Rumjahn gets a peace of the action
Composer Mahmood Rumjahn returns to the stage to sing for peace after a long absence from the Canto-pop scene.
Better known as Lam Mo-tak, the Chinese-Pakistani hit-maker wrote songs for the likes of Roman Tam, Danny Chan Pak-keung and Sammi Cheng Sau-man during the 1980s and mid-90s.
Rumjahn has composed a new song for the Lions and Rotary clubs called Love, Peace and Happiness to celebrate the centenary of the scouting movement. He will perform the song for the first time with Ryan Hui (son of Sam Hui Koon-kit) and others at a countdown concert organised by RTHK's Teen Power at the West Kowloon Cultural District on New Year's Eve. Other performers include Anthony Wong Yiu-ming and at17.
'This is our gift of peace to the world,' Lam (left) said of the song, which will be sung in English, a language that he has been passionate about teaching during the past six years.
He said Canto-pop has lost the appeal it enjoyed on the mainland, and in Taiwan and Southeast Asia about 10 years ago. 'Now Putonghua is the prominent language,' he said. 'It's hard to make a profit if our music industry sits back and does nothing. Hong Kong artists just have the looks to sell, not the music, there's only packaging.
'We must be competitive and take advantage of our culture. There's no security working in our industry and piracy is also rampant. It puts the business on the ropes.'
