https://www.scmp.com/rss/7787/feed Vivienne is a journalist and critic specialising in the arts, culture and cultural affairs. She was named one of the world’s best young journalists and critics while representing Hong Kong at the 2004 inaugural Berlinale Talent Press at the Berlin International Film Festival, and in 2015 was awarded the IJP Fellowship for mid-career journalism training and conducting research on cultural policy. Vivienne was a staff reporter with the South China Morning Post for 15 years, and remains a... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Timing is everything to choreographer and director Ivanhoe Lam – even if it means he has to wait 11 years. “The right time has finally arrived,” Lam says during a break from one of his intense rehearsals ahead of this month’s production of Report ii: the illegal-i at Hong Kong’s New Vision Arts Festival, which introduces audiences to pioneering, trendsetting and groundbreaking performing arts from around the world. He first had the idea to create an experiential performance based on Franz... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/new-world-performing-arts/article/3152438/kafkas-apeman-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/new-world-performing-arts/article/3152438/kafkas-apeman-why?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Oct 2021 03:00:17 +0000 A familiar tune playing on my smartphone caught me by surprise as I joined a Clubhouse chat room. It was Hei Foon Nei ([The Way I] Like You), a famous song by the legendary Hong Kong rock band Beyond. One of the speakers, a young woman, said she had never heard of the song or the band before until she saw singer-songwriter Gloria Tang Tsz-kei, better known by her stage name G.E.M., perform a cover version of the song in a Chinese talent show in 2014. It inspired her to look up Beyond’s music and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3122826/why-clubhouse-app-so-popular-despite-its-security-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3122826/why-clubhouse-app-so-popular-despite-its-security-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Feb 2021 00:45:18 +0000 A better year might continue to elude Hong Kong as political disputes and the Covid-19 pandemic drag on, but in the dark first month of 2021, a ray of hope has shone through – namely, a 21-year-old called Keung To, along with a new generation of Canto-pop idols. “Who is Keung To?” has easily become one of the most asked questions among Hongkongers since January 1, when the singer and member of the 12-piece boy band, Mirror, became the youngest person to win two coveted prizes, “My Favourite Male... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3119609/canto-pop-has-future-its-hong-kong-fans-who-are-stuck-past?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3119609/canto-pop-has-future-its-hong-kong-fans-who-are-stuck-past?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Jan 2021 22:45:14 +0000 Towards the middle of Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan, the shape-shifting witch Xian Lang, played by Gong Li, finally encounters Liu Yifei’s Hua Mulan on the battlefield. Although Mulan is disguised as a man, Xian sees her true identity and tells her: “You will die pretending to be something that you are not.” There is perhaps a lesson for Disney in these words. Mulan is supposed to be just another Disney princess in a Chinese outfit – and the desire to be free and independent is seen in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3101461/how-disneys-misconceived-mulan-lost-chinese-audience-it-so?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3101461/how-disneys-misconceived-mulan-lost-chinese-audience-it-so?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2020 11:15:08 +0000 I am standing in front of floor-to-ceiling windows admiring the view I will never tire of: a dense jungle of skyscrapers against the backdrop of Victoria Peak under a blue sky; in front, a vast body of water on which ships, ferries and junks sail from one end to the other, with wakes spreading out behind. The vitality of Hong Kong lives on.  This glorious living scroll of Victoria Harbour is the latest and perhaps most magnificent exhibit at the recently reopened Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA),... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3044054/how-hong-kong-museum-art-can-stay-relevant-during-time-political?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3044054/how-hong-kong-museum-art-can-stay-relevant-during-time-political?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jan 2020 01:00:12 +0000 At the Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain (FIAC), the international contemporary art fair held in Paris in October, I was surprised to find Hong Kong being avidly discussed. Gallerists and collectors expressed concern over the ongoing protests. I found myself at the receiving end of questions, ranging from the escalation of violence by both the police and protesters to why it took Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor months to withdraw the extradition bill that sparked the protests... