ARTIST BIO
Armed with his first colossal smash-hit "Record Breaker", and nominated for 2 awards - "Best Singer/Songwriter" & "Best Solo Artist" in the 2012 "All Indie Music Awards" held in Hollywood, CA, Eli is the new up and coming man in underground electro-pop music circuit.
Spending years behind the scenes working with international big-wigs like Disney, Wang Lee Hom, Wilbur Pan and Sarah Geranimo, Eli finally stepped out into the limelight in early 2011. First by being featured in the Singapore Arts Festival, then being cast in Singapore's Summer smash play "Beauty Kings". He was also featured in a series of festivals at Singapore's premiere live music venue "The Esplanade".
Eli has also been working on a plethora of productions for fellow Singapore artistes and is set to release his debut album "Revolt". Set to hit stores on March 2012 and launched with Singapore's biggest festival, "Mosaic", Eli brings his brand of Urban Soul music to you - an East-meets-West blend of pop sensibility that will blast out of your speakers into your sneakers.
P.S. Did we mention that he was voted Female magazine's 50 Most Gorgeous people in Singapore AND Cleo Magazine's 50 Most Eligible Bachelors in Singapore? Well now you know. ;)
MORE ABOUT ELI T.
Eli, 29, began his musical pilgrimage at a young age, starting with the piano. It didn’t take too long before he ventured into the choir and the school symphony orchestra playing the flute, oboe and saxophone.
Contrary to the conventional route of most singers, Eli made the conscious decision to complete his university education before embarking on his career. He left Singapore to complete his high school and university in Toronto, Canada.
While in school, he immersed himself in the underground music scene and took full year credit courses outside his major in music production and voice. Amidst all of this, Eli was also signed with Eleanor Fulcher Model & Talent Agency, who landed him in a nation wide campaign for a Canadian telecommunications company. Recognizing his potential as a model / artiste, the agency also sent Eli to Los Angles for The International Modeling and Talent Association (A melting-pot conference where Directors and International scouts look for new blood to use in Hollywood films. The association responsible for discovering talents like Sean William Scott & Katie Holmes).
After graduating, Eli came back to Singapore to fulfill his national obligations of conscripted National Service. Following his service to the nation, he was placed by then CEO of EMI S.E.A. Hans Ebert, in Singapore’s Hip-Hop and Rock label Chynahouse. Responsible for chart topping music acts like Urban Exchange and Parking Lot Pimps, it was there that Eli worked and produced tracks for Disney, Wang Lee Hom, Wilbur Pan and The Gorillaz.
Attempting to explore how music could be used for Education, Eli left the label and started his production company Zai Studios. Eli wrote songs for The Ministry of Education, and did various other music related projects with schools. During this time Eli also produced tracks for Singapore Idol, Taufik Bautisah, Singpost, and in late 2009, Eli had his first major hit song.
Intended for a Sunsilk commercial, Eli along with producer Yuen, teamed up to write and produce a youthful and upbeat song for multi-platinum selling Filipino artiste Sarah Geronimo. The song “Record Breaker” was released with the commercial at the end of 2009 and due it its overwhelmed response, sparked Sarah Geronimo’s “Record Breaker Concert” in 2010.
2011 saw the major transition of Eli from producer, to performer. Albeit having performed throughout the years (Eli was even flown out to Dubai to sing for National Day), Eli burst onto the Singapore entertainment scene in 2011. The Singapore public saw Eli in the Singapore Arts Festival short film “I Want To Remember” directed by Royston Tan. Eli was also on bus ads, banners and all sorts of Arts Festival memorabilia.
At the same time Eli also made his theatre-stage debut in Dick Lee’s “Beauty Kings”. Cast as the “himbo” part-time model, “Don”, Eli charmed the audience and left them in stitches night after night in their 15-show run. Eli was also recently cast for an episode in Mediacorp’s second season of “Point of Entry”. Starring Carl Ng and Jade Seah, Eli plays opposite them as the antagonist that foils their investigation.
Apart from film and theatre, Eli performed a plethora of live shows at the Esplanade, various clubs and nation-wide events like Esplanade's “Vintage Jukebox”, “Yfest”, “You Are Not Alone” (A charity drive for Japan, alongside Norlena Salim), “From Singapore With Love” (A fundraising drive held at the Esplanade Concert Hall alongside Nathano Hartono, Eunice Olsen, Erick Harkgrove and many more of Singapore’s musical artistes), just to name a few . Eli has also been featured on Lush 99.5Fm, Gold 90.5Fm, Yes 93.3Fm. He also performed live on Power98Fm’s Acoustic Lounge and sang the weather post interview on Hits91.3Fm.
2012 takes Eli on a whole new adventure with his debut album release in March. Titled “Revolt”, team Eli has big plans for the album. Eli’s first show, post CD-launch will be at Esplanade’s premier music festival, “Mosaic”.
NOTE: Eli has just been nominated for 2 awards - "Best Singer/Songwriter" & "Best Solo Artist" for his upcoming album "Revolt" in the 2012 "All Indie Music Awards" held in Hollywood,CA. Eli and his team will take to the Red Carpet awards ceremony on the 10th of February 2012.