In the time when Wong Jum-sum grew up, Cantonese pop music was but one of many kinds of music broadcast on radio. In a society where over 80% of the population spoke Cantonese, that came as a major surprise. Wong has a simple explanation for this. Cantonese pop grew out of traditional Cantonese music, but it could not build on the popularity of the latter in the face of severe competition. Compared to Western or Mandarin pop, it lagged behind in the areas of composition, lyrics, singing, accompaniment, recording, distribution, and marketing. Its competitors had a head start in talents, organization, and technology that took Cantonese pop more than a decade to come close.

Not everyone agrees with Wong’s diagnosis. Other scholars argue Canto pop, even in such early days, had a unique vibrancy that came from a healthy disregard of the boundaries among different traditions and genres, be they local or foreign. Early Canto pop laid a solid foundation for modern Canto pop, which went on to dominate not only Hong Kong but most Chinese communities around the world.

The story of Cantonese pop awaits careful re-writing.

一路佳景 (excerpt) (1959)



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作曲:呂文成
作詞:資料不詳
主唱:何大儍、呂紅

何:若要撈起無豆嚟
  至好勤力養雞仔喇
呂:大眾一於拍硬嚟
  能自維生產計
何:既已賣雞 再養肥鵝
  賣鵝又買豬餵
呂:我點會嚟餵
  實在我真閉翳
何:無謂怕羞愧
  來練吓手勢
  當學下餵蘇蝦仔
  咁佢唔肯咩
  咁咪噯噯噯噯咁就得咯
呂:實在你喺處亂諦
  分明係詐癲廢
  事實你一向係曳
何:為著想發大財
  樣樣都要制
呂:大眾一於拍硬嚟
  奴就餵豬仔
何:賣晒豬仔買黃牛
  能賺錢不勝計
呂:又再買馬仔
  養到大嚟
  賣完就富貴
何:可以由你盡量去花費
呂:我唔願意花費
  唔願意花費
  浪用血本不歸
呂:咁辛苦揾番嚟花費
  就唔值啦
何:用盡晒點過得世呀
  反為誤了一世
  嗣後我不會亂黎
呂:互助有乜嘢問題
  但願你守吓份制
何:大眾一於拍硬嚟
  遲就會走雞
呂:大眾一心拍硬嚟
  勤力能興家計
何:置買大屋
呂:置買肥田
  自然就過一世
何:嬌你成對預備結婚大禮
  嗰陣喳喳搏得搏
  喳喳搏得搏
  當地當當地當的的
呂:係至好講噃
  周時話結婚禮
  實在你轉眼忘遺
何:伴在妳閨幃
合:誓願永相對做人世
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