草蜢 (組合)
简介
Grasshopper is a Hong Kong male dance and singing group formed in 1985, consisting of So Chi-Wai, Tsai Yee-Chi, and Tsai Yee-Kit. The group was named "Grasshopper" because the characters of all three members' surnames belong to the grass radical (艸) in Chinese. They were also known as the "Hong Kong Youth Team" and were among the most famous television program hosts in Hong Kong.
The members grew up together, having been schoolmates at Kwun Tong Methodist Primary School and neighbors in the Kwun Tong (Lei Yue Mun Road) Estate. They formed a group called "Little Grasshopper" and participated in 1985 in the 4th New Talent Singing Awards co-organized by Television Broadcasts Limited and Capital Artists, reaching the finals with the song "Run Together." Although they did not win the competition (which was won by Alex To), they received an invitation from Anita Mui to become her dance partners, and began their singing career with her.
They signed a formal contract in 1986 with Anita Mui as their manager. In 1987, they appeared in their first film, "Don't Talk About Being Happy," and signed with PolyGram Hong Kong. In 1988, they released their first Cantonese album titled "Grasshopper" and adopted energetic dancing and active singing to distinguish themselves in the pop music scene.
Among their early notable works are the songs "Thousand Dreams Leap" and "Red Lips Kiss." In 1990, the songs "Heartbreak" and "Half a Heart" gained wide attention, and they won their first award at the Hong Kong Commercial Radio Ultimate Song Chart Awards in the Best Group category. That same year, they released their first Mandarin album, "Limited Time Delivery ABC," which achieved sales of 500,000 copies, launching their career in Taiwan.
In 1991, they released the love ballad "Lonely" and the dance track "Forgetful Samba," both of which became hugely popular and established their image as a group that excels in both ballads and dance numbers. Between 1990 and 1995, they won six consecutive awards at the Commercial Radio Ultimate Song Chart Awards in the Best Group category, and were among the few groups that endured from the 1980s into the 1990s. Tsai Yee-Chi and Tsai Yee-Kit occasionally participated in lyric and composition writing, making the group also a creative ensemble.
In 1998, So Chi-Wai married Lau Siu-Wai. In 2000, the three members pursued individual paths. In 2005, they resumed activity with manager Lin Shan-Shan and signed with BMA Records, winning several awards with the song "We," including the Best Group Silver Award at the Commercial Radio Ultimate Song Chart Awards. In 2008, the group became artists under Lamb Production, founded by Lin Shan-Shan. In 2022, they served as guest star mentors on the singing talent show "Stars Academy 2" on Television Broadcasts Limited.