NSS Enriching Knowledge for the Music Curriculum i Introduction to Popular Music PM Session

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NSS Enriching Knowledge for the Music Curriculum
(i) Introduction to Popular Music (PM Session)

• Speaker Dr. Ivy Man

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Objectives

• To examine the cultural and historical context
  that led to the emergence and development of
  popular music in Hong Kong
• To understand the general musical characteristics
  of Hong Kong popular music
• To discuss and conduct analysis in order to
  develop a closer understanding of the
  characteristics of the selected examples
• To provide guidelines for teaching popular music

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The Idiosyncrasy
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Chinese or British?

• To the mainland Chinese
• To the British, we remain definitely Chinese
• To Hong Kong people

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• Cultural Background
• Robert Ezra Park the Marginal Man
• a bicultural/multicultural situation as a result
  of immigration or colonization
• on the margin of two cultures and not fully or
  permanently accommodated within either

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Historical Background

• East-West Encounters
• In 1841, little close cultural contact
• The mid-level area of Hong Kong Island
• In Sheung Wan, Kennedy Town and Wan Chai

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• Before the 60s
• The founding of RTHK in June 1928.
• Programs included BBC programs, light and
  classical music programs, regular news etc
• The first Chinese channel ZEK was established in
  1934.

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• In 1937, refugees fled from Shanghai and
  Guangzhou
• In 1949, the population soared from 800,000 to
  1.86 million
• by 1950s, the population reached to 2.3 million

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• Shanghai tailors, businessman and social elite,
  artists, singers and musicians
• Shanghai-based Mandarin songs of the day
• Well-known example Shanghai by Night (???)

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• In the 60s
• A turbulent decade of extensive economic, social
  and cultural changes
• A boom decade with virtually no unemployment
• Increasing social conflicts emerged with rapid
  economic progress
• The Star Ferry Riots

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• The songs of Elvis Presley and the Beatles played
  in herbal teashops
• The arrival of the Beatles in 1964
• Stimulate the formation of bands
• Some band members later became influential
  individuals

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• By 1969, 90 homes reached by the broadcasting
  services
• Television became an integral part of everyday
  life
• The emergence of a homogeneous mass culture
• The popularity of Canto-pop

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• The 70s
• Another booming decade
• The mentality of a locally born and educated new
  generation

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• Ambitious public works schemes by the government
• In 1970, a Chinese (Cantonese) campaign was
  launched
• Contribute strongly to the establishment of a
  local popular culture

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• On the eve of the Seventies the city (Hong
  Kong) was more dynamic and westernized in
  appearance the people of Hong Kong had become to
  recognize themselves reflected in vernacular pop
  songs, newspaper and comics
• (Turner,1994)

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• A modern and international city
• Cantonese popular songs widely accepted in Hong
  Kong by 1974
• Joseph Koo and Sam Hui

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• Localization
• The identity of Hong Kong Chinese distinct from
  mainland Chinese
• The term Canto-pop was coined

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• The 80s onwards
• Sino-British negotiations on Hong Kongs future
• A Special Administrative Region, one country two
  system scheme
• Emigration wave

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• The most active period in the Canto-pop history
• Cover version and bands
• Canto-pop responded also to the political
  situation

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• Some descriptions on Canto-pop
• No sex, no drugs, maybe a little rock n roll
  
• easy listening, soft rock, pop ballad,
  fast and loud
• standing out of singers voice from the
  instruments
• middle-of-the-road

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Formation of Canto-pop

• Economy expanded, purchasing power increased
• Legitimized of Chinese
• Popularity of television
• Composers earnest attempt
• Distinctive identity

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Joseph Koo and Sam Hui

• Two leading pioneers
• Hybridized musical elements
• Their musical styles differed in important
  respects

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• Joseph Koo
• Emigrated to Hong Kong in early 50s
• Identified more closely with China
• Worked as a pianist
• at a nightclub

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• Resident composer and conductor at TVB in 1973
• Concentrated on composing arranging music
• The first Cantonese TV theme song, ????, 1974

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• Sam Hui
• Born in China, educated in HK
• The Westernized musical elements of his songs
  took root from Anglo-American pop
• Formed a band Harmonicks and later joined another
  band Lotus

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• Enrolled at the University of Hong Kong
• Hui wrote lyrics, composed or arranged the music
  and sang the song
• First Canto-pop album produced in 1974

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• Ability to accommodate Chinese and Western
  elements
• The philosophical, satirical and ideological
  lyrical content
• Appealed to both the middle working classes

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Social Content of Canto-pop

• General Grievance
• Culinary Culture
• Shared Recognition and Identity
• Social Behaviour
• The Japanese Vogue
• Political Issue

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Understanding Canto-pop Musical Style

• Six analytical-parameters
• Sound timbre, instruments, texture
• Harmony key, mode, harmonic function
• Melody melodic scale and contour
• Rhythm tempo, meter, pattern
• Growth length, form, dynamic, ending
• Lyrics content, rhyme etc.

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KEEP IN MIND

• What can be readily noticed by a careful listener
  after several hearings
• Adjust the general framework of examination to
  bring out characteristic features of a specific
  composer

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Case Studies

• Musical example 1
• Sound
• -Female/Cantonese
• -Combined timbre qualities
• -Chinese instruments
• -Western instruments
• -Main melody accompanied by counter melody and
  chords

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• Harmony
• Standard functional harmonies
• Major key (A-flat Major)
• Melody
• Pentatonic and diatonic scale
• Arching melodic shapes

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• Rhythm
• Adagio (c.70 beats per minute)
• Once a tempo is established, it seldom varies
• Duple meter (4/4)
• Dominated by the square patterns
• Syncopation

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• Growth
• 228
• Form intro-A-A-B-A-Coda
• Ending slowing down (ritard.) during the last 4
  bars
• Lyrics
• Romantic Love
• Literate Cantonese

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Koo and Hui in 70s General Findings

• Accommodation of both Chinese and Western musical
  characteristics
• Dominance of duple meter
• Chinese instruments pentatonic scales

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• Prevalence of the use of diatonic melody
• Difference in tempo between Koo and Hui reflect
  the musical and social backgrounds
• Formal structure is basically a variation of
  ternary form

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World Wide Web

• http//app.tvb.com/music/
• http//www.rthk.org.hk
• http//www.eegmusic.com/
• http//www.sonymusic.com
• http//www.ifpi.org
• http//www.cash.org.hk

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References

• R. E. Park, Perspectives in Social Inquiry
  Collected Papers of Robert Ezra Park. Vol. 1-3,
  New York, Arno, 1974.
• S. Cohen. Localizing sound, in Popular
  Music-Style and Identity, W. Straw et al. (ed),
  Montreal, Centre for Research on Canadian
  Cultural Industries and Institutions, n.d
  pp.61-67.
• M. Turner. 60/90s Dissolving the People in
  Hong Kong Sixties Designing Identity. Hong Kong
  Arts Centre, 1994
• G. Evan, and Tam, M. (eds.), Hong Kong The
  Anthropology of a Chinese metropolis. Hong Kong,
  Curzon, 1997
• S. Lacasse, Intertextuality and Hypertextuality
  in Recorded Popular Music in The Musical Work
  Reality or Invention. M. Talbot (ed), Liverpool,
  Liverpool University Press, 2000 pp.35-58
• S. W. Mintz, Tasting Food, Tasting Freedom
  Excursion into Eating, Culture, and the Past.
  Boston. Beacon Press, 1996