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3035691/what-hong-kongs-protests-mean-citys-art-market-upsurge-creativity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3035691/what-hong-kongs-protests-mean-citys-art-market-upsurge-creativity?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Nov 2019 22:30:11 +0000 To Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia, age is just a number. The screen goddess of Chinese-language cinema might be celebrating her 65th birthday on Sunday, but it is how she feels deep inside that matters. “I see that you are 22 years old. But take a look at my heart, it is a 22-year-old too. As long as you have the heart of a child, you will stay as a 22-year-old forever.” Such was Lin’s advice for her then 22-year-old stepdaughter Claudine Lauren Ying, who was going through heartbreak – revealed in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3035680/taiwanese-film-star-brigitte-lin-how-she-lost-herself?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3035680/taiwanese-film-star-brigitte-lin-how-she-lost-herself?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Oct 2019 23:00:07 +0000 This month, The Guardian published a list of the 100 best films of the 21st century. Asian cinema was under-represented, but one film from Asia made the top five. “Has there ever been a more beautiful couple in the history of cinema than Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung in Wong Kar-wai’s smouldering love story In the Mood for Love?” its critic asked. The answer to that is “No”. Both Leung and Cheung were at the top of their game when they starred in Wong’s 2000 masterpiece, the Hong Kong actress’... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3028080/whatever-happened-maggie-cheung-icon-hong-kong-cinema-15?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3028080/whatever-happened-maggie-cheung-icon-hong-kong-cinema-15?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Sep 2019 10:00:07 +0000 Credited for reviving the detail-oriented ‘gongbi’ technique, the artist had far-reaching influence on modern Chinese paintings as an educator. The show features 166 items including paintings, sketches and preparatory drawings to illustrate the master’s own evolution in style. View the multimedia story about Chen Zhifo now. https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3027394/chen-zhifo-chinese-master-meticulously-realistic-bird-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3027394/chen-zhifo-chinese-master-meticulously-realistic-bird-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Sep 2019 07:47:17 +0000 The Imperial Emperor of Heaven is one of the most well-known deities in Chinese mythology. He rules the heavenly court, leading an army of gods, goddesses and the heavenly troops to safeguard humanity and justice on Earth. Stories about him have been widely read and inspired creative and artistic works through generations. The elaborate rendition of this folklore performed as Cantonese opera – one of Chinese opera’s vibrant art forms featuring opera, drama, music and even acrobatics – only... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/sights-and-sounds/article/3024650/how-two-cantonese-opera?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/sights-and-sounds/article/3024650/how-two-cantonese-opera?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Aug 2019 03:24:17 +0000 Canto-pop is not just loved by Hongkongers but also throughout Chinese-speaking communities worldwide since the sound began to take off in the 1970s. The music is not only one of Hong Kong’s cultural treasures – it is also represents the golden era of the city’s economic prosperity as it rose from a manufacturing centre into a global financial hub. Although some of the most beloved names such as Anita Mui Yim-fong, Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, Roman Tam and Danny Chan Pak-keung are no longer with... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3023111/alan-tam-sandy-lam-10-canto-pops-original-stars-where-are?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3023111/alan-tam-sandy-lam-10-canto-pops-original-stars-where-are?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Aug 2019 07:00:48 +0000 Apparently you can have too much of a good thing. The parents of Karry Wang, a member of the Chinese pop sensation TFBoys, tried to capitalize on their 19-year-old son’s fame by opening a bubble tea shop earlier this month. But they were forced to close it just three days later after fans mobbed the tiny store in Wang’s hometown of Chongqing. Reports said that more than 1,000 fans—mostly young girls—had lined up outside the store, Chaforu, on opening day. Some had to wait up to four hours to... https://www.scmp.com/culture/chinese-boy-band-bubble-tea/article/3019958?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/chinese-boy-band-bubble-tea/article/3019958?