In the time when Wong Jum-sum grew up, Cantonese pop music was but one of many kinds of music broadcast on radio. In a society where over 80% of the population spoke Cantonese, that came as a major surprise. Wong has a simple explanation for this. Cantonese pop grew out of traditional Cantonese music, but it could not build on the popularity of the latter in the face of severe competition. Compared to Western or Mandarin pop, it lagged behind in the areas of composition, lyrics, singing, accompaniment, recording, distribution, and marketing. Its competitors had a head start in talents, organization, and technology that took Cantonese pop more than a decade to come close.
Not everyone agrees with Wong’s diagnosis. Other scholars argue Canto pop, even in such early days, had a unique vibrancy that came from a healthy disregard of the boundaries among different traditions and genres, be they local or foreign. Early Canto pop laid a solid foundation for modern Canto pop, which went on to dominate not only Hong Kong but most Chinese communities around the world.
The story of Cantonese pop awaits careful re-writing.
Canto pop emerged from traditional Cantonese music. However the latter was itself a constantly shifting force. As early as the 1920s, traditional Cantonese music experienced a westernization process, which saw musicians picking up the beat and instruments of western pop and jazz music to augment its sound world.
After the Second World War, the mass entertainment industries found a new footing. Across radio, films and nightclubs, there emerged a new type of Canto music variously called 'light music', 'dancing music' and 'spirit music' which doubled up the westernization impetus. The renowned 'Four Heavenly Kings' of Cantonese music were leaders of this genre.
In this section, we recommend several examples of' 'dancing music'. Among the creators and performers were Lui Man-sing, Wu Man-sum and Chung Lai-yung, all having strong connections to traditional Cantonese music. On listening to these samples, one came away with an unmistakable impression that Canto pop was busily under construction.
