‘We got our Fann and Zoe’
St James Holdings has 140 full-time artistes in stable, CEO says it’s like a mini Caldecott Hill there
By Shree Ann Mathavan
November 16, 2009
YOU have the Ah Jies (big sisters in Mandarin) and Ah Ges (big brothers) of Caldecott Hill – MediaCorp A-listers like Zoe Tay and Fann Wong, Li Nanxing and Christopher Lee.
And at St James Holdings, it appears there is a similar pecking order in its stable of full-time artistes.
St James chief executive officer Dennis Foo, 56, told The New Paper on Sunday: ‘We have the equivalent of Zoe, Fann and Nanxing.’
St James is ‘like a mini Caldecott Hill’, he said.
‘We have our own hierarchy of artistes. We are different in that they (MediaCorp) are television-based and we are an entertainment and nightlife venue.
‘But… we use the same software – talent.’
Mr Foo insists he is not competing with MediaCorp, but he proclaimed proudly: ‘I don’t think any other nightspot has as many full-time artistes as we do.’
He added: ‘In the past three years, St James has almost doubled the number of its full-time artistes to its current 140.’
Indeed, it seems to have a substantially higher number than MediaCorp. A MediaCorp spokesman said it currently has about 100 full-time artistes.
Mr Foo explained that his club’s aggressive hiring was due to its expansion over time, and also to provide ‘greater variety’ for audiences.
His artistes – musicians, singers, dancers and deejays – are from various countries, including the Philippines, Malaysia, China, France, the UK and US.
They are selected based on their ‘looks, voice and disposition’, said Mr Foo.
The basis of the MediaCorp comparison, Mr Foo pointed out, is the artistes’ seniority and years of experience.
Looks don’t necessarily come into the picture.
For instance, Mandopop king William Scorpion, 48, is St James’ version of Li Nanxing.
Former Singapore Idol finalist Sylvester Sim, 26, who sings at Mandopop club Dragonfly, is said to resemble MediaCorp bad boy Terence Cao.
Skye Sirena, a Singaporean, and Celest Zhang, a China national, who also sing there, are StJames’ Zoe Tay and Fann Wong.
Both women have been performing at StJames Power Station from the day the club opened three years ago. As Ah Jies, they show newcomers the ropes.
Said Celest: ‘We never consciously think we are Ah Jies, or that we resemble this celebrity or that. We just do what needs to be done.’
But some of the St James artistes do resemble their more famous Caldecott Hill counterparts.
For instance, Carla Dela Rosa, 27, the curvy Filipino singer at the Boiler Room, is said to resemble Fiona Xie, the well-endowed actress who reportedly left MediaCorp in September.
And Mr Foo thinks Mandopop singer Jason Chung, 36, resembles Christopher Lee.
Jason, who joined St James in February and who has been singing at live venues for 18 years, said: ‘I see it as something fun, and it’s just a basis of comparison. It could be Hong Kong’s TVB, or it could be Hollywood.
Filipino Gino Cervantez, 36, who sings and hosts, is supposed to be St James’ version of MediaCorp funnyman Gurmit Singh.
Despite the stable of artistes growing at the club, it seems there are no nasty rivalries.
Jason said: ‘We are like a family, more artistes mean more entertainment value.’
Gino added: ‘I think ultimately the competition is healthy as it makes us work harder.
‘Whether it’s someone older or younger, you can always learn from one another.’
And along with the number of artistes, the number of minders at St James Holdings has also expanded.
Over the last three years, the entertainment division has expanded from a staff of two to its current six.
These minders chaperone the artistes, help them with their wardrobe and coordinate their schedules.
The artistes also occasionally have their own solo mini-concerts, with an average of two showcases every three months or so.
Most St James artistes receive an annual pay package of between $40,000 and $70,000, Mr Foo said.
MediaCorp declined to reveal how much their artistes earn, but it is understood that those with product endorsements can make hefty sums.
With so much musical talent under one roof, Mr Foo said the club may set up its own record label in the next six to 12 months.
And Mr Foo is not likely to stop expanding his pool of artistes.
Once his outlet at the Resorts World at Sentosa is up and running next year, ‘the only way to go is expansion’, he said.
So what does MediaCorp have to say about Mr Foo’s claim that his talent pool resembles a ‘mini Caldecott Hill’?
More talent is good
In an e-mail reply to The New Paper, Ms Amy Tay, assistant vice-president of MediaCorp TV’s artiste management unit, said: ‘It’s two different businesses and the target audience is not the same. TV caters mainly to home audiences and the masses.’
Nevertheless, having more artistes is a good development, she added.
‘We should always welcome more talent because it builds the industry.
‘We are also always on the lookout for new talents with potential for TV.’
Ms Wendy Ho, 37, founder of Artiste-Entertainment which manages artistes like Diana Ser, model Junita Simon and deejay Vernetta Lopez, agreed that the two businesses aren’t the same thing.
‘You can’t really draw a comparison between an actress and a singer. It’s like trying to put Beyonce in Michelle Pfeiffer’s shoes,’ she said.
The NewPaper