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2019 12:37:05 +0000 China’s multibillion-yuan fan economy promises massive returns for entrepreneurs able to monetise the interactions between stars and their fans – but one couple in the western metropolis of Chongqing appear to have underestimated the thirst of pop music fans for a brush with their idol. The parents of Karry Wang, a member of mega Chinese pop band TFBoys, capitalised on the fame of their 19-year-old son by opening a bubble tea store named Chaforu in their home city this month, but were forced to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3019547/chinese-boy-band-stars-parents-bubble-tea-shop-shut-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3019547/chinese-boy-band-stars-parents-bubble-tea-shop-shut-after?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jul 2019 10:00:18 +0000 At the United Nations Economic and Social Council Youth Forum in New York last month, a young Chinese man gave an impassioned speech about the concerns of young people. He asked policymakers to consider the real needs of the next generation and provide them with the skills needed to change the world. The young man calling for youth empowerment was neither an activist nor a member of a high-profile concern group. He was Jackson Yee, 18, currently one of the biggest pop stars in China. “Young... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3011611/jackson-yee-chinas-most-valuable-pop-star-can-he-achieve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3011611/jackson-yee-chinas-most-valuable-pop-star-can-he-achieve?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 May 2019 14:00:11 +0000 Chinese sci-fi film The Wandering Earth has been the talk of the town on the mainland since the start of the Year of the Pig. Around three weeks after its release in mainland China on February 5, the film has already raked in 4.3 billion yuan (US$643 million) at the box office, making it currently the second highest-grossing film in China’s history. It is also showing in North America and Australia and according to its distributor, the Shanghai-based CMC Inc, it has earned more at the American... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2188063/chinese-blockbuster-wandering-earth-may-break-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2188063/chinese-blockbuster-wandering-earth-may-break-new?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Feb 2019 14:00:00 +0000 Chinese New Year just wouldn’t be the same without its traditional songs. For decades, auspicious pop songs resounding with Chinese instruments have been spreading joy and wishing people good health and wealth. Many of these songs were released in the 1970s and ’80s, when Canto-pop began to take off and Hong Kong’s economic prosperity increased. The tunes are still widely heard today, particularly in Hong Kong’s supermarkets and shopping malls. Chinese grindcore band with pig for a lead singer,... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2184919/eight-classic-chinese-new-year-songs-get-you-mood-and-capture-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2184919/eight-classic-chinese-new-year-songs-get-you-mood-and-capture-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Feb 2019 07:00:28 +0000 Jackie Chan might be the most famous Chinese person alive, playing the righteous action hero fighting villains in countless films that have put Hong Kong on the world map. But the actor’s changing political stances and his failure to stand up for the interests of the city that brought him fame and fortune make him a hypocrite in the eyes of many Hongkongers. In defence of Jackie Chan: possible reasons for his behaviour Worst of all is Chan’s decision to feed children he doesn’t know, through his... https://www.scmp.com/culture/books/article/2176919/why-hypocritical-jackie-chans-empty-confessions-deserve-no-sympathy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/books/article/2176919/why-hypocritical-jackie-chans-empty-confessions-deserve-no-sympathy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Dec 2018 11:00:15 +0000 Once upon a time, a king sent his two sons away to two of his country’s rivals as hostages in exchange for peace for his prosperous kingdom. However, when the king died a few years later, the kingdom’s enemies raced to send their hostage princes back to claim the throne – and gain control for themselves. One of the princes arrived in his homeland first and became king. But his reign of terror brought enormous suffering to the people. Having witnessed the evil deeds of the new king, the other... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/sights-and-sounds/article/2175659/blood-sweat-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/sights-and-sounds/article/2175659/blood-sweat-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Nov 2018 10:00:15 +0000 Inside a solemn auditorium lies a fantastical stage. Skilful dancers with perfectly toned bodies are moving with elaborate, flowing steps – turning, skipping and leaping in time to the music. The audience is sitting quietly in the dark admiring the dancers shining on stage. No one dares to make a sound or snooze. Dance is not something high up and out of reach. It is about breaking boundaries and finding happiness. Andy Wong Ting-lam, choreographer and adviser of Dance Day That is the typical... