Upclose with Ryan Hui
Legendary 70s Hong Kong star Sam Hui was one of the first Cantopop singers to use Cantonese lyrics instead of Putonghua. Now his son, Ryan Hui, is taking a shot at the music scene. He takes a break between laryngitis medications to talk to Karen Leung.
HK Magazine: How are you feeling?
Ryan Hui: I’m feeling OK. I will have to rest my voice after this interview though. The doctor said I’ll be fine to perform soon enough.
HK: Glad to hear that. Describe your music.
RH: I play the guitar and I'm largely categorized as indie-punk. I grew up in San Diego, did some punk rock gigs there and I want to be able to continue doing that here.
HK: Has being the son of Sam Hui influenced your decision to go into music?
RH: Ever since I was very young, I’ve been around music, listening to the music my father listened to – lots of oldies. I grew up with the Beatles and Beach Boys. So music has been a large part of my childhood.
HK: Do people expect a lot from you?
RH: My style is very different from my dad’s. People assume I will play music like my dad but the difference is obvious if you compared our songs. His music is mellower so I’m not directly in his shadow. But just by having him as my father means I have to deal with preconceived perceptions.
HK: How do you like the music scene here?
RH: Cantopop is more like karaoke music. It’s hard to get Hong Kong people to listen to live music. There were more bands in my father’s generation. And now there seems to be more support for local bands. But there was a time in the middle where all you heard were karaoke music.
HK: What’s your biggest challenge playing music in Hong Kong?
RH: Not being able to read and write Chinese is kind of a pain. I have to write my lyrics in pinyin.