Asked how he feels about his change in career direction, he replied: "If you put it bluntly, it's a downgrade.
Still, he takes it in his stride, saying: "So what if it's a downgrade? I still like singing and I will continue to sing (as a free agent), regardless of the size of my stage."
After a pause, Tan, who was a street busker before hitting the big time, said he does not miss the glitz and glamour of showbiz. He even cracked a joke.
"I've experienced the fame and stardom, that's enough...Yes, the bright lights are not so bright anymore. But in the first place, I can't see the lights."
Tan was speaking to The New Paper at a recording session of Channel 8's new karaoke- themed variety show, Power Duet, where he sang a medley with Malaysian singer and fellow Project SuperStar finalist Sing Chew Sin Huey.
Power Duet premieres on March 1 at 8pm. Stressing that he hasn't hung up his acoustic guitar for good, Tan said that "the split with Warner Music was very amicable" and that he remains good friends with many of the label's employees.
"I still work with them (Warner) on a project basis. They can engage me for gigs, concerts or events."
When contacted on Thursday, Warner Music declined to comment. Tan's star shone brightest in 2006 and 2007.
In 2006, his debut album, All I Want Is, was ranked second on the annual Top Ten Mandarin Album Sales chart compiled by Lianhe Zaobao, behind Jay Chou's Still Fantasy. He held a ticketed concert at the Max Pavilion and performed at large venues such as the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
In the same year, he also bagged the Most Popular Newcomer Award at MediaCorp's annual Star Awards and even made it to the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes list. A year later, he earned a supporting role in the critically acclaimed local film 881, directed by Royston Tan.
While on his promotional tour in Taiwan, he was commended for his silky, soaring vocals by industry veterans on several talk shows, including Happy Sunday and Mr Con and Ms Csi.
He was invited as a guest performer at 2007's Global Chinese Music Awards held in Hong Kong, where he sang a duet with Hong Kong songbird Joey Yung. But things started slipping in mid-2007, after media speculation that he was having an affair with a married female fan.
His subsequent albums, i-Weilian (2007) and Moving Notes (2009), failed to generate the same amount of buzz as his debut album. His attempt to crack the lucrative Taiwanese market was a mere whimper.
In contrast, some of his Project SuperStar peers seem to be currently on a roll. Runner-up Kelly Poon recently secured a contract with record label Rock Records. Derrick Hoh, who came in third in the men's category, is winning new fans with his K-pop-inspired makeover.
But Tan brushed aside the comparisons.
"In life, luck and timing play an important part...Derrick had to do national service shortly after our competition, so he couldn't kick-start his singing career as early as the rest of us.
"Also, we are all different; Kelly's a girl and Derrick has the makings of a pop idol, which I don't."
Busking
Before joining Project SuperStar, Tan earned his keep as a street busker as well as a massage therapist and a cafe singer. He used to busk at the Jurong East MRT station and Waterloo Street, singing for two to eight hours a day, a few days a week.
So will he return to busking?
"Why not?" was Tan's immediate response.
"I need to survive too. So if the need arises, I'll do it. Besides, all of us miss our old times; I kind of miss my busking days too," said Tan.
But for now, he wants to "take a break" from working too hard on music and relish the freedom.
"I'm someone who likes doing 'normal things' like taking public transport and wearing shorts and slippers," he said with a smile.
"Previously, my artiste management would take care of me and drive me around. But now, I'm not so pampered."
He is also savouring his job as an exhibition guide.
"The pitch-dark exhibition room is my world and I am the king.
"It's like the roles have changed...Outside, I have to depend on people most of the time. But inside, people have to depend on me."
This article was first published in The New Paper.