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/sights-and-sounds/article/2173985/5-steps-ensure-you-enjoy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/sights-and-sounds/article/2173985/5-steps-ensure-you-enjoy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Nov 2018 09:55:03 +0000 Cantonese opera – which originated in China’s southern region, notably Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macau – remains one of the most celebrated forms of Chinese performance art today. The elaborate stage shows performed in Cantonese, which combine singing, music, acrobatics and martial arts, continue to make Hong Kong proud. We want to reach out [during Cantonese Opera Day] to people who have never had a chance to experience Cantonese opera Sun Kin-long, veteran Cantonese opera star The... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/sights-and-sounds/article/2172296/dispelling-5-common?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/sights-and-sounds/article/2172296/dispelling-5-common?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Nov 2018 08:17:37 +0000 Hong Kong-born and locally trained choreographer Daniel Yeung has a mission. As a home-grown artist, Yeung believes the arts have a major role to play in helping the city find its identity – something it has struggled with since 100 years of colonisation ended in 1997. Why dark Irish reimagining of Swan Lake ballet ditches the tutus and Tchaikovsky’s music He says that role involves cultivating works of art that inherit China’s rich cultural lineage while maintaining a personality that is true... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/scene-changers/article/2166211/chinese-lion-dance-reinvented?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/scene-changers/article/2166211/chinese-lion-dance-reinvented?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Sep 2018 09:20:32 +0000 Hong Kong is branded an international city, but the reality portrayed on our small and big screens points elsewhere: we live in a largely monolingual society where English is rarely spoken and people who have different skin colours generally fall into three categories — tourists, bosses and foreign domestic helpers.  The city is indeed primarily a Chinese society. According to 2016 census statistics, 92 per cent of the 7.34 million population is ethnically Chinese. Other ethnicities account for... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2166016/hong-kong-multicultural-city-not-its-films-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2166016/hong-kong-multicultural-city-not-its-films-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Sep 2018 04:00:45 +0000 “At this time of my life, I feel that I’m more inspired by gender and political issues as a musician and as an artist. I want to speak up for women and sexual minorities.” Ellen Joyce Loo told me this last December during an interview leading up to the onstage reunion of at17, the alternative Canto-pop duo that she co-founded with Eman Lam Yee-man when she was just 15 years old. Pop star Ellen Joyce Loo dies in fall from her Happy Valley flat A talented musician who appeared to have come to... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2158582/pop-star-ellen-joyce-loo-was-trailblazer-hong-kongs-lgbt-community?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2158582/pop-star-ellen-joyce-loo-was-trailblazer-hong-kongs-lgbt-community?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Aug 2018 05:17:40 +0000 In Indian mythology, an Asura is a demigod with three heads, who is obsessed with power, ego and violence. This week in China, the film Asura represents not only an epic failure, but also an important lesson for the country’s fast-growing film industry’s ambition for box office success that outshines Hollywood. In other words, the Chinese film industry itself is an Asura. To be fair, the future of China’s film industry has never looked so promising. The country overtook North America as the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2156152/asura-flops-shines-light-chinas-increasingly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2156152/asura-flops-shines-light-chinas-increasingly?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Jul 2018 21:02:14 +0000 In the Mediterranean island of Porquerolles lies a newly opened art museum that adopts a door policy comparable to that of a sacred temple in Asia. Visitors wishing to enter the building hidden in the middle of a national forest to view artworks by some of the world’s biggest names are required to take their shoes and socks off, and have a sip of a herbal drink to cleanse their minds before they can embark on an art journey. Upon the completion of a barefoot museum tour, visitors are cleansed by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2155962/chinas-rise-driving-asian-art-renaissance-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2155962/chinas-rise-driving-asian-art-renaissance-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Jul 2018 11:18:34 +0000 Twenty-five years ago today, the frontman of Hong Kong’s biggest rock band was filming a television show in Tokyo when he plunged three metres off a stage, sustaining massive head injuries and falling into a coma. China’s got talent: the musicians trying to make it big in the West Beyond, the band Wong Ka-kui had led since their formation 10 years earlier, were at the peak of their fame, having evolved from an underground rock’n’roll band into Canto-rock superstars whose anthems such as Amani,... