Seventy Years of Cantonese Pop Music_ Hong Kong & Macau Limited Edition

Publisher: Bright Light Publishing Dimensions: 150mm x 210mm Pages: 208 ISBN: 978-988-8820-87-0 Publication Date: February 2024 [Synopsis] The University of Hong Kong's Hong Kong Studies Programme organised a seminar titled "Seventy Years of Cantonese Pop Music," inviting experts and scholars to re-examine the development of Cantonese pop music and its transformations and influences over the years. This book comprises essays primarily based on papers presented at the "Seventy Years of Cantonese Pop Music" seminar. Professor Joseph Man-Yiu CHU points out: "Through the interaction and exchange between speakers and guests, the seminar explored the meaning and essence of Cantonese pop music from various perspectives, re-examining its ups and downs over the years, and extending to how to promote the study of Cantonese popular culture within Hong Kong's unique context. Authors from different eras each discuss important issues within the seventy-year span, which together may piece together the historical background. However, although titled 'Seventy Years of Cantonese Pop Music,' this book is not a historical narrative and does not aspire to provide a comprehensive review of the genre's development within its limited scope. Furthermore, the authors have diverse academic backgrounds, and their writing styles vary. The editorial process did not aim for deliberate uniformity; a multiplicity of perspectives may better showcase the vibrant and diverse facets of Cantonese pop music that have accompanied the growth of several generations. The editor wishes to thank all the authors for their contributions amidst their busy schedules, documenting a song-filled era before the dawn of the next seventy years of Cantonese pop music." As stated in the postscript: "Songs from any era can forge an emotional connection with you, the listener, in the present moment. Whether these emotions are negative or positive, the ability to feel them now, to witness their transformation over time, or even to examine and glean insights from them, is where the meaning lies. Songs are witnesses to your emotions, and as the years pass, these emotions can even bestow strength upon you. As you search for that song which resonates with you, may songs from any era in the history of Cantonese pop music become your companions, helping these sentiments transcend time and space. There are simply too many good songs; it would be a pity to miss them." [Author Biographies] (In order of appearance in the book) WONG Chi-Wah holds a Master's degree in Cultural Studies from Lingnan University and is a veteran critic of Chinese songs. Since the new millennium, he has actively researched the culture and history of early Hong Kong Cantonese songs, and has systematized theories on the creation of Cantonese pop music. In the last year or two, he has frequently published articles in the "Arts" section of *Ming Pao*. Including co-authored works, he has published twenty-one books. PENG De-Feng is a doctoral candidate in the Department of History at the University of Cambridge. His research interests include the history of Hong Kong, the history of overseas Chinese, the history of Southeast Asia, the history of education, cultural history, and transnational history. His works have appeared in the *Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History* and the *Historical Journal*. His doctoral dissertation examines the Chinese historical education network in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore in the latter half of the 20th century. CHOI Tsz-Ki was born in Hong Kong in 1999. She graduated from St. Paul's College (2017) and the Faculty of Arts at the University of Hong Kong (2021), where she double-majored in Chinese History and Culture, and Hong Kong Studies. Her research interests include the history of Hong Kong popular culture, Chinese and Hong Kong history, and Chinese opera and literature. LO Chi-Keung holds a Master of Arts and a Master of Philosophy in Communications. He has worked in film and television production, cultural programme planning, and as a tertiary institution lecturer. He has authored over ten creative reviews and commentary works. He is currently a film and television producer, concurrently serving as a lecturer, a director of the Film Critics Association, an assessor for the Arts Development Council, and a special contributor to newspapers. WONG Nien-Hsin is Associate Dean (Public Relations & Promotion) of the Faculty of Arts at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, an Associate Professor in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, and the Director of the Hong Kong Literature Research Centre. Her primary research interests include Hong Kong literature, archival research, and modern Chinese women's literature. Her book, *Late Style: Three Essays on Hong Kong Women Writers* (2007), received a recommendation award (Literary Criticism) at the 10th Hong Kong Biennial Awards for Chinese Literature. She has also edited numerous literary anthologies. FUNG Ying-Kuen is Director of the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication, and Director of the Centre for Digital and Creative Media at Beijing Normal University. His research areas include popular culture, youth studies, digital media and the arts, and cultural and creative industries and policy research. He has authored and edited over twenty books in Chinese and English, and published over two hundred articles. He is an editorial board member for several international academic journals and is currently the Editor-in-Chief of *Global Media and China* and co-editor of *International Journal of Cultural Studies*. HO Wing-Ki holds a PhD in Communication from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and has taught related subjects such as Creative Communication, Advertising and Public Relations, New Media Culture, Creative Industries, and Public Speaking Skills. She is currently a university lecturer/independent researcher. Her research interests and publications cover popular culture, popular music, creative industries, and cultural policy. Joseph Man-Yiu CHU is a Professor of Hong Kong Studies in the Chinese Department at The University of Hong Kong, a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, and a recipient of the "Spirit of Hong Kong Award" (Culture; 2019) co-organized by the *South China Morning Post* and Sino Group. He has authored over thirty books, with research areas including Hong Kong culture, globalization, and post-colonial discourse. LAU Sing (@lau4cing4) is the founder of "LAU4 SING," a historical page dedicated to Hong Kong Cantonese pop music. He graduated with a degree in Art from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. He has curated exhibitions related to the history of Hong Kong Cantonese pop music in Taiwan and Hong Kong, including "Dearest Anita," (2018), "Leslie's Week" (2019), "30 Years of Anita Mui's Close Lovers" (2020), and "A Warm Night: Exhibition of Classic Music Memorabilia" (2022). He is the author of *Songs and Films: Lingering Feelings* (2020).