Reno Reaches for The Stars

Chinese singer Reno's determined and independent character led her to buy her own car at the tender age of 19.Reno, who recently released her debut album, One Chance, had always dreamt of becoming a successful recording artiste while growing up in the small town of Gemencheh, Negeri Sembilan.At the age of 18, she was working as a part-time musician at cafes in the Klang Valley.Back then, she was also a diploma student in graphic design and multimedia at a college in Petaling Jaya.Reno, whose real name is Lee Xin Ying, recalled that it was tiresome to travel without her own transport around the Klang Valley for her singing performances at various cafes and nightclubs."My mother did not like the idea of me driving a car in Kuala Lumpur. But I did not have a choice if I wanted to seriously pursue my dreams," said Reno, who used her savings from her part-time singing performances to buy a used Perodua Kancil for RM19,000."The monthly payment for the Kancil was only RM250. The Kancil served me well when I joined talent contests and went for auditions with recording labels."The 14-track Mandarin album, released by Annocent Production, features songs inspired by heartfelt stories about her life and struggles as an aspiring recording artiste.   Reno, who defined her music as 'pop with a little bit of jazz', had a role in composing lyrics for the songs.Two singles - That's All and Fei Er - received a fair amount of airplay recently.  Reno, who has sold more than 1,200 copies of her debut album since it was launched last month, has suffered her share of career disappointments.After completing her studies in 2003, she signed a deal with a local recording label.Unfortunately, the recording label closed down a year later after running into financial difficulties.For the next three years, Reno had to put her dreams on hold while she worked as a music analyser for a telecommunications content provider.Still, she continued to work as a part-time singer at night.She replaced the Kancil with a new Kia Picanto (Novus edition) four years ago. "The Kancil was getting old and grumpy. I wanted a new car, and the Picanto attracted me with its cute and sporty looks. I was also taken with the leather seats in the Novus edition," said Reno.  In 2007, she returned to being a full-time musician with recording label Annocent Production which is based in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.Since then, her music career has been on the fast track.The Picanto has served her faithfully during her outstation trips to perform in places such as Malacca, Penang, Ipoh and Johor.Also, Reno recently attracted the attention of Kenneth Cole which was the official timepiece sponsor for her album launch campaign. Kenneth Cole, an icon in the New York and international fashion arenas, is renowned for watches that fuse contemporary designs with practical styling.Offered in the Kenneth Cole selection is a wide variety of gentlemen's watches that are on bracelets, straps made of genuine leather or rubber for sporty looks.The women's collection includes both bracelets and genuine leather or the more up-to-the-minute nylon straps.There are also custom-cut crystals on several of the women's models, lending a modern twist to a classic concept.All Kenneth Cole watches are constructed from 100 per cent stainless steel.In Malaysia, Kenneth Cole watches are exclusively distributed by Crystal Time (M) Sdn Bhd.Reno finds Kenneth Cole watches to be trendy and chic. "I have two Kenneth Cole watches, with one for day use and another for night functions. The watches are well-designed and look great on me," said Reno, who hopes to upgrade to a larger-sized passenger sedan soon."The Picanto is a nice and comfortable car. However, I find that the Klang Valley is a place where female drivers in small cars tend to get bullied by bigger and faster cars," said Reno, who dreams of owning a BMW Z4 roadster or Nissan Fairlady someday.Check out the Kenneth Cole Father's Day contest, with a stylish gentleman's watch valued at RM389 as the prize, on www.cbt.com.myFor details on Reno, log on to www.reno.com.my

By Daniel Wong and Thomas Huong