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2151986/story-beyond-25-years-hong-kongs-biggest-rock-band-lost-its-frontman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2151986/story-beyond-25-years-hong-kongs-biggest-rock-band-lost-its-frontman?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Jun 2018 11:30:30 +0000 Culturally and geographically linked to Guangdong, Hong Kong takes pride in being where Cantonese opera continues to flourish. The city is also a centre-stage for other genres and regional styles of Chinese opera, including Peking opera and Kunqu that are familiar to audiences locally and abroad. Audiences curious about the depth and diversity of Chinese opera will be treated with a feast at this year’s Chinese Opera Festival, from June 14 to August 12, as a number of troupes specialising in... https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2149725/what-chinese-opera-fans-hong-kong-can-look-forward-during?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2149725/what-chinese-opera-fans-hong-kong-can-look-forward-during?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Jun 2018 01:30:40 +0000 The pioneers of Hong Kong hip-hop have found themselves in an ironic situation almost two decades into their career: the members of LMF (Lazy Mutha F***a) are suddenly very busy indeed, with a series of live shows and new releases in the pipeline. This hard work stems from their ambition to promote the ideal of laziness – an attitude they see as a solution to Hong Kong’s social and political problems. “We are calling our upcoming shows ‘Still Lazy’ because we want to tell people that we haven’t... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2142576/hong-kong-rappers-lmf-working-hard-promote-their-lazy-ideal-asian-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2142576/hong-kong-rappers-lmf-working-hard-promote-their-lazy-ideal-asian-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Apr 2018 05:30:30 +0000 Before taking the stage at Live Wild Music Week in Guangzhou in January this year, Hong Kong indie rock four-piece The Sulis Club had only performed for small, tamed crowds at venues known only to a niche group of independent music followers. Making it big was only a dream.  “But performing in Guangzhou was such an eye-opening experience. If you only play music in Hong Kong, you’d never know how big the world is out there,” Jonathan Synn, the band’s vocalist and guitarist, says. The Sulis Club... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2138676/bands-run-musicians-urged-look-outside-hong-kong-bigger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2138676/bands-run-musicians-urged-look-outside-hong-kong-bigger?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Mar 2018 02:01:13 +0000 Life can be a bittersweet symphony – and Josie Ho Chiu-yee knows this well. The daughter of Macau casino mogul Stanley Ho Hung-sun and an award-winning actress, Ho has had her share of ups and downs, particularly in her career as an aspiring rock star. This is the story she wants to share during the upcoming shows titled “We Go Berzerka Explode into Life”, two concerts being held early next month to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her band, Josie & The Uni Boys. Katy Perry, her fame assured,... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2137525/hong-kong-rocker-josie-ho-celebrates-10th-anniversary-uni-boys-two?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2137525/hong-kong-rocker-josie-ho-celebrates-10th-anniversary-uni-boys-two?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Mar 2018 05:31:00 +0000 One of the best things I did during my teenage years was joining a uniformed youth group. Throughout my seven years as a member of the Hong Kong Red Cross youth unit, I did not just acquire first-aid skills and cultivate a spirit of community service. I became an enthusiast of the drill practice – weekend training and annual inter-unit drill competition were my favourite after-school activities. I took pride in carrying forward the tradition of drill practice with my teammates. Thus it was... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2133173/changing-hong-kong-peoples-traditions-wont-make-them-love?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2133173/changing-hong-kong-peoples-traditions-wont-make-them-love?