Sam Hui, Canto Pop and Canto Poppin’ Hong Kong!

These are the days when Hong Kong needs the Sam Hui from the Seventies back again- and which is not something totally impossible, despite the pioneer of what I dubbed Canto Pop, being in his mid Seventies. 

By way of background, the term Canto Pop was something I came up with when being the correspondent in Asia for Billboard, the world’s leading music trade publication. 

The emergence of Canto Pop was a subject somewhat newsworthy back then, and the inspiration to create something called “Canto Poppin’” which I saw- and still see- as something that can take Cantonese music further- and through this, also take the brand image of Hong Kong and everything in it further.  

Looking at the Hong Kong I know from my decades here as an “ethnic minority” who arrived with his penniless parents from Ceylon to a barren rock starting to find its feet.

It was attracting huge game changers like Run Run Shaw, who went onto build the Shaw Brothers movie empire, the suave Casino magnate Stanley Ho and Hong Kong’s “Superman” in Li Ka-shing- all before Sam Hui “went” Chinese, and the city finally had its own musical voice. 

I only understood the significance of this very recently, and especially when working with the youngest of Sam’s two sons- Scottie.

It’s Scottie who has reminded me of how his father’s Canto Pop came about and just how much happiness it brought to Hong Kong. I remember it well.

Overnight, Canto Pop took Chinese music from the Cha Cha and Chinese Blues of the Shanghai Divas to becoming its own billion dollar industry. 

Before all this, Sam, was the kinda shy, but flamboyant lead singer onstage with the local pop group called the Lotus and performing covers of songs that were part of the British beat boom. 

When Sam went solo, his first hit was the first song I ever wrote- “April Lady”.

Sam and I were both married to Americans- Sam to Rebu and me to Trina, who were good friends and we spent much time in the Hui household. 

In fact, Sam was the first person to know that Trina was pregnant with our daughter Taryn. Rebu is her godmother.

None of us were exactly Ritchie Rich, but we were happy with the hands we were dealt and with each of us taking different career paths that were always linked to music.

Canto Pop happened when a theme song sung in Cantonese was needed by producers Cinema City for the film “Aces Go Places” that starred Sam Hui, Carl Mak and Sylvia Chang.

This led to the Hui brothers- Sam and brothers Ricky and the extremely intuitive and multi talented Michael- coming together for the film “Games Gamblers Play”, something one might describe as a “madcap romp”, which today might be part of the Oceans whatever series.

While he collaborated with others on the subject matter in the songs, the music came out of Sam’s incredible knowledge of chords, something picked up from his years singing covers by groups like the Beatles, sure, but mainly the Hollies, the Searchers, the Byrds and singer-songwriters like Ralph McTell, Gordon Lightfoot, Cat Stevens and Peter Sarstedt. 

All these musical influences and seeing the Hong Kong around him change became his vision for what I called Canto Pop. 

It was at this time that the term Cantopop was first coined. The Billboard correspondent Hans Ebert, who had earlier coined the term Cantorock in 1974, noted a change in its style to something similar to British-American soft rock, therefore started to use the term Cantopop instead in 1978.^[3]

Sam gave Hong Kong songs that they knew or could understand about- characters like Tsimshatsui Susie, the love affair many in the city have about being rich or becoming rich and the joys of playing mahjong. 

Though I wince when people mention Hong Kong’s “Can Do” spirit and “resilience”, I am extremely sure that most don’t know that these came from Hong Kong having to weather fierce typhoons, water rationing and hillside fires. This was real resilience.

Like some young reporter, Sam Hui was putting all this news into his songs- into Canto Pop. 

When doodling with “Canto Popping”, I had no idea where this was leading. 

Sometimes, you just let go and enjoy the ride, and I am enjoying the freedom of doing what I feel is right for the Hong Kong I knew, and now know again through looking at what the city has to offer through different eyes.

“Canto Poppin’” is also some multi headed creative machine that’s constantly evolving into its own brand. Things might change, but right here and now, I am seeing it as a combination pizza of everything and more.

It’s whatever I want it to be- like a more heightened slice of energised nostalgia, Shanghai Tang style and an animated new Made In Hong Kong brand and band called The Dim Sums.

It’s also a tribute to a city that has given opportunities to many, and with Canto Poppin’ now very much focused on bringing to Hong Kong everything that the word Hope means, especially a positive mindset, creative thinking and watching the pieces fall into place as we move forward.

Canto Poppin’ is an ongoing and rather amazing personal journey where I am learning much about what really matters and letting go of the rest.

In many ways, it’s also my gift to Hong Kong- and with an interactive element that will soon bring everything full circle. And back to where it all started.

Stay tuned.

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