HK singer Winka’s journey from busking to joining Cantopop girl group Collar

From streets to the stage: Hong Kong singer Winka Chan’s journey from busking to joining Cantopop girl group Collar

- The 24-year-old, who rose to fame after placing seventh in the ‘King Maker IV’ talent show, discusses why she is the group’s ‘conversation starter’

- Rising idol stresses that the city must improve its support for young artists if it wants its music industry to reach the popularity of K-pop

Winka Chan believes Hong Kong’s music scene can reach the next level if it provides more training for aspiring singers. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Seven years ago, Winka Chan Wing-ka was busking at Hong Kong’s Star Ferry Pier when someone joined her for the impromptu duet of a lifetime.

The surprise guest was Cantopop artist Gem Tang Tsz-kei, whose songs Chan often covered while performing on Hong Kong’s bustling streets. In a video of the performance uploaded by Tang, mesmerised passers-by paused their commutes to admire the fateful encounter between an idol and her talented fan.

Fast-forward to today, and the aspiring singer is now the lead vocalist of a sensational Cantopop girl group, Collar. With her strong, soulful vocals and warm personality, the 24-year-old is making her mark on the city’s music scene.

Winka Chan (left) was joined by Gem Tang for an unexpected performance at Star Ferry Pier. Photo: Handout

Winka Chan believes Hong Kong’s music scene can reach the next level if it provides more training for aspiring singers. Photo: Xiaomei ChenWinka Chan believes Hong Kong’s music scene can reach the next level if it provides more training for aspiring singers. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

SCMP Young Post · Listen to the story: Winka Chan

Seven years ago, Winka Chan Wing-ka was busking at Hong Kong’s Star Ferry Pier when someone joined her for the impromptu duet of a lifetime.

The surprise guest was Cantopop artist Gem Tang Tsz-kei, whose songs Chan often covered while performing on Hong Kong’s bustling streets. In a video of the performance uploaded by Tang, mesmerised passers-by paused their commutes to admire the fateful encounter between an idol and her talented fan.

Fast-forward to today, and the aspiring singer is now the lead vocalist of a sensational Cantopop girl group, Collar. With her strong, soulful vocals and warm personality, the 24-year-old is making her mark on the city’s music scene.

Winka Chan (left) was joined by Gem Tang for an unexpected performance at Star Ferry Pier. Photo: HandoutWinka Chan (left) was joined by Gem Tang for an unexpected performance at Star Ferry Pier. Photo: Handout

“I started singing from a young age simply because my family did not have resources, so my voice became my [free] instrument,” Chan said, adding that her mother also loved singing. “We are both passionate individuals who enjoy expressing our emotions.”

Even as she lives out her dream, the rising singer faces pressure to constantly improve her performance skills, be emotionally vulnerable, and bear the weight of intense public scrutiny. Yet, Chan knows this is her calling.

“As long as I know that I have tried my best, I can be at peace with myself,” she shared.

From street performer to idol

When Chan was younger, academics was never her forte, so her passion for music led her to make a bold decision – she quit Hong Kong’s university entrance exams to become an independent singer.

“At that time, I did not have the motivation to study because I had to take care of my family ... and I did not think I could get into university,” she recalled, speaking of the challenges of growing up in a single-parent household where she often had to take care of her younger brother.

“Many teachers told me that I should explore what I really wanted to do, [so] why not go outside and give it a try? But there weren’t many opportunities at the time – that is why I started busking.”

Chan’s time singing on the city’s crowded thoroughfares confirmed her desire to pursue a career in the music industry. So she signed with several agencies to perform at various small-scale shows in malls.

“But in the end, I realised that constantly performing at [these] shows would only make me a singer for shopping malls. I would not break into the mainstream music industry and make the music that I wanted to,” she said.

So the young artist decided to take her career into her own hands, debuting as a solo singer in 2021 with the release of “Cupid-19” and “Unnamed”, which she funded with money from part-time jobs and the generosity of friends.

