Music of Hong Kong

Western classical music was, on the other hand, the principal focus amongst British Hong Kongers with the Sino-British Orchestra being established in 1895.

[5] Cantopop's popularity increased sharply due to the improved status of the language and the large Cantonese Chinese population in the city.

There is a debate about the origin(s) of Cantonese opera, but it is universally accepted that the predecessors of Cantonese opera originated from the northern part of China and slowly migrated to the southern province of Guangdong in late 13th century, during the late Southern Song dynasty.

Beginning in the 1950s, massive waves of immigrants fled Shanghai to destinations like North Point,[4] boosting its fanbase.

Before the first half of the 20th century, naamyam sung by blind singers was a popular form of entertainment in Hong Kong and Canton.

Around 1971, Sandra Lang (仙杜拉) was invited to sing the first Cantonese TV theme song, "The Yuanfen of a Wedding that Cries and Laughs" (啼笑姻緣).

The genre was launched to unprecedented levels with virtually every TV drama using localised cantopop songs.

Other notable pioneers for cantopop were Sam Hui, Jenny Tseng, Liza Wang and Paula Tsui.

The music scene was dominated by pop icons Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui, Alan Tam, and Danny Chan.

The industry used Cantopop songs in TV dramas and movies, with some of the biggest soundtracks coming from films such as A Better Tomorrow.

While TV theme songs are still an important part of Hong Kong music, the arrival of the Four Heavenly Kings took Cantopop a stage higher.

Record companies have had a majority stake in the segment, and Hong Kong is considered the central hub of Cantopop in the world.

[7] After the Communist takeover in mainland China in 1949, the Mandarin pop music and entertainment industry shifted to Hong Kong.

In the 1950s, popular music of Hong Kong was largely dominated by pop songs in the English language until the Cantopop's emergence in the mid-1970s.

Many well-known Cantopop singers of today, like Sam Hui and Alan Tam, began their early careers singing in English.

Today, imported pop music in English language remains popular in Hong Kong, second only to C-pop.

Most Hong Kong artists now sing primarily in Cantonese and Mandarin and occasionally perform in English.

Artists who produced substantial works in English include Chet Lam, The Pancakes, Ghost Style, etc.

International repertoire requires only half of the Gold and Platinum awards from the domestic ones, same as classical music albums.