Singing up for Canto-pop – Hong Kong musicians take their message to the world

Canto-pop is far from finished, say a group of like-minded professionals who are determined to show the lasting power of Hong Kong’s indigenous voice to the world.

“Hong Kong is Singing”, which will be launched in Honolulu on Wednesday, is the latest initiative to address the declining fortunes of Canto-pop songs, which the organisers believe represent the city’s popular culture and values.

“We hope to show to the world Canto-pop is not dead but still vibrant and energetic,” said Ruby Choy Ching-yee, the event’s convenor.

“What has changed is not so much the genre itself but the business model of Canto-pop, which was based on monetary terms like record sales and concerts.

“How can you compare the sales of Anita Mui’s records with one million hits on the internet now?” the veteran music executive asked.

Choy, who spearheaded original compositions back in 1995 when she was a programme director at Commercial Radio, argued that local songwriters and singers were still working as hard as ever and deserved a boost, especially at a time when Cantonese culture was under threat and the city under stress.