COCO Lee has plans for a casual and fun beach wedding – and it could be right here, in her favourite sunny Singapore.

The curvaceous olive-skinned 35-year-old pop diva told The New Paper in an exclusive phone interview that she is likely to tie the knot with her fiance,
51-year-old Canadian businessman Bruce Philip Rockowitz, sometime next year.

“I might do my wedding in Singapore,” she said chirpily.

“It’s always been one of my dreams to get hitched by the beach...no shoes, just the beautiful ocean right in front of us.”

“I’ll need all of you (referring to the local media) to help me get the word out then.”

The couple have been engaged since 2005.

Coincidentally, Lee – known for her powerhouse vocals and energetic, sexed-up live performances – was speaking from Hawaii, where she was attending a
friend’s nuptials.

She adores Singapore’s “warm weather”.

“The heat is not a problem for me, I like it hot,” said the Hong Kong-born songbird, who grew up in San Francisco and holds both US and Hong Kong citizenship.

“To me, Singapore is near paradise. It’s sophisticated, international and the  people are really friendly and nice.”

In an interview with The New Paper last October, amid singing praises of our  country, she had expressed her intention to apply for Singapore citizenship.

So, are those sentiments of allegiance still intact?

Absolutely, was Lee’s spirited reply.

“Attaining Singapore citizenship is definitely still in my mind. It’s just that I’ve been very tied up with my concerts and I haven’t had time to look further into it,”
she said, adding that for starters, she’d like to learn more about buying property here.

Her local fans need not wait too long to see Lee back in top formon stage.

In  October, the consummate performer will take her East2West World Tour to the
Singapore Indoor Stadium.

It will be her first full-length concert here in 10 years. Her last ticketed gig was at  the Suntec Convention Hall in December 2000.

Role play
Lee, who describes herself as “very hands-on” in every aspect of the show, be it “song selection, dance choreography, or attire”, said Singapore audiences can expect to see her turn into a “chameleon” that night.

Her array of colourful, flamboyant costumesinclude giving a modern twist to  “different powerful women in history”. “I take on historical characters, such as Cleopatra, Mulan, Yang Gui Fei (voluptuous Tang Dynasty concubine) and make  them hipper,” she explained.

“For example, my version of Cleopatra is a dancing Cleopatra well-versed in  hip-hop.” All her stage costumes are her “babies”, said Lee.

“Every single one of them is my vision and I’ve spent a lot of time perfecting their details.

“It’s hard to say which I like most, but if I had to highlight one, it’ll be this yellow  skintight leotard. It’s very youthful-looking and definitely the sexiest outfit I’ve  ever donned in my career!”

A particular costume that raised eyebrows during her tour in Taipei was a white T-shirt that had the words “Marry Me” printed on the front.

Lee had put on a bridal veil to go with it, prompting many in the audience to wonder if she was dropping hints to Mr Rockowitz to quickly walk down the aisle with her.

Chuckling, she said: “It’s just a crazy shirt, you know, kind of similar to those
tees with prints that read ‘Kiss Me’ or ‘Hug Me’.

“I thought it’ll be fun to wear it during my concert, as the Taiwanese press has always been asking me  when I’m getting married.”

Okay, so her shirt’s message wasn’t directed at her longtime fiance.

Nevertheless, Lee was jubilant that she got to play “matchmaker” during her Taipei gig. “I had a ring with me and spontaneously flung it into the audience. A guy  picked it up, ran up (to) the stage and proposed to his girlfriend of 10 yearson the spot.

“It’ll be great if something like this can happen in Singapore too.”

In July, Lee became the first Asian female artiste to sing at the Encore Theatre in luxury casino resort Wynn Las Vegas, which has hosted stars such as Mariah Carey and Celine Dion.

“It was a huge honour for me,” said Lee, who performed back-to-back nights to a
full-house crowd.

“I received feedback from the audience that it was the best concert by a Chinese
artiste that they hadattended.”

The Taiwanese media recently reported that Lee, whose contract with record label Music Nation expired in June, has been in touch with several US management companies in a bid to advance her career in the US.

Lee admitted “she is in the middle of discussion with some friends in the (showbiz)
industry”.

“At this point, anything is possible,” she said.

“In the long run, I’d like to explore producing for other people, as well as sign and mentor younger artistes in Asia. There’s a lot of talent out there to be developed.

“My immediate goal, of course, is to take my concert to as many places as  possible.”