Cantopop: Why Hong Kong is seeking solace in local music

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The 1980s and 1990s were the golden age of Hong Kong pop culture. Cantopop was an important cultural export, winning fans in mainland China, ... Imagesource,GettyImagesImagecaption,BoybandMirrorhasreignitedHongKong'sfancultureLifeinHongKonghasbeenreshapedasBeijinghasincreasinglytighteneditsgripoveralmosteveryaspectoflifeinthecity.ButCantopopremainsavenueforthoseinthecitytoseeksolaceandexpresstheircollectiveidentity,astheBBC'sGraceTsoiwrites.ItwasanaccidentthatshockedmuchofHongKong:agiantscreenfellandinjuredtwodancersduringaconcertbyhugelypopularboybandMirror.ButthecollectiveoutpouringofemotionwasalsocausedbywhatMirrorhadcometorepresent-araresourceofjoyformanyinthecityafteryearsofpoliticalupheaval.MirroriswidelycreditedforrevivingCantopop-musicsunginCantonese,themainlanguageusedinHongKongandanintegralparttothecity'sculturalidentity.MostofmainlandChinacommunicatesinMandarin.Themusicform'sappealhadpreviouslybeendwindling."Cantopopwasformulaic,justlikecannedfood,"saysJengLau,amarketingprofessionalinher30swhofoundherselfturningtoTaiwaneseandJapanesebandsinstead.HongKongisaformerBritishcolonyandismeanttoenjoycertainrights,likefreedomofassemblyandfreedomofspeech,thatarenotavailableinmainlandChina.Butin2019,planstopassanextraditionlawsparkedfearsthatBeijingwasincreasingitscontrol.Peoplecameoutontothestreetsandthereweremonthsofanti-governmentprotests.Beijingthenintroducedasweepingnationalsecuritylaw(NSL),whichcriticssayreducesthecity'sjudicialautonomyandmakesiteasiertopunishactivists.About200peoplehavesincebeenarrestedundertheNSLalone,includingpro-democracylawmakers.ThebackgroundyouneedonHongKong'sprotestsHowCantopopwentfromheartbreaktoprotestFivemomentsinfraughtHongKong-ChinarelationsOnthesurface,itmayseemlikethisonce-rebelliouscityhasnowfallensilent-butfanssaytheonethingtheycanstillclingontoisCantopop."LifeinHongKongisdepressing.Yourfriendsandfamilyareleavingandeverydayweseemtoloseabstractthingslike[our]freedom,"saidJaneChan,a28-year-oldintheeducationsector."Soit'ssopreciousforustowitness[abandlike]Mirror,somethingthatislocalandtangible,thatcanstillgrowandthrive[duringthesetimes]."AgoldenageCantopophasalwaysbeenintegraltothedistinctiveHongKongidentity,whichstartedtoformduringtheformerBritishcolony'seconomicriseinthe1970s.The1980sand1990swerethegoldenageofHongKongpopculture.Cantopopwasanimportantculturalexport,winningfansinmainlandChina,TaiwanandSoutheastAsia.Butfromthe2000s,theCantopopmarketslowlyshrank,withmanyHongKongartistsfocusingtheircareersonthemainlandmarketandfansturningtoMandopopandK-pop.Imagesource,PANLEIImagecaption,LeslieCheungwasoneofthemostpopularpopstarsinAsiainthe1980sThatdeclinehasnowreversed."PopculturehasbecomeasiteofpreservationforpeopletoreminisceaboutwhatHongKongpeoplemiss,"saidculturalcommentatorChiuWan."Forexample,asongaboutbiddingfarewelltoanex-lovercanbeunderstoodasdedicatedtofriendswhomovedabroadorevenahometownthatpeoplearenolongerfamiliarwith."DatafromKKBOX,oneofthemostpopularmusicstreamingplatformsinthecity,foundthatHongKongusersspent25%moretimestreamingCantopopin2021comparedto2020.Eightofthe10mostplayedsongslastyearontheplatformwererelatedtoMirror.MsLauisoneofthemanypeoplewhoseinterestinCantopophasbeenreignited."WecanseehowtheregimeissuppressingtheHongKongidentity,andwewanttoprotectit,"saidMsLau."Cantoneseisveryimportanttous,andCantopopplaysanimportantroleinsafeguardingCantonese."MiredinuncertaintyMirrorformedoutofarealityshowin2018andquicklyshottofame.Thetrendisnotallone-way,though.Manyofthecity'solderstarshaveshiftedtheirfocustothemainlandmarket-performinginNewYear'sEveshowsheldbyregionalTVchannels-underthenameofsingersfromtheGreaterBayArea,agovernmentplantointegrateHongKongintothemainland'sGuangdongprovince..Withitspopulationof1.3billion,it'snothardtofigureoutwhatattractspopstarstotheChinesemainland.However,italsocomeswithcertainconditions.JacksonWang,forexample,wasborninHongKongandusedtocarryaHongKongflagandwearahatwiththecity'ssymbol.ButhelaterswitchedtocarryingaChineseflagonhisconcerttour.ThereisalsocriticismofhowHongKong'smusicindustryoperates,withtheinjurytoMirror'sdancershighlightingquestionablesafetystandards.Imagesource,GettyImagesImagecaption,Mirror'sfirstconcertheldlastyearItisnowunclearifthebandmightstayaspopular,orwhentheymightperformagain.Theirfateismiredinuncertainty-muchlikethecityitself."TheMirrorfever,toalargeextent,isahealingproject,butnowithasbecomeanothertrauma.Noonecouldhaveguessedit,"saidMsChiu.ButCantopopremainsafreechannelofexpressionfornow-despiteoccasionalcriticismfromofficialsthatcultureandartarestillbeingusedin"softresistance"."HongKongersareverycreative.Theywillusemoresubtlewaysifauthoritiesdonotallowmoreexplicitexpressions,"saidMsLau.Thenamesoffanshavebeenalteredtoprotecttheiridentities.MoreonthisstoryHowCantopopwentfromheartbreaktoprotest6October2016WhenHongKonglanguagesgetpolitical29June2017Howtoshowyourdevotiontothe'K-wave'20June2021ThebackgroundyouneedonHongKong'sprotests21May2020RelatedTopicsCulturePopularcultureChinaPopmusicHongKongTopStoriesArtemisMoonrocketsecondlaunchbidcalledoffPublished25minutesagoAsyoucountpennieswecountcasualties-ZelenskaPublished1houragoThousandspayrespectstoMikha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