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The Emergence of Cantopop from Hong Kong's Cultural History from the 1930s to the 1980s
- 1 Columbia University
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Abstract
In the 1980s and 90s, Hong Kong-born Cantopop music reached a climax of popularity throughout Asia. The genre’s development serves as a lyrical mirror reflecting Hong Kong’s unique cultural history. First inspired by popular musical forms from the 1920s, its development serves as an artistic resolution to the competition between Asian self-awareness experienced by the British colony’s Chinese majority and local pride generated by living in a wealthy Western oasis sheltered from much of the instability that plagued neighboring countries. Cantopop as a distinct cultural product is defined by major historical shifts in Hong Kong’s history, from rebellion against British colonial hubris to the aftermath of World War II, international relations during the Korean War, the immigration of musical artists from Mainland China and Taiwan, local reactions to events in China, and Hong Kong’s uneven economic advancement as an Asian Tiger. These events would leave a mark on the local Hong Kong identity, expressed musically through Cantopop, as waves of immigration and borrowing from foreign traditions formed a new and distinct political, social and cultural identity. This paper traces and explains this musical development by juxtaposing Hong Kong’s history with changing musical trends.
Keywords
Cantopop, Hong Kong history, colonialism, music
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Cite this article
Chik,N. (2024). The Emergence of Cantopop from Hong Kong's Cultural History from the 1930s to the 1980s. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,63,42-48.
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