THAILAND: Thai pop diva Tata Young aims to get Europe dancing to Thai pop

Thai pop sensation Tata Young, who has won success in Asia with her English-language albums, is aiming to expand herself to Europe. Young, who launched her first English-language album "I believe" in 2004,plans to take her high-energy pop and dance show on the road to Europe in April for the first time, with a tour of Germany that her manager-father hopes will blossom into gigs in Italy, France, Spain and Britain. Asked if she would like to become a superstar in the United States, 26-year-old Thai pop diva said she wanted to focus on the Europe market for now. "America is really a tough market to actually break through, so, it would be very nice if I make it there but for me like now like I said, I'm very happy with the way I'm introducing myself to the world, you know, I start each region. Its worked well for me, so maybe someday in America but for me this year my target is Europe. I challenged Japan it worked out for me so Japan is the second largest market in the world so I'm very pleased with the way I am right now." said Tata Young, who is often seen as Asia's answer to Britney Spears. Young's popularity has exploded in southeast Asia and has steadily expanded to India, China and Japan. Her debut Thai album "Amita Tata Young" -- she was born Amita Marie Young to an American father and Thai mother -- sold 1 million copies in a matter of months, and by the age of 15 she was one of the biggest names in Thai pop. Having won a national talent-spotting contest at the age of 11, the ebullient English-speaking teenager attracted the attention of record executives who saw in her a rare chance for an Asian to make it beyond purely the domestic market. Many have criticised her over her sexy image and for being outspoken, but she has learned to brush it off. "Well, being in the business so long, you know, makes you grow up this really thick-skin in this business. So what happens to me is that I just don't listen to every comment that's a bad comment, I only listen to the ones that relate to my, the way I sing or if I'm not dancing enough, or you know, things that make me improve as a better artist," she said. Her music video -- Dhoom Dhoom -- on her previous album was banned in Thailand for being to revealing in the Buddhist country. Her music "El Nin-Yo" in the album of "Temperature Rising" shot up to the number one slot on the chart at a the radio station in Thailand. Yet Young is more concerned over music pirating, which has bitten a huge portion off profit margins. "The pirated CD has affected us all artists 80 percent, 80 percent, so we are making a living off 20 percent from what we used to be earning, you know it is really sad so I just wish that it will get better," she said. She also denied rumours circulating in Thailand that she has become engaged to long-time boyfriend Prem Busarakhamwong, son of one of the country's biggest kick-boxing promoters.

ITN Source | February 8, 2007

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