Cannes in the can, Yaya Ying's |music dream comes true

The Haitian-American rapper flew to Bangkok last week to meet the singer-actress and after a three-hour chat decided that she’s ready for the big time. “He said he could feel my talent and he liked my attitude,” Ying announced on Modernine’s “Tuen Ma Kui”.
“I took my mum with me when I signed the contract and she was overjoyed and cried too.”
Ying said Jean wants to expand into the Asian market, aiming to sign 14 artists in five or six countries. He’ll produce three singles for her for release in the United States as well as Thailand and she’ll also appear on records by his other signed artists. “I heard Akon and I was so excited!” Ying said.
It’s quite a swivel for Ying after turning her back on music for two years. “I thought it wasn’t my cup of tea, but now I’ve finally got a chance to do what I love again.”
Ying has more recently acted in stage musicals and films shot at home and abroad. We won’t soon forget her star turn on the red carpet at the Cannes festival last year, sharing the spotlight with her co-stars from “Only God Forgives”.
Now that she’s singing again, though, Ying will have to ease up on the acting. “I’ll have to clear all the movies and TV series so that I’m ready to record in April, when Wyclef is flying here to oversee the mix.”
The Thai music industry is grinning too. Ying says Jean also perused a Thai studio and wants to upgrade it to meet international standards so it can accommodate the likes of Beyonce and Shakira. Evidently he loves Thailand. “He’s a fan of muay thai and Thai films,” Ying said. “And he’s fond of Pattaya – he says it’s so convenient that he can travel by private jet between Bangkok and Pattaya.”
Maybe he can upgrade Pattaya too!

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Sanctuary at last
The little place under a tent near the Siam Society called Asoke Samran – the name means kind of happy or enjoyable – is like a tiny coffee shop, but there’s no coffee for sale. As the sign says, “Free coffee for people camping out. Visitors are welcome. Donations appreciated.”
A woman who chooses to remain anonymous – a leading figure in the advertising trade – opened Asoke Samran last Saturday to serve as a meeting spot for anti-government protesters.
“The priority is to provide hot coffee for all the protesters from upcountry who have no place to stay in town and spend the nights at the rally site. Some of them have been in Bangkok for almost three months – it was sad they had no place to get warm and get a coffee first thing in the morning!” she says.
So the tent is jammed every morning with folks warming their buns and browsing through the magazines on offer.
“They come in together and stay for a long time and often run out of things to talk about among themselves, so it would be nice if the protesters who live in the city dropped by and chatted with them,” says the founder.
Business is brisk, but the box for cash donations should tell you that it’s not covering all the corners. And if you can’t spare the cash, you can always help them with the coffee, sugar and cream supply.