The sheer dominance of Canto-pop in Hong Kong during the past 30 years makes it easy to forget it has roots in western pop of the 1960s, when groups such as the Wynners presented repertoires heavily influenced by the Beatles and others. But English-language music seems to be enjoying a comeback in the city, with young singers and bands dipping into western songbooks.
TVB's introduction of a foreign-language segment on Jade Solid Gold, the premier music programme on the broadcaster's Chinese channel, reflects the trend. The senior manager of TVB's variety and musical department, Philip Chan Ka-yeung, attributes it partly to performers' hopes of broadening their appeal.
'In the past singers were mostly concerned about local audiences. But with the internet and other new media available, they realise the market outside is really big, and they don't have to sing in Cantonese to express themselves,' he says.
'[The new Canto-pop singers] have foreign music idols and, given the chance, they are keen to try [performing in other languages].'
Eason Chan Yik-shun, for instance, included an English number entitled Aren't You Glad on his Putonghua album released last month. Jason Chan Pak-yu also recorded a locally composed English track, Moonlight Express, on his newly released Cantonese album.
Such choices are natural for many of the younger performers educated abroad or raised in a western setting, says singer-songwriter Khalil Fong Dai-tung.