Kulilay Amit (, born 9 August 1972), better known by her stage name A-Mei, is a Taiwanese Puyuma singer and record producer. Born as Amit Kulilay in the rugged mountains of eastern Taiwan, she made her debut in the music world in 1996, achieving meteoric commercial success. A leading figure of the Mandopop music scene since the mid-1990s, A-Mei is widely known for breaking ground for Taiwanese aborigines and being a voice for LGBT rights and gender equality. She has been given the moniker Queen of Mandopop and the "Pride of Taiwan". Thanks to her career longevity, resilience, professionalism, artistry, and versatility, she is considered a pop culture icon in the Sinophone world and is a legend in the industry.
Born and raised in Beinan, Taitung, A-Mei moved to Taipei at age 20 in 1992. In 1996 she released her debut studio album Sisters, which was a massive hit and transformed A-Mei into a superstar seemingly overnight thanks to selling over a million copies. Her sophomore record Bad Boy found even greater success in Taiwan, eventually becoming the country's best-selling album of all time. Her follow up releases—Holding Hands (1998), Can I Hug You, Lover? (1999) and Regardless (2000)—received critical and commercial acclaim, with the first two also selling well over a million units. Initially having continued success, a cross-straits controversy caused her to experience a sales decline from 2004 until she experienced a resurgence in 2006 with the album I Want Happiness?.
Her albums Truth (2001), Amit (2009), and Faces of Paranoia (2014) each won her a Golden Melody Award for Best Mandarin Female Singer and made the Taiwanese diva one of the singers who won the category the most times. Having sold over 50 million records, A-Mei is the best selling female artist in Taiwanese music history. She is recognized as having the influence and cultural impact in Asia equivalent to artists such as Madonna in Western music and popular culture. In 2017, she was included in the "Charity Heroes List" by the Asian edition of Forbes Magazine, and her influence is even greater than that of many famous Taiwanese political and business figures.
Life and career
1972–1996: Early years and musical beginnings
A-Mei was born on 9 August 1972 in the Tamalakaw tribe (belonging to the Puyuma) in Beinan, Taitung, Taiwan. Her Puyuma-language name is Kulilay Amit, alternatively transliterated Gulilai Amit. She was the seventh child in a family of nine children. During her childhood A-Mei's family was impoverished, making it increasingly difficult to raise so many offspring. In order to support the family, the father originally wanted to give A-Mei and her younger sister Saya Chang to relatives for adoption. It was A-Mei's mother who took them to hide deep in the mountains to escape the fate of being adopted. Despite avoiding the fate of being separated from her family, A-Mei’s upbringing was still quite difficult due to always being short on money. Although A-Mei couldn't receive formal training in music and stage performances, she showed her love for stage singing performances since she was a child. Like most Native Taiwanese people, she was exposed to tribal music very early on. Her mother used to record herself singing, then play it back on tape for her daughters to hear. A-Mei had always been fascinated by music, saying that she was addicted to the radio and would rush to watch the late night music programs that introduced her to English songs when she was a child. Oftentimes she summoned the children in the village and persuaded everyone to use flashlights to create "stage lighting effects" for her. In addition to her talent in music, A-Mei was also very good at sports. In elementary school, under the careful guidance of coach Shi Shunxiong, she earned a second-degree black belt and once represented her school in a taekwondo competition.