Chris Jacob

Fab! Luxe celebrates the release of his single, Sleepless. Let’s get to know Chris Jacob, his music and what makes him tick.

Chris, tell us about Sleepless.
Sleepless is a very personal and honest song. The song is about a relationship and the writing of it became a very cleansing experience. After I wrote and recorded it and shot the video I felt a relief that I finally told that story.

I thought it would do the song justice to shoot it in Singapore since the story happened there. The song has a Mandarin version that I will release soon. I directed the video together with Bruce (my first time directing and first time doing a story board altho I can’t draw well) but I had an amazing team behind me. I would like to mention Joycelyn Quek who plays my romantic interest in the video. She is an amazing model and we had great chemistry during the shoot. Dicky Ishak, a very talented fashion designer from Singapore did the styling for the video. Garry Encarnacion aka Bruce, shot and edited the video and helped me direct it and came up with great ideas during the shoot. Would mention the tree scene or the rope bridge on Sentosa beach in Singapore. We had two amazing make up artists, Deena and Quif. The Singapore Party Bus sponsored me with a van to transport the whole team between the locations. Honestly I couldn’t have shot the video without them. You can see a scene in the video that is actually filmed in the Singapore Party Bus.

Loris Negrut from Timisoara, Romania, produced the song and I recorded the voices in his studio when I was last back home.

Where can Fab! Luxe readers go and get Sleepless?

Sleepless will be released on Spotify, Itunes, YouTube and of course links will be posted on my artist and personal pages on Instagram and Facebook

When, how and where your career as a singer started?

I was 7 years old when I first stepped on a stage and I was the lead singer in my first band at 12 years old. I won a TV talent competition in Romania in 2004 and participated in a few others until 2007. Since then I performed continuously in more than 70 countries around the world.

2010 to 2012 I performed on cruise ships where I starred in show productions and musical theater. I traveled from the North Pole to North Africa and everywhere in Europe, in between.

I speak 6 languages and I am able to sing properly in more than 15 foreign languages including Mandarin, Cantonese, Bahasa, Arabic and Greek. I transcended music genres and style into a 15 year musical career. My different musical tastes allow me to switch styles with ease when performing. I am a very enthusiastic entertainer and I am full of excitement in whatever I do. In time, I developed stage presence and a natural ability to connect with the audience. I toured the 5 star hotel music scene in Asia and Middle East performing in Singapore; Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia; Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Changsha, Hong Kong – China; Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain – UAE; Manama – Bahrain. I met and performed for a few superstars during my career. Worth mentioning would be Jackie Chan, Jean Claude Van Damme, Zoey Saldana, Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, David Beckham, LeBron James, Vin Diesel, Ashton Kutcher, BoB and Thaitanium.

You were featured on Dado Guerzo Project’s, Mungkinkah, very recently. You actually sang in Bahasa Melayu. How was that experience?

It was a great experience and an honor to be a part of a project together with these amazing musicians. The song is a duet with Halida Ramlee and she is one of the best singers I ever heard. Dado, Daniel and Chanelle Guerzo are my friends and they are part of the super talented Soliano family from Malaysia. They are all virtuoso at their instruments. Jamie who plays the guitar is also an amazing guitarist who toured with famous Asian superstars like Wang Leehom.

Jude and Emma played couple in the video. Jude is an accomplished guitar player and singer and Emma is an IG influencer and actor. They are a couple in real life too.

You became quite a sensation earlier this year when you sang an Indonesian song while riding on GRAB. Tell us all about it.

Now, that was really funny because I didn’t expect that at all. The Grab driver asked me what I do for a living and when I said that I am a singer. So, he asked me to sing for him – I was like, why not. I sang Tiada Lagi which is an Indonesian song but the Malaysian superstar Amy Search did his own version of the song which is legendary. The Grab driver filmed everything and posted it online and the next day I was viral all over the Internet as the white boy who sings in Bahasa Melayu. I really didn’t expect that. People recognize me in shops and malls here in Malaysia, where I am currrently based in. HotFM (Malaysian radio channel) invited me for an interview and I also I sang live there. Another Malaysian major radio station, ERA, also did an interview with me.

Your personal style My personal style changes all the time. My stage persona is dressing slightly different from my every day style. I like suits, jackets, boots and accessories like earrings, rings, necklaces and pins. You can dress with class and look like an artist in the same time. If you wear a suit, it doesn’t mean you have to look like an accountant. You can be cool and you can definitely have style by looking classy at the same time. My favorite brand to go to for stage and every day clothes is Topman.

The last music you downloaded Pink Sweats and Jack Savoretti

Best book you’ve read this year Love Is A Dog From Hell by Charles Bukowski

A movie that changed everything Chungking Express by Wong Kar Wai – definitely my favourite movie ever. Chungking Express is an unconventional exploration of the concept of love. It is a portrait of lovers lost in the constructs of modernity that a big city has to offer. A nostalgic love story (actually 2) told in an unconventional way.

The Aha! moment that changed your life Participating at a singing reality show in Romania called Popstars and getting into the semi finals. That was the moment when I realised that I can do this well.

You are fascinated by Real people. I am fascinated by the vastness of the world but yet realising after all this travelling that everyone is the same. In every country I go, people have the same joys or problems. We are all one.

Best gift you’ve received Love and honesty

Best gift given Same 😊

One artist you’d love to collaborate with I would say Elvis but he is not here anymore so Ed Sheeran

Favourite country / city to visit Malaysia/Singapore/Hong Kong. I just can’t pick one

Country you can’t wait to go back to Romania to see my family and friends

Things you’ll always have in your fridge Chicken breast, baby spinach, Greek yogurt

Best place you’ve lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Best things in Romania The wilderness and the beauty of nature, the amazing food, the people, medieval castles and the history

Best things to do in Romania Go on the Danube River to enjoy the nature surrounded by 200 km of forest. Go skiing in the winter in the beautiful mountains. Enjoy the amazing local dishes like sarmale, mamaliga cu branza, minc, corban de burta and taste the local famous wines.

What have you come to appreciate in 2020 My parents and friends. Health and life.

Where are some of your biggest inspirations come from One of my biggest inspirations is Elvis because his’ is the first music I remember listening to when I was a kid. As I moved on be a singer I realised that I wanted to be more than a singer, I wanted to be an entertainer like Elvis. Music, films, books, friends and people that I meet everyday also inspire me.

Your icons Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Nirvana, Lenny Kravitz

One gadget you can’t do without My phone

Favourite podcast(s) Joe Rogan and Bill Burr

Last music you listened to Pink Sweats – At My Worst

Thing that surprises people about you I may seem unapproachable for some – but I am very down to earth, friendly and an open person.

If you weren’t a singer, where do you think your path will take you Acting or movie directing. I also write poetry, so maybe a poet too

Your philosophy in life Do the best you can with what you have and never ever quit. Be a good person and treat everyone with respect, no matter what their social status is.

How to get in touch with you Instagram:@chrisjacobartist
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChrisJacobArtist
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisJacobArtist/

https://www.facebook.com/CrisJacobArtist
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-jacob-a9787519b/
Reverbnation: Check Out Chris Jacob on ReverbNation! http://www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/artist/2423592