[NEWS] Alexander’s true colours

Former U-Kiss member Alexander speaks to Bibi Nurshuhada Ramli about going solo and putting his flair for languages to work

HIS departure from U-Kiss, one of Korea’s chart-topping boy groups, is a blessing in disguise for Macau-born Alexander.

The 23-year-old solo artiste, whose full name is Alexander Lee Eusebio, says it has offered him more opportunities to be more expressive with his music.

“As a member of U-Kiss, I had to conform to the image of the group, in terms of songs and concept. Now that I’m flying solo, I get to represent what I believe in and what I love about music,” he says at an interview in Kuala Lumpur.

Alexander was here for a show dedicated to local fans — new ones and those who remained loyal after he left U-Kiss. The day before the event, he was a special guest performer on ntv7’s Star Live Concert 2011. He says excitedly: “It’s fun to show fans my personality and colour. I told my agency the image that I wanted to portray, and it helped me find the right producers for my songs.”

So far, he has released a mini album, I Just, with three tracks, I Just, Bad Girl and Oh Baby. The songs will also be released in English and Japanese.

Performing solo takes time to get used to and his first showcase in Japan on Dec 9 tested his confidence. “I had to do all the singing myself, I couldn't depend on anybody else.”

He bashfully admits that he made minor mistakes in his dances during the KL showcase, but thankfully nobody, as far as he knows, noticed them.

Although he calls Macau home, Alexander was born in Hong Kong to a Portuguese-Chinese father and Korean mother. It is only natural for him to want to learn languages.

Being able to speak in Korean, English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish is one of his winning qualities of a performer.

“In school in Macau, I learned Cantonese and Portuguese. I also love Japanese animation. I developed a desire to learn more languages, and I became more fluent,” he says, adding that anybody can do it if you put your mind to it.

 Having performed songs in Korean, Japanese and English, Alexander hopes to sing in Mandarin. Singing in Malay is also a possibility, he says, before wowing the press with his rendition of Rasa Sayang.

“I’ll always be comfortable in Malaysia because of my flair for languages. I haven’t had the chance to try the food yet but I’m really looking forward to it.”

He dreams of working for the United Nations. He says people made fun of his mixed background, so he hopes for peace in the world.

“The UN will be a good place for me to realise this dream.”

Although he has many national ties and finds it difficult to pledge his allegiance to one, he says: “If I were to work for the UN, I’d like to represent Macau, because it is very multicultural.”

Alexander wants to dabble in acting too. He is looking forward to auditioning for Korean dramas. “I want to challenge myself, and hopefully not just in Korea, but in other countries as well.”

Like most artistes, he does not have time for romance. “Even if I have a girlfriend, she’s going to be upset with me, for being busy and away all the time.”

For support, he turns to his family, especially his sister Victoria.

“Not long ago, I was in tears because my job was so stressful. Victoria consoled and supported me.”

He also considers current members of U-Kiss as family.

“It’s a good idea to reunite with all members, current and former, for a performance,” he says. “Who knows? We just might.”

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