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Feb 2018 08:33:07 +0000 On the first day of 2018, Hongkongers were delightfully surprised by Nicholas Tse Ting-fung’s appearance at the 30th annual Commercial ­Radio music awards show. Dressed in a black top and armed with an electric guitar, Tse joined local bands Supper Moment and Chochukmo on stage as a guest performer, driving the crowd wild, singing Jade Butterfly and Living Viva, two of his most memorable hits from the early 2000s, and a brand new Canto-pop song, (I) Have Fire. The last time he ­released a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2126956/rise-and-fall-canto-pop-and-it-hong-kongs-cultural-identity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2126956/rise-and-fall-canto-pop-and-it-hong-kongs-cultural-identity?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jan 2018 05:52:41 +0000 Some people have to grow apart to find their way back together – and this is true for Canto-pop duo at17. In the 15 years since the pair launched their music career, Eman Lam and Ellen Loo have experienced ups and downs, and gone their separate ways, but now they are ready to walk down the same road together again. “After all these years, we are now at the best place for each other,” says Loo. “We have seen various highs and lows. Our personalities did not always match. We had our fights. We... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2123436/hong-kong-canto-pop-duo-at17-talk-about-finding-fame-teens-breaking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2123436/hong-kong-canto-pop-duo-at17-talk-about-finding-fame-teens-breaking?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Dec 2017 10:01:38 +0000 Louis Cha Leung-yung’s wuxia novels, depicting a world of martial arts and chivalry, have been the creative inspirations for numerous films, TV dramas and stage productions. The essayist who co-founded the Hong Kong daily newspaper Ming Pao in 1959 and served as the newspaper’s first editor-in-chief, is a household name in Chinese-speaking communities around the world. He is 93. One of the latest adaptations is an acrobatic theatre. Known also by his pen name Jin Yong, Cha’s works have earned... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/sights-and-sounds/article/2122047/legendary-swordsman-guangzhou-acrobatic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/sights-and-sounds/article/2122047/legendary-swordsman-guangzhou-acrobatic?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Dec 2017 01:48:19 +0000 Hilvinn Wong Hai-wing has found Cantonese opera mesmerising since she was young. A native of Cheung Chau, an outlying island 10km south west of Hong Kong Island, Wong spent much of her childhood admiring dazzling Cantonese opera performances staged in bamboo theatres erected especially for festivals. She had a lot of fun. “My mother took me to see Cantonese opera performances at bamboo theatres when I was a child. Every time when there was a show, I wanted to go. We would eat snacks and we got... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/sights-and-sounds/article/2119129/celebrate-hong-kongs-cultural-heritage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/sights-and-sounds/article/2119129/celebrate-hong-kongs-cultural-heritage?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Nov 2017 01:33:04 +0000 Fotan Laiki is a Hong Kong rap sensation with a cult internet following that has seen her music videos attract hundreds of thousands of views. She may appear to be a wild child, but in reality she is the epitome of a generation of Hongkongers who are struggling to find their place in a society that has a rigid definition of success. “Adults think that I’m wasting my time and not achieving anything. I didn’t go to university. I don’t have a full-time job. I’m just a ‘rubbish youth’ in their... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2117642/hong-kong-rapper-fotan-laiki-redefines-success-online-she-uses-music?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2117642/hong-kong-rapper-fotan-laiki-redefines-success-online-she-uses-music?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Oct 2017 04:00:15 +0000 Nearly 17 years into his career as a singer-songwriter, Chet Lam Yat-fung feels now is the time to try something new. However, as perhaps could be expected from Lam, his definition of “something new” actually turns out to be something old. “When the time is right, old things can be resurrected and become shiny and new all over again. It is like being given a new life,” says Lam over the phone from New York. The Big Apple is where Lam realised his vision. He has recorded a new album Like, Love... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2110772/singer-songwriter-chet-lams-new-album-homage-late-canto-pop-star-danny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2110772/singer-songwriter-chet-lams-new-album-homage-late-canto-pop-star-danny?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Sep 2017 05:03:06 +0000 Lin Han and his wife Wanwan Lei have had a fruitful summer. The co-founders of Beijing’s M Woods Museum recently spent nearly a month on an art tour around Europe. Their travels took them from Antwerp in Brussels and Basel in Switzerland to Venice in Italy and Kassel in Germany, but the young collectors are keen to emphasise this was no shopping spree. Rather, it was an intense learning experience. “When we planned for this trip, we wanted to focus on art. On the road we went to many important... