
His 10-minute-long track “10 Songs 12 Inches” became an instant hit, and included songs like “Monica” by Leslie Cheung and “200 Degrees” by Sally Yeh (who later became his wife). Lam also pioneered the Cantopop medley in 1985 when he was frustrated with how he would not be able to cover all of his favourite hits from the 1980s. While his performance on Disco Bumpkins was criticised as being “too Western,” the album solidified his musical style and status as a Cantopop legend. He successfully transitioned into becoming a singer with the release of Disco Bumpkins in 1980, his first hit album that included a range of influences from Euro-disco to folk music. Not only is his vocal range wide and hard to imitate, but so is his style of composition: His discography encompasses differing genres, from powerful rock ballads to soulful jazzy tunes.
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“Ah Lam,” as he is known colloquially, taught himself how to play the guitar, as well as how to write and produce his own music. He grew up exposed to western cinema and music by his family, and was also educated overseas, which influenced his music. George Lam is a veteran Cantonese artist who played a part in shaping the landscape of the genre. Hui retired in the 1990s, but has made appearances in several comeback concerts, most notably in 2004 when he paid tribute to his close friends Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui. He’s also known for his flamboyant biker-style way of dress and guitar skills, as well as artful use of the Cantonese language to deliver philosophical messages. His relatability earned him the affectionate nickname “Brother Sam.” Having grown up in working-class Diamond Hill as a refugee from China, he was not afraid to use his voice to humorously satirise the concerns of working-class Hongkongers of the time. Hui preferred to write in vernacular Cantonese rather than standard written Chinese. He first performed popular English songs during his time as a TVB youth music television show host, but graduated to becoming a prolific singer-songwriter. Known as the “God of Songs,” Sam Hui Koon-kit was credited with popularising Cantopop with his 1974 album Games Gamblers Play, which was also the soundtrack to a film of the same name. He is credited as a pioneer of Cantonese music and an inspiration to many performing artists. His death in 2002 caused reverberating mourning both in the music industry and Hongkongers of all ages. He also did charity work, and his generosity in both his public and private life made him a beloved figure in Hong Kong. After his retirement in 1996, he dedicated his time to training famous singers like Joey Yung, Ekin Cheng, Shirley Kwan, and Hins Cheung. He was the first performer to dress and perform in drag and to pose naked for photoshoots.Ĭonsidered Hong Kong’s first original superstar, Law Man produced over 50 albums in three decades. He was also an avant-garde fashionista, who exuded charismatic androgyny in his flamboyant get-ups, aesthetic-forward album art, and an open-mindedness that was not common in his time. Passion for global music was what created his unique sound Tam fused his background in Cantonese opera with genres like jazz and big band and used that same background to magnify the hyper-clear enunciation of his tones and voice.
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The popularity of the show and the theme song was the boost needed to jumpstart his legendary career, where Tam went from singing an abundance of wildly popular TV show theme tunes to becoming the first Chinese person to perform in Royal Albert Hall, Madison Square Garden, Lincoln Center, and O’Keefe Center. Tam then signed with a Japanese label and became the first non-Japanese singer to win the All Japan Kayo Championship, a televised singing competition which finally lead him back to Hong Kong, when he was invited to record the Cantonese theme song to TVB’s broadcast of the hit Japanese show Brighter Futures in 1976. Before breaking into Cantopop, Roman Tam was first in an English band with his friends, then a Mandarin duo with the iconic Lydia Shum. Roman Tam-or “Law Man” (羅文)-as he’s more commonly known, is truly the undisputed “Grand Godfather