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Cantonese Pop Music

When Wong Jum-sum grew up, Cantonese pop music was just one among many of the sounds heard on radio. This came as a surprise, given that over 80% of Hong Kong’s population primarily spoke Cantonese at that time. After he grew up, Wong participated in the first Hong Kong Amateur Singing Contest, where there was no provision for entries in Cantonese singing. Later on when he came to write the first lyrics in his life, Wong actually wrote in Mandarin, not Cantonese. This tortuous history of language and pop music cries out for careful re-examination.
When Wong Jum-sum grew up, Cantonese pop music was just one among many of the sounds heard on radio. This came as a surprise, given that over 80% of Hong Kong’s population primarily spoke Cantonese at that time. After he grew up, Wong participated in the first Hong Kong Amateur Singing Contest, where there was no provision for entries in Cantonese singing. Later on when he came to write the first lyrics in his life, Wong actually wrote in Mandarin, not Cantonese. This tortuous history of language and pop music cries out for careful re-examination.
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