SINGAPORE – Singing is like exercise, and a singer is really an athlete, says Taiwanese folk-pop singer Chyi Yu.

It is why she believes performers need to “cultivate good lifestyle habits and hone our singing skills daily”, she tells The Straits Times in an e-mail interview.

Best known for her 1979 breakout hit Olive Tree, the 66-year-old singer is just like the olive tree, which is known for its strength and endurance, and can thrive for many years.

Chyi adds: “The most important thing in singing is qi (vital energy). You need to have enough qi, so sleep is very important. To use qi properly, you need to practise breathing and controlling the tone and pitch of your vocal cords every day.”

She refrains from talking too much before she sings. Neither does she eat much, especially oily or nut-based foods.

“Also, don’t shout or speak excessively for a long time, which can over-stretch the vocal cords.”

While she has no special diet for her euphonic vocals, she nourishes her instrument with the eight immortals fruit and American ginseng before she sings, as these can hydrate the body and replenish the qi, she says.

Chyi will be taking the stage with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) at its Mother’s Day concert on May 10 and 11.

“I am looking forward to this performance, which will bring me closer to Chinese classical music, and I am also honoured to play a part in promoting traditional Chinese music,” she says.

Besides Olive Tree – the timeless classic by Taiwanese lyricist-writer Sanmao and Chyi’s late mentor, Taiwanese composer Li Tai-hsiang – Chyi also collaborated with Li on many signature hits, such as Walking In The Rain, Daylight Avenue and Your Smiling Face.

Chyi, the older sister of rock balladeer Chyi Chin, likes all her songs, especially Olive Tree, Chrysanthemum Sigh and Raindrops.

The first two are folk songs that are like a “refreshing breeze”. Raindrops, however, is a personal challenge to herself.

“The double piano accompaniment rises and falls like raindrops hitting the earth, while the melody is like moving clouds and flowing water,” says Chyi Yu.

“The poem rises and falls with the melody, wave after wave, until the raindrops hit the ground like broken pearls, flowing all over the world. It is almost sung in one breath.”

Chyi says Olive Tree is the one song she has sung the most, though her sentiments have changed over the years.

“When I was younger, I was like a blank sheet of paper, and I was full of pursuits and unfinished dreams,” she says.

“Now, what I pursue is no longer romantic and unrealistic goals, but to return to the innocence of this blank piece of paper, and erase away the ‘colours’, or mistakes and bad habits of the past 30 years.”

The olive tree symbolises a kind of enlightenment, says the veteran, who has also released Buddhist music compilations.

The broad grassland, the birds in the sky, and the streams in the mountains mentioned in the song represent the unpolluted self, she adds.

Chyi hopes to continue using the power of music to influence and touch others. Following her shows in Singapore, she will be heading to Taiwan and China for more performances.

“It is so gratifying to be able to do what I like most, and what I am best at in life.”

Book it/ Mother’s Day Concert 2024

Where: Singapore Chinese Orchestra Concert Hall, Singapore Conference Hall, 7 Shenton Way
When: May 10 and 11, 7.30pm
Admission: $38 to $98 from str.sg/gvyr