Fans could be forgiven if they thought they were seeing double at Taiwanese-American singer Wang Leehom’s concert on June 20.
The 49-year-old star invited Hong Kong singer-actor Aarif Rahman, 38, often dubbed “Little Wang Leehom” due to his resemblance to Wang, as the guest singer on the first night of his show in Beijing.
Wang is currently staging his The Best Place concert tour in China, with three sold-out shows in Beijing from June 20 to 22.
“Is there something wrong with the camera? Why are there two overlapping images?” Wang jested when Aarif, dressed in clothes similar to his outfits, appeared on stage on June 20. “Or are my eyes seeing things?”
Aarif joked that it could be due to artificial intelligence (AI). “AI is very powerful now, and the technology of face-swopping is very scary,” he said.
“The AI filter is so powerful that it makes me 10 years younger today,” Wang replied.
Aarif quipped: “And you will grow taller.” Wang is 1.8m tall, while Aarif is 1.75m tall.
Wang said many people have remarked on their resemblance, as the two artistes positioned themselves together on stage for the fans to make their judgment. “Thank you, my ‘twin’. We really look alike,” Wang acknowledged.
Aarif – who is of Arab, Malay and Chinese descent – said that since the age of 16, he has often heard comments that he is a Wang lookalike.
He attended his first Wang concert in 2008 when he graduated from university, he said, adding that both of them have finally appeared on stage together after 17 years.
At the concert, they performed Wang’s songs Still In Love With You (2011) and One World One Dream (2008).
Wang posted photos of the concert on Chinese social media platform Weibo on June 21. “Brothers performed a ‘lookalike show’,” he wrote. “Were you surprised by today’s guest performer Aarif Rahman?”
Under Wang’s post, Aarif thanked him for inviting him to the concert.
Aarif also posted several concert photos on social media. “Performing your songs on the same stage with you was something I never imagined when I was watching your concert during my younger days,” he wrote on Weibo. “It has come true in Beijing. I look forward to meeting you again.” – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
