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 us, many of the original Canto-pop stars from the 1970s and 1980s are still seen in public from time to time, and not necessarily at your typical concert venues.
Here’s where 10 of the most famous original Canto-pop stars are now.
1. Deanie Ip Tak-han
Apart from her career as a singer, Ip has also won many acting awards, including the Coppa Volpi for best actress at the 68th Venice Film Festival for her role as a housemaid in Ann Hui’s heartwarming drama A Simple Life (2011).
She released a four-track Mandarin EP in 1969 but did not follow it up until the 1980s with a series of Canto-pop hits such as Star (1981), Weary (1983) and Teach Me How Not To Love Him, a duet with Andy Hui Chi-on released in 1999.
The 71-year-old’s music, however, has now been banned in China because of her support for the ongoing protests against the extradition bill.
Ip’s last concert took place in 2016, a collaboration with musician Anthony Lun, composer Chiu Tsang-hei and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
2. Paula Tsui
Paula Tsui became an overnight singing sensation in 1982 by winning TVB’s New Talent Singing Awards, where she performed the song Season of the Wind.
Often described as one of the few contralto singers in the city, Tsui is a skilful vocalist with a low-pitched and undulating voice.
She began her singing career in the 1960s after winning a singing contest and released her debut album in 1969. Some of her best-known titles are theme songs of TVB dramas, such as Behind the Wedding Gown (1986).
Now 70, Tsui held her final concerts last year but one show had to be rescheduled because of Typhoon Mangkhut.
Her song Happiness (1979) recently became a political hit as netizens played the celebratory tune when the pro-establishment camp lost in local elections.
3. Sam Hui Koon-kit
Dubbed Canto-pop’s “God of songs”, Hui wrote many hits in the 1970s and ’80s that are still among today’s most treasured melodies.
Songs such as The Private Eyes (1976), Drifter’s Song (1976), Eiffel Tower and Above the Clouds (1972) have become classics.
Hui’s songs are said to represent the spirit of Hong Kong and he has sung about the lives and challenges of Hongkongers over the years.
Last year Hui joined Alan Tam Wing-lun for a series of concerts entitled Happy Together at the Hong Kong Coliseum.
Hui, now 70, and Tam brought the show to Macau earlier this year.
4. Liza Wang Ming-chun
The 71-year-old Wang is currently chairwoman of the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong – the city’s oldest Cantonese opera organisation – but is an all-round performer who sings and acts, and is also a show host.
She began her career as a TV actress in the mid-1960s and spent a year studying in Japan to polish her craft. She joined TVB in 1971 and has never stopped reinventing herself, highlighted by a recent street dance performance.
She is also active in the news, commenting on current affairs and arts and cultural development, such as the opening of the Xiqu Centre at the West Kowloon Cultural District.
On Thursday, while filming a show for TVB, she urged protesters to stop the rally at the airport and to reflect on how they express their opinions.
5. George Lam
Lam was educated in the UK and began writing songs when he was young, but his music career started when he returned to Hong Kong in the 1970s.
Lam, now 71, became a trendsetter with his versatile tenor voice. He sang everything from romantic melodies such as Need You Every Minute (1980) to the Canto-pop rap track Ah Lam’s Diary.
In 2003 he fell from the stage during a performance, leaving him with hearing problems.
Lam overcome the injuries and staged the solo concert series LaMusical 2019 at the Hong Kong Coliseum in May.
6. Alan Tam Wing-lun
Alongside Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui, Alan Tam was one of the brightest stars of the 1980s.
Tam began his music career as lead singer of local band Wynners.
After going solo in 1975 he went on to become one of the most popular stars of the 1980s, winning TVB’s most popular male singer award for four consecutive years.
Many of his hits in the 1980s were cover versions of Japanese pop songs, such as Love in the Deep Autumn (1984) and Heart of Red Wine (1984).
Besides joining Sam Hui on stage for a concert series, the 68-year-old’s most recent public performance was at the pro-police rally on June 30 at Tamar Park.
7. Sally Yeh
The Taiwanese-Canadian singer and actress emerged onto Hong Kong’s Canto-pop scene during the 1980s, with an impressive vocal range and the exotic appearance of an overseas Chinese.
Yeh, now 57, was known to sing Canto-pop tunes with the help of Mandarin and English romanisation because of her limited knowledge of written Chinese, but that did not stop her from becoming one of the most popular singers.
She married George Lam in 1996 and has since been keeping a low profile. She appeared as a guest performer at Lam’s recent concerts in May.
8. Priscilla Chan Wai-han
Chan, now 54, began her singing career at the age of 18 in 1983, performing romantic songs and dance hits such as Dancing Street and Forgotten Promise.
She was modelled after the Japanese pop stars who had a huge influence on the Canto-pop scene at the time.
But Chan was more than just an idol, and she was able to express a range of emotions with her deep voice.
Chan took a long hiatus to study psychology at the peak of her career in the late 1990s.
Since returning, she has continued to perform regularly, including a concert series in 2014 to celebrate her 30th anniversary in the business and a concert series in 2016.
9. Sandy Lam Yik-lin
Lam became a radio DJ for Commercial Radio when she was 16.
She launched her singing career in 1984 and became popular with a string of hits such as Colour of Grey.
Lam, now 53, stands out with her R&B style, while her songs often reflect the city’s rhythms, mirroring the modern society of Hong Kong.
Lam has won numerous awards throughout her singing career and in recent years she took part in Chinese TV station Hunan Television’s Singer 2017, where she won the final.
10. Kenny Bee
Also a member of the band Wynners, Bee began performing in the 1960s.
His solo career peaked in the 1980s thanks to his good looks and distinctive husky voice. Some of his best-known hits from this period are Let it Be Gone with the Wind and A Romance.
However, his personal life has drawn a lot more interest from the press than his music, such as his former marriage with socialite-turned-actress Teresa Cheung and his bankruptcy in 2007.
He released album A Better Bee in 2017 and joined Alan Tam on stage at this year’s pro-police rally on June 30, accusing young protesters of not knowing what they are doing.