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2109781/how-new-generation-chinese-art-collectors-are-taking-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2109781/how-new-generation-chinese-art-collectors-are-taking-world?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Sep 2017 03:54:58 +0000 On a recent weekend in Central’s SoHo district, Hong Kong pop star Janice Vidal gave a guided tour of her debut art exhibition, where almost two dozen of her paintings were on display and her latest music played on a loop. Appearing happy and content, the singer said she is finally able to be true to herself after a decade-long struggle with Hong Kong show business. Ahead of Hong Kong shows, G.E.M. on how Chinese pop is finding its voice and heartbreak over Linkin Park singer’s death Vidal, 34,... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2107329/hong-kong-singer-janice-vidal-new-canto-pop-album-soho-art-show-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2107329/hong-kong-singer-janice-vidal-new-canto-pop-album-soho-art-show-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Aug 2017 09:02:05 +0000 When Gloria Tang Tsz-kei wrote her first song at the age of 13, she can’t have known she was embarking on a music career that would make her Hong Kong’s biggest pop export since the handover. But while the singer, better known as G.E.M., has won millions of fans in China and around the world, her heart remains in Hong Kong no matter where she goes. “Hong Kong is my home. Whenever I’m in Hong Kong, I feel a sense of security,” says Tang, who will be turning 26 this month. G.E.M. stands for “get... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2105751/ahead-hong-kong-shows-gem-how-chinese-pop-finding-its-voice-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2105751/ahead-hong-kong-shows-gem-how-chinese-pop-finding-its-voice-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Aug 2017 09:00:15 +0000 Chinese opera can be off-putting to those who don’t understand the intricacies of this ancient art form – with the complex lyrics compounded by the shrill sound of music and symbolic movements Similar to Western opera, it requires tools to help audiences understand and appreciate its beauty beyond the flamboyant garments, extravagant production designs and acrobatic body movements. “Chinese opera is very abstract,” says renowned Cantonese opera artist Yuen Siu-fai, who was among the cast at the... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/sights-and-sounds/article/2102446/chinese-opera-practitioners-seek-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/sights-and-sounds/article/2102446/chinese-opera-practitioners-seek-new?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jul 2017 01:15:30 +0000 As world leaders converge in Hamburg for the G20 summit, one of the highlights for the VIP guests will be enjoying Beethoven’s Symphony No 9 in the city’s brand new concert hall, Elbphilharmonie. The stunning building with a glass facade was designed by Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron and features advanced acoustics. Located right at the Hamburg harbour, it was built on top of the historic Kaiserspeicher, a former warehouse. The €866 million (HK$7.6 billion) concert hall is a piece of cultural... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2101378/hong-kong-needs-world-class-concert-hall-not-more-museums?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2101378/hong-kong-needs-world-class-concert-hall-not-more-museums?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jul 2017 02:13:09 +0000 In the myth of the Tower of Babel, humans were divided by languages as God’s punishment for trying to build a tower to reach the heavens. But in his latest project, Ryuichi Sakamoto does the opposite, using different languages in an attempt to bring different nationalities together. On the track titled Fullmoon, from his latest album “Async”, the famed Japanese musician has created a conceptual ambient piece inspired by a text written by American author Paul Bowles. It is constructed of samples... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2094504/hong-kong-artists-ryuichi-sakamotos-latest-album-and-what-it-meant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2094504/hong-kong-artists-ryuichi-sakamotos-latest-album-and-what-it-meant?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 May 2017 06:03:13 +0000 With a music career spanning two decades, Taiwanese singer Chang Hui-mei, better known as A-mei in English, has been the indisputable queen of Mando-pop since she made her debut in 1996. Born to an aboriginal family in Beinan, southeast Taiwan, A-mei is best known for her versatile vocal range and emotional depth, and the multiple award-winning singer and musician has earned the hearts of many from Chinese-speaking communities all over the world. Since her 1996 debut, A-mei has released a total... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2091484/meis-20th-anniversary-tour-coming-macau-here-are-five-songs-you-need?