Kwan Wai-Man (born 31 July 1979), better known professionally as Jade Kwan Sum-Yin (), is a Cantopop singer and philanthropist based in Hong Kong. Originally from Vancouver, she entered the music industry after winning the 1999 New Talent Singing Awards Canada Finals and the Best Potential Newcomer Award at the New Talent Singing Awards International Finals of the same year. She debuted under BMA Records in July 2002 with the album Jade-1, winning multiple best new artist awards and has since released more than 13 albums and extended plays. Kwan is known for her philanthropic work and has been awarded the 2012 Ten Outstanding Young Persons Selection and the Hong Kong Volunteer Award in 2011. She is the founder and chairperson of charitable organization Shining Life Limited 妍亮生命慈善基金.
Life and career
1979–1999: Early life and career beginnings
Kwan was born in Hong Kong on July 31, 1979. She has an older brother. After her parents' divorce when she was eight years old, she immigrated with her mother and brother to British Columbia, Canada in 1990. Her mother returned to Hong Kong after a few years for work. Feeling uncomfortable in a new environment, Kwan had stated that she had engaged in smoking, underage drinking, and skipped school when she was twelve years old. She had also contemplated suicide when her first boyfriend broke up with her.
After graduating high school, she entered the New Talent Singing Awards Vancouver Audition 1999 (新秀歌唱大賽溫哥華選拔賽) with the song "Face" (臉, originally sung by Chinese diva Faye Wong) and was awarded first runner-up. As such, she advanced to the New Talent Singing Awards Canada Finals 1999 (新秀歌唱大賽加拿大總決賽) and won. She then competed in the New Talent Singing Awards International Finals 1999 (1999 年全球華人新秀歌唱大賽, also representing Vancouver) and won the "Best Potential Newcomer Award" (最具潛質獎) at the International Finals held in Shanghai, China.
2002–2003: Debut and breakthrough
She returned to Hong Kong hoping to pursue a career in singing, eventually landing a 10-year deal with BMA Records. Kwan did not officially debut until 2002, stating that for three years she did not have jobs, instead spent time learning music theory and how to play the tenor sax and violin. She relied on her mother for financial support, stating "the amount of money my mother invested in me really can't be calculated, it must be more than six figures."
She made her debut with the Mandarin single "Ruined Your Lover" 亂了情人 and followed with Cantonese release "Can't Stand For It" 負擔不起, both well received by radio stations. Her debut studio album, Jade-1, containing 11 tracks, was released July 3, 2002. She achieved her first number one hit on RTHK and TVB's Jade Solid Gold Song Chart with the song "You Have Heart" 你有心, released in her second studio album Jade-2 on December 20 of the same year. Both Jade-1 and Jade-2 reached gold certification, selling 30,000 copies and 50,000 copies respectively. As such, Kwan was awarded 2002 IFPI Best Selling Local Female Newcomer. She swept newcomer awards at year-end music award shows, including Best Prospect Award Gold Prize at the 25th RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards, Best New Female Artist at Metro Radio Music Awards, Ultimate Song Chart's Female Newcomer Gold Prize, Most Popular Female Newcomer (Gold prize) at the 2002 TVB Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards.
2004–2005: Controversies and The 5th Element
In efforts to promote Kwan for her concert, BMA Records gave Cable TV Hong Kong footage of Kwan's rehearsal in Japan, along with Cantonese interview footage. This sparked controversy with TVB, as the act was considered a breach of contract. Subsequently, all artistes under BMA Records management were banned from appearing on TVB programmes, which at the time was considered an important medium. Jade made a public apology, stating, "I am a TVB contract artiste, perhaps the company [BMA Records] was negligent... I hope TVB will be lenient".
More controversy ensued when an internet rumour spread in November 2004, known as "My Sister Got Fired" (家姐被炒潮文), in which Kwan supposedly gotten a retail sales representative fired. Kwan repeatedly stated the story was false; however, her popularity decreased significantly. It also earned her the nickname "Sister Kwan".
2009–2010: Shine and A New Beginning
After her contract with BMA ended in May 2009, Kwan focused her efforts on recording a Christian album. Shine was released under Jade Star Limited on September 21, containing 12 tracks.