That same year, she joined 95 other female contestants on the talent competition show King Maker IV, famous for creating Hong Kong’s top boy band, Mirror. After placing seventh, Chan earned her spot in the new girl group and in the local music scene.

At the heart of Collar

The group, which debuted last year, has eight members: Winka, Garie Shum (Gao), Natalie So Tsz-Ching (So Ching), Ivy So, Rejena Simkhada (Day), Marife Yau (Marf) and Candy Wong.

Besides being the main vocalist, Chan also sees herself as the team’s “conversation starter”.

“My role in the group is to lead everyone to have deep talks and to be more open about their emotions,” she shared. “When I start talking, everyone also starts sharing because I am open with my feelings and thoughts.”

Reflecting on her fondest moments in Collar, Chan said that while their first performance as a group was a major highlight, lately, she had come to treasure the team’s quieter moments when everyone can be themselves.

Collar’s members are from the winners of ViuTV’s talent competition show, King Maker IV. Photo: Instagram/@collar.weare

“When we eat together and talk about personal matters, there are no cameras recording, and those moments are the ones I want to remember most,” she said.

“We’ve also delved into our views on love and relationships, and we have shared about who we used to be,” the singer explained, adding that when she opened up about her recent break-up with her boyfriend of six years, others also unreservedly discussed their thoughts.

Last month, Chan released a solo song “It’s Me”, which offers insight into the lessons she has learned about romantic relationships.

The artist hoped that her song would inspire reflection: “For those who are in a relationship, I hope they can own up to their mistakes and work on improving themselves. For those who have already broken up, they can learn from their past mistakes and avoid repeating them in future relationships.”

More training needed for Cantopop to grow

In the early 2000s, Hong Kong produced several popular girl groups such as Twins, Cookies and HotCha. However, many of them have since disbanded – with some members pursuing solo music careers – or have faded out completely from the entertainment industry.

Although Collar represents a new age of Cantopop and has received support from many Hongkongers, the group is constantly under fire for not meeting the high standards that K-pop groups have set with the quality of their performances.

In the face of these harsh comparisons, Chan pointed out that Hong Kong did not have an established culture of developing young artists. South Korean entertainment agencies often hold auditions for children who compete to be signed as trainees, after which they undergo rigorous coaching in hopes of making it as idols.

For Hong Kong’s music scene to reach the next level, Chan stressed that emerging talent needed more guidance. “I hope we can have more regular training so that we can gain more confidence in our performances and achieve what we want to do,” she said.

South Korea’s strong K-pop culture encouraged aspiring artists to start learning to dance and sing from a young age. “It’s not just about the training before the debut,” the Collar member explained.

Chan admitted that the pressures of being in a girl group affected her confidence at times. When the singer first debuted, people made fun of her styling and appearance.

“There were times when I did not know how to pose for a photo shoot or look good in front of the camera. There have been some clumsy moments and setbacks that made me criticise myself,” she revealed.

It isn’t easy to be part of a girl group facing constant public scrutiny. Photo: Dickson Lee

But with time, she learned to embrace what makes her unique: “Many people criticised my appearance, particularly my short hair which some found unattractive. However, these comments had little effect on me.”

When it comes to her performance skills, she wants to push herself to constantly improve.

“Sometimes, I feel like I am lacking in certain areas, but due to time constraints and high expectations, we all need to deliver it as soon as possible,” she shared.

“I was never good at dancing, but as a member of a girl group, I must overcome this challenge.”

Focusing on Hong Kong first

While Collar’s male counterparts, Mirror, released their first English song last month in an attempt to break into the global music market, Chan stated that the girl group would focus on the Hong Kong market for the time being.

“We all want to go far ... but we currently do not have plans to go global because we really want Hong Kong people to feel that we represent them,” she explained.

“We have the intention to go abroad, but we will focus on doing what needs to be done locally before anything else,” she said, adding that they might consider expanding their appeal to other parts of Asia.

“As long as we do well in our activities in Hong Kong and even have people outside Hong Kong recognise us, that would make us very happy.”

Gem Tang Tsz-kei and her talented fan

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