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2091484/meis-20th-anniversary-tour-coming-macau-here-are-five-songs-you-need?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Apr 2017 23:30:45 +0000 Influential Hong Kong duo Tat Ming Pair have been making headlines as they prepare for their upcoming 30th-anniversary series of live shows, but for reasons that have had little to do with their music. Ever since the group’s singer, Anthony Wong Yiu-ming, became something of a freedom fighter by speaking up on behalf of sexual minorities and supporting students during Occupy Central in 2014, he has fallen out of favour with the mainland authorities, losing all job opportunities across the... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2079365/hong-kong-canto-pop-duo-tat-ming-pair-making-headlines-ahead-30th?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2079365/hong-kong-canto-pop-duo-tat-ming-pair-making-headlines-ahead-30th?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Mar 2017 03:00:27 +0000 In a bid to attract more local customers, Hong Kong’s shopping malls have pledged to boost their arts programmes, despite the recent downturn in the city’s retail sector. Some of the city’s biggest malls are competing during Hong Kong Arts Month and Art Basel to lure customers keen to see art exhibitions and events. “Despite the challenging market, we have no intention to cut our budget on art and promotion programmes,” said Yen Thean Leng, executive director of Wharf Estates Limited, which owns... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2078494/hong-kong-shopping-malls-hope-more-arts-events-will-boost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2078494/hong-kong-shopping-malls-hope-more-arts-events-will-boost?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Mar 2017 15:34:51 +0000 Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is probably the least popular Santa Claus Hong Kong has ever known. Just before Christmas, the chief secretary and chairwoman of the West Kowloon Cultural District gave us a “festive surprise” by announcing that a branch of Beijing’s Palace Museum would be built in the arts hub, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the city’s handover this year. As it turns out, her idea of a gift is very different from that of many Hongkongers. The deal immediately drew controversy... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2058939/secretive-deal-hong-kong-palace-museum-will-further-erode?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2058939/secretive-deal-hong-kong-palace-museum-will-further-erode?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jan 2017 09:59:52 +0000 It is the best of times, it is the worst of times. The political turmoil that Hong Kong has experienced over the past five years might have been sending shivers down the spines of many who fear Beijing is tightening its grip on the city’s freedoms. But the reality is that there is no better time for Hong Kong to showcase its unique brand of creativity to the world; in short, no better time for a cultural boom. This logic might seem peculiar, but think again. Thanks to the political crisis, Hong... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2053230/hong-kongs-fears-its-freedoms-can-inspire-arts-and-culture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2053230/hong-kongs-fears-its-freedoms-can-inspire-arts-and-culture?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Dec 2016 10:28:50 +0000 The region’s biggest K-pop awards show returned to Hong Kong on Friday night with record executives vowing to take the so-called Korean wave that has swept Asia in recent years to a global audience. Speaking at a music industry forum held ahead of the Mnet Asian Music Awards, which was being staged in Hong Kong by entertainment giant CJ E&M for the fifth time, Lenzo Yoon, business planning director for Big Hit Entertainment, said it was time to take K-pop to a new set of listeners. “K-pop is not... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2051285/korean-music-acts-tout-global-ambitions-and-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2051285/korean-music-acts-tout-global-ambitions-and-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Dec 2016 15:38:30 +0000 Canto-pop duo Twins were mostly dismissed as one-hit wonders when they first emerged 15 years ago, a pair of manufactured idols who achieved stardom not because of their talents but because of their looks and the backing of a powerful record company. But a decade and a half on, Twins are still going strong. Charlene Choi Cheuk-yin and Gillian Chung Yan-tung have shed their image as innocent schoolgirls and evolved into two elegant and mature women. Choi has become an award-winning actress for... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2046210/hong-kong-canto-pop-duo-twins-macau-gig-celebrate-15-years-music?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2046210/hong-kong-canto-pop-duo-twins-macau-gig-celebrate-15-years-music?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Nov 2016 00:00:15 +0000