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This time last year, Hong Kong was in the grip of  sadness and anxiety. A global travel warning following the Sars outbreak had turned the city of life into a city of masks. Economic confidence plummeted. The jobless rate surged.

The deaths of two popular Canto-pop stars, Roman Tam and Leslie Cheung, had deepened the  poor sentiment.

It was against this background  that Sam Hui Koon-kit, dubbed the 'God of Canto-pop', decided to stage a comeback  to cheer up the community mood.

Twelve  years after he retired, Sam Hui returned to the stage this month with a simple message: keep on smiling.

Earlier this year, he wrote a song, 04' Bless You, to commemorate the Sars outbreak  and all the misfortunes that plagued the city last year.

The 10  comeback concerts that ended on Tuesday turned out to be a smashing success and have   now become  part one of his 'keep on smiling' campaign.

Extra shows have already been scheduled for the end of this month and in August. As with his comeback shows this month, tickets were sold out within days.

Brought up in  an average family and a graduate of  the University of Hong Kong, Sam Hui became a household name after he and Michael Hui Koon-man hosted the Hui Brothers Show at TVB in 1971.

Through satire and gags, they poked fun at the money-mindedness of Hong Kong people, and lamented the plight of blue-collar workers and the grievances of ordinary people over day-to-day  problems  from traffic jams to public housing.

It was the power of Canto-pop as ventured by Sam Hui that  turned him into the voice of the people, lifestyles and cultures of Hong Kong.

In his songs he wrote, among other things,  about the hard life of ordinary people in making ends meet, the wisdom and fun of a mahjong game, dating girls and the fad of Japanese entertainment idols.

At a time when the 1997 jitters prevailed, the Hui brothers wrote Clouds Over Eiffel Tower after they returned to Hong Kong from holidays overseas. Though fascinated by the beauty and charm of attractions like  Mount Fuji  and the Eiffel Tower, they wrote 'there's no place like Hong Kong'.

Sam Hui's path to stardom has crossed over the growth period of Hong Kong, featuring sweeping changes in  the political, economic and social scenes.  In him people found the spirit, character and core values of  society.

If the return of the God of Canto-pop to the stage has turned out to be a phenomenal success, it is because he has succeeded in inspiring  feelings both of nostalgia and hope.

Many who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s  might have reflected with a heavy heart that the society they felt familiar with was no longer the same. It has changed from bad to worse.

Economic statistics may show society has become more affluent and advanced. More people own their apartments. An average person lives longer. There are more vehicles on the streets.

But other surveys show that people do not feel any happier. Life has become more stressful.

The spirit of neighbourhood exemplified by such classic television life-dramas as Below the Lion Rock appears to have been lost as  society has become  more alienated and divided.

The passion, hope and aspirations of people for a better society in the 1970s and 1980s contrasts sharply with the feelings of helplessness and futility prevalent within some quarters of  society in the past few years.

Back in the spotlight after 12 years,  Hui has kept in  touch with public sentiment.

His comeback shows have brought back the good old collective memory of people who feel deeply about Hong Kong.

The 'God of Canto-pop' may not have the answers to the many problems facing  society, but his smile and songs offer a ray of hope and optimism in a time of change.



'God of Canto-pop' brings back the smiles