How Hong Kong's Cantopop scene went from heartbreak to ...

Hong Kong's Cantopop scene, famous for its syrupy and addictive ... Cantopop - short for Cantonese pop - is formulaic, ... Rise of K-pop. Mediacaption,HongKong'sCantopophasbeengivenanewboostofcreativitybysingerswhoaren'tafraidtogetpoliticalLikemanyHongKongersIgrewupsingingalongtosyrupyCantopopballads,bothlovingandhatingtheircatchyandoftenbizarrelyrics."IknowI'msomeoneimpossibletopleaseIwasjustluckytoexperienceamomentofloveatallLookingback,takinganhonestlookatmyselfAmIreallysoannoyingthatyouhatemesomuch?"That'sUsedtoLosingLovebyJoeyYung.Inoneofthecity'smanykaraokecentres,youwillhearpeoplecrooningaboutlove,anger,makingmoney-aswellaslotsandlotsandlotsofheartbreak.Cantopop-shortforCantonesepop-isformulaic,intenselyemotional,strangelyaddictiveandquintessentiallyHongKong.Nowitisalsobecomingpolitical.Imagesource,GettyImagesImagecaption,CantopopgroupssuchasTwins,whoperformedthesong"loveisbiggerthanthesky",dominatedmuchofthe2000sImagesource,AFPImagecaption,JoeyYung,whosang"Usedtolosinglove",isoneofthemostprominentCantopopstarstodayItusedtobeamulti-milliondollarindustry,withmassivefollowingsinmainlandChina,Taiwan,MalaysiaandSouthKoreaaswell.Butexpertssayrevenueshaveplungedinrecentyearsandthatsingersarefacingbothincreasedcompetitionandpressuretoself-censorfromChina."TheCantopopindustryofHongKongissuffering…sosingershavetoturntothemainlandChinesemarket,"saysAdrianChow,asongwriterandmusicmanager."Ifyoutouchonanysensitiveissues,themainlandmarketwilltrytosuppressyou."HecitestheexamplesofsingersDeniseHoandKayTse,whohavebothcomeunderpressureforsupportingHongKong's2014pro-democracyprotests.Imagesource,ChinaPhotosImagecaption,Expecteye-catchingoutfitsataCantopopconcert...Imagesource,ChinaPhotosImagecaption,...andbigdancetroupesHohadaconcertbyLancomecancelledearlierthisyear,afterthebeautybrandcameunderfirefrommainlandChinesefans,andstatemedia,whocriticisedHo'spoliticalstance.AndpopsingersarealsofacingcompetitionfromincreasinglypopularmusicstarselsewhereinAsia.Imagesource,AFPImagecaption,DeniseHo'ssupportforpro-democracyprotests,andtheDalaiLama,haveangeredChinesemediaRiseofK-popBrianChow,aDJwithlocalbroadcasterRTHK,says:"Cantopop,purelyintermsofpopularity,hasbeenovershadowedbyMandopop[Mandarin-languagepopsongs].""Thenumberofchoicesforpeoplehasexpanded,"andtheriseofKoreanpop(orK-pop)acrosssouth-eastAsiaisalso"ahugechallenge".Imagesource,GettyImagesImagecaption,SamHui,knownasthe"fatherofCantopop",swepttofameinthe1970swithsongsabouttheworkingclassandmakingmoneyImagesource,AFPImagecaption,Now,KoreanpopispopularSouthEastAsia-andmuchoftherestoftheworldIndustryexpertssayCantopoprecordsaleshaveplungedbymorethan70%sincetheirpeak.Cantopopdigitalsalesalsofellby14%between2014and2015,accordingtoEltonYeung,CEOoftheComposersandAuthorsSocietyofHongKong(CASH).Butthereisanunexpectedsilverlining."Inthepast,mostofthepopularsongstendedtobelovesongs.Themarketwasquitecommercial,"BrianChowsays.Imagesource,GettyImagesImagecaption,KayTseisknowntosingaboutdiverseissues,includingtheplightofthehomelessandtheexperiencesofFilipinodomestichelpers"Butnowthepopularityofthegenreislower,it'snotjustaboutcommercialconsiderationsanymore-andthishasboostedcreativity."ProtestsongsAdrianChow'ssongEggandLambwasinspiredbythefilmTwelveYearsASlave,butwaswidelyinterpretedtobeaboutHongKong,andrapidlybecameoneoftheanthemsofthe2014pro-democracydemonstrations."Therearemoreandmoresongstouchingonpoliticalissues,oratleastsocialissues…becauseHongKongpeoplecanreallyfeelthatpoliticsisaffectingtheirdailylives,"hesays.Imagesource,GettyImagesImagecaption,Umbrellasbecameasymbolofthe2014pro-democracyprotestsSoovertlypoliticalsongshavebecomepopularwiththepublictoo.Onesongwritteninsupportofthe2014pro-democracyprotests,RaiseYourUmbrellas,wasvotedthemostpopularsongoftheyearattheCommercialRadiomusicawards."Tenyearsago,youngpeoplethoughtCantopopwascheesy,"saysRubyChoy,amusicindustryveteran.Butnow,they"arecaringmoreandmoreaboutlocalHongKongculture…andusingCantopoptowritesatiricalsongs."InJanuaryanonlineTVplatform,TVMostheldamockawardsceremonyforsatiricalsongsithadwrittenaboutcurrentaffairs-itevenattractedsponsorshipfromShell.Imagesource,TVMostImagecaption,Onlineparodies,includingthisoneaboutstressedstudents,havebeenahitImagesource,TVMostImagecaption,HardtoBoardlooksatcontroversieslinkedtoHongKong'strainsHitsfeaturedincluded:ChasedByABreast,aboutacourtcasewhereafemaleprotesterwasconvictedofassaultingapoliceofficerwithherbreastHardToBoard,aboutthedifficultiesofridingonthecity'strains,andcontroversiesovermainlandChinesevisitors"Thiswasoneofthemostimportantculturaleventsthisyear,"MsChoysays."Inthelastcentury,Cantopopcouldneveraffordtoassociateitselfwithsocio-politicalissues-itwasataboo.Buttoday,thingshavechanged."Nine-tonelanguageFungWaiTong,headofRTHK'sChineseprogrammes,saysHongKong'spoliticalsituationmeans"manypeoplehaveagreatersenseofempathywithCantonesesongs"thanbefore."CantoneseisthemothertongueofmostHongKongers,sohavingsongsinalanguagetheyunderstanddirectlyisreallyimportanttothem."Imagesource,BobbyShamImagecaption,EndyChowperformedinHawaiiaspartofacampaigntointroduceCantopoptointernationalaudiencesAndsupporterssayCantopopisparticularlyunique,giventhatCantoneseisconsideredoneofthehardestlanguagestolearn."There'saparticularchallengetowritinggoodsonglyricsbecauseCantonesehasninetones-ittakesskilltomatchthelyricstothenotes,"saysEndyChow,apopsinger.HeandRubyChoyhavebeeninvolvedinacampaign,HongKongisSinging,topromoteCantopopoverseas.ButitcouldbethatCantopopistakingonadistinctly"indie"flavourwithmoreindependentartistsandamoredynamicmusicscene.Imagesource,GooMusicImagecaption,DeniseHo'slatestconcertiscompletelycrowdfundedAnexampleAdrianChowgivesisDeniseHo'slatestsoloconcert-which,afterherpreviousproblemswithLancome,shearrangedthroughacrowdfundingcampaign."Shetriedtofindhundredsofsmallsponsors,fromlocalshopsandcommercialentitiesinHongKong…andtogether,itbecamealargeenoughsumforhertoorganiseasoloconcert,"hesays.Ticketstoallfourofhershowshavesoldout-and,onFacebook,DeniseHo'sfanshavebeenequallyexcitedaboutmusicandthefactshepulledoffacrowdfundedconcertindependently."Ofcoursewe'llapplaudtilltheveryend!Gogogo!"userGinnyLeeenthused."It'saconcertfulloflove,fullofhope,fullofunity.Everyonehasdonegreat,"ColaHowrote.Imagesource,ChinaPhotosImagecaption,PerhapsCantopop'sbubblehasn'tburstjustyetInsomeways,it'snosurprisethatsuchanemotionalmusicgenrehasendeduptakingonothersubjectsclosetoHongKongers'hearts.Whetherit'sheartbreak,makingone'sfortuneoruncertaintyaboutthefuture,Cantopophasalwaysfoundawayofresonatingwithandexpressinghowthepeopleofthecityfeel.TopStoriesNasaabortssecondbidtolaunchnewMoonrocketPublished2hoursagoAsyoucountpennieswecountcasualties-ZelenskaPublished4hoursagoThousandspayrespectstoMikhailGorbachevPublished4hoursagoFeaturesHowPakistanfloodsarelinkedtoclimatechange'Wespentthewholenightrunningfromtheflood'ThewomanwhotaughttheWesthowtocookIndianfood.VideoThewomanwhotaughttheWesthowtocookIndianfoodWhythefoldingphonerevolutionhasawaytogoThegeniusartofwordblendingInsideLibya'ssecretjail:'Beingaliveisamiracle'WestBankvisitorsmustdeclareloveinterestBirdstrike,selfiesandwrestling:PhotosoftheweekHowtheUSinspiredaSovietobsessionElsewhereontheBBCLivingwithoutplasticinJapanTheBritishislesthatdisappeareveryday'There'smoretolifethanachievingaKPI'MostRead1PlanelandsafterpilotthreatenstohitWalmart2NasaabortssecondbidtolaunchnewMoonrocket3AsUKcountspennies,wecountcasualties-Zelenska4TheCrowncastsunknownactorsasKateandWilliam5WestBankvisitorsmustdeclareloveinterest6ThousandspayrespectstoMikhailGorbachev7'Greatestworldhaseverseen'-Williamstributes8JaneFondarevealscancerdiagnosis9RussiatokeepkeygaspipelinetoEUclosed10USapproves$1.1bnTaiwanarmssale,rilingChina