2010 onward - "CANTOPOP IS NOT FALLING"
Recovery of Cantopop
“香港歌手同音樂人唔單止唔係垃圾，而係可以將垃圾重新化為神奇” ~ Wyman Wong
“Cantopop is diversify which full of possibilities and potentials.”, this is a claim shared by different agents in Hong Kong popular music industry nowadays. But is it the truth? Can Cantopop nowadays represent Hong Kong identity and historical event?
According to the sales record from IFPI (Hong Kong) 2014, revenue of C.A.S.H was gradually increasing. Hong Kong people are getting more attention to Cantopop, there are few reasons to explain the recovery:
A) New opportunities to promote local music
The Hong Kong music industry appears to be more diversify recently might because of the advancement in technology and increase use of different online platform. Indie bands or young artist are able to gain public attention through internet, which provide more choice for the audience. Listen to song also become more convenience, audience can listen songs from free online platform like YouTube, or paid platform like KKBOX, Moov and Soliton. Some online platforms, e.g. Musicbee, even established to helps singers raise funds to produce the own album, which is beneficial for artist to produce variety of music even without any support from record label company.
B) New generation of singers emerges.
Except lovesongs, they also produces song related to political movement and different issues in society to show their social responsibility and concern towards the society. Most of the concern are also commonly shared by the general teenagers in the society. Here are few examples:
C) Popularization of derivative Works (re-creation of Cantopop)
Except mainstream artist, some netizen produce derivative Works (recreation of Cantopop) to reflect their reality life and worries toward the society. They replace the original lyrics with creative content, most of them use ironic lyrics to deliver the message, which usually are the issues in the society. Then, they will publish in different online platform, e.g. HK Golden Forum, Youtube, Soundcloud etc.
Netizen are no longer passively consume the cultural product (i.e. popular songs), they also actively contribute to the creation of popular culture, which is an important elements in nowadays Hong Kong popular music development. The theme of the songs can be classified into 3 types:
The rise of new generation of singers and the active participation of netizens contribute to the recovery of Cantopop in the city actively. Therefore, it is necessary to put more resources on music education and encourage new talents to participate in the music industry to sustain its development and influence in the society.
It is time for us to think about Cantopop as it is a valuable intangible cultural heritage in Hong Kong!
© CAH3511 SEM B 14-15: Term Project Group 6: Cantopop - Is it still there?
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