'I sing unconsciously'
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"Some people like the simplicity of just my voice and the instruments," she says.
"That is, after all, the way we started."
Chyi rose to fame after winning two campus folk song competitions in Taiwan in the 1970s. Most of her most popular songs, such as the 1979 The Olive Tree was an instant success and won her many fans.
"I still remember the first time I sang The Olive Tree in 1979. I was just a young girl and didn't expect that the song would go so far. The Olive Tree is a big gift from God," says Chyi, with slightly closed eyes. "It gave me the freedom to make the kind of music I always wanted and without any restraints. I never get tired of singing it and I'll definitely sing it in the concerts."
She says song is a metaphor for her dreams as a musician. But the dream was shattered a decade ago when the music industry was ruined by piracy and increasing commercialism.
"It's sad when all singers go for the same style just because it sells. I thought about giving up, but singing is the only thing I can do," says Chyi.
At a 2002 Hong Kong concert she announced that she would devote her attention to religious and spiritual music instead of pop songs. Since then, she has released four albums featuring Buddhist chants.
"It felt like a door had closed on me, but a window had opened. This music is soothing and helps me continue my singing," she says.
Chyi says her upcoming concerts will include some uplifting chants as well as classic English songs, such as Amazing Grace and Vincent.
"I am not a prodigious singer. The 14 albums that I have made have an equal mix of Chinese-English songs," she says of her preference for English. "Years ago, some of my musician friends told me that my voice is suited to singing English songs, such as the Broadway hit Memory. I gave it a try and it proved to be a success," Chyi says, giggling.
More than the pleasure of singing, it was her ability to use her voice to act, to express herself and convey words, that drew her as a young girl, she reveals. Her younger brother Chyi Qin, a popular Taiwan singer and rock icon, has been inspired by her singing since his teen years.
"I live with my brother in Beijing now and go to Taipei on work," she says.
Her latest album, a collection of songs in English, to do with meditation and healing, will be released at the end of the year.
"I have passed the stage of being a pop singer. Songs like The Olive Tree and Highheel of September can only make a comeback on the CD shelf," she jokes.
"Now, everybody asks me about retirement and I feel grateful for their concern. They want to know whether I am still making albums and doing live performances. All I can say is that I feel free to sing - (with) no pressure and no boundary."
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