Since the early twentieth century, Hong Kong has always been an important venue for Cantonese opera development. After 1949, as a result of political turmoil in the Mainland, performers and troupes converged and resettled in the territory, leading to a tremendous prospering of Cantonese opera in the subsequent decade. This development is linked intimately with the rise of the electronic media.
Performers and troupes began to grasp the possibilities offered by film and radio to re-examine age-old performance practices with regard to acting, singing, script writing, instrumentation, and stage set-up. They brought in novel elements from the theatre and movie world, and participated in the production of films and records. With these acts, they are extending the movement to modernize Cantonese opera that began in the 1930s.
Wong Jum-sum was thoroughly immersed in the world of Cantonese opera from young. Through his close encounter with master performers like Hung Sin-nui, Ma Si-tsang, Yam Kim-fai, Pak Suet-sin and Tong Dik-sang, he witnessed first hand the modernization of Cantonese opera, and was mightily moved by the adventure and passion he saw.
Wong Jum-sum went into studios and radio stations to make music from young. There he met many Filipino musicians who were to pass on to him numerous musical treasures, including the idiom of Shanghai pop and the professional dedication to making good music. Lobing Samson was the one who Wong worked most with in the 1950s, frequently in a Commercial Radio program entitled “A Song to Linger”.
Here we shall play The Dream of Kong Nam, the theme song for the program. From thirty seven seconds into the track, one can hear Lobing Samson played on his clarinet. Wong said Samson’s clarinet sound had an almost perfect resemblance to that of Benny Goodman’s. Here is a dramatic proof.
In 1957, Benny Goodman visited Hong Kong. The two mighty clarinetists rubbed shoulders in this most fascinating place and time we call Hong Kong in the 1950s.
Recommended: Sing Sing Sing
作曲：梁寶耳
作詞：梁寶耳
主唱：梁月玲
歡樂到江南 柳方綠 雨初晴
春遊遇伊人 笑相迎 語含情
願人間仙境 花長好 月長明
惆悵別江南 花半落 月微寒
萬水復千山 人遠隔 不相忘
年年空盼望 別離易 見時難
昨夜夢江南 花憔悴 月殘碎
伊人隨春去 恨如煙 情似水
徘徊傷心地 流不盡 相思淚
相思淚 相思淚
