Joanna Dong | |
|---|---|
 Joanna | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joanna Dong |
| Born | 15 November 1981 Singapore |
| Origin | Singapore |
| Genres | Folk jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, host, actress |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Red Roof Records H.I.M Music |
| Website | joannadong |
Joanna Dong (Chinese: 董姿彦; born 15 November 1981 in Singapore) is a familiar face in the Singapore entertainment scene, Joanna Dong is a bilingual multi-hyphenate who sings, acts and hosts. Primarily a jazz vocalist, Joanna, who’s the first artiste signed to Singapore label, Red Roof Records, is passionate about sharing her love for the genre with Mandarin-speaking audiences.
Early life
editThe only child of divorced parents, the effectively bilingual singer inherited her musical genes from her father. Her initial forays into the world of entertainment came in the early to late ’80s when her mum, a former Chinese teacher, started entering her into various karaoke competitions, many of which she won. The Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) and National University of Singapore alum first came into the public consciousness when she joined the first-ever Singapore Idol competition in 2004 and got into the Top 40. Six months after exiting the talent competition, Joanna began pursuing a music career in earnest, landing her first regular singing gig at The Courtyard at Raffles Hotel.
Theatre
editApart from singing, Joanna, who excelled in theatre studies at Victoria Junior College, also found an avenue to express herself on stage in various theatre productions from 1998. In 2007, she landed the principal role of Rose in ‘If There’re Seasons...’, a musical based on the music of ''Xinyao'' pioneer, Liang Wen Fook, and won Best Supporting Actress in the ST Life! Theatre Awards for her performance. She would reprise the role in 2009 and 2014 re-runs. In 2008, she played leads in Mandarin comedy, ‘The Soldier and his Virtuous Wife’ and Tan Kheng Hua’s raunchy directorial debut, ‘Do Not Disturb – Late Checkout Please’. In 2010, she was lead actress in period rock musical, ‘Liao Zhai Rocks!’, inspired by colourful Qing dynasty folk stories. 2011 saw Joanna take on the lead of Small Papaya in Goh Boon Teck’s stage production of Royston Tan’s 881. She was also in the ensemble cast in ‘Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress’ (2006), ‘Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral’ (2010), ‘Impending Storm: The Silly Little Girl and the Funny Old Tree’ (2012), ‘Lao Jiu: The Musical’ (2012) and ‘Great World Cabaret’ (2015).
Discography
editHoping to ride on the momentum of her success in theatre, Joanna released her EP, ‘Lullaby Nomad’, in 2008, which launched with a sold-out concert at the Esplanade Recital Studio. She also collaborated with Brazilian all-stars band, Bossa Negra, to release a single of her Mandarin translation of popular bossa nova standard ‘Summer Samba’ in 2010. Joanna also enjoys indulging her whimsical and cheeky side with her own project bands. Her creative musical dabbling includes rearranging Hokkien songs in a contemporary jazz style with Peace Kopitiam Jazz Band (2012 – 2014) and reworking dirty lyrics into Christmas ditties with alternative Christmas band, Naughty “Noor” Nice (2010 – 2015). In 2015, Joanna collaborated with fellow Singapore Idol alum, Sezairi Sezali, on the first Mandarin and Malay pop track, ‘Starlight’, for Sing, Love, a SG50 musical project by Red Roof Records.
Film
editIn 2011, Joanna landed the lead in writer/director Wee Li Lin’s sophomore feature effort, ‘Forever’ as a video consultant who falls for a handsome music teacher. The role nabbed her the Star Hunter Award at the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2011. She was also the lead actress in Thong Kay Wee’s risque short film, ‘Hidden Folk’, as a woman whose sexual affair with a 15-year-old comes back to haunt her.
TV
editA veritable Energizer bunny when it comes to padding her already illustrious résumé, Joanna recently expanded her repertoire to include TV hosting in Ch U’s infotainment series, ‘Homeward Bound’ and ‘Life Extraordinaire’.
Personal Life
editJoanna met her husband, theatre practitioner and educator, Zachary Ho, on the set of ‘Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral’ in 2010. They wed in 2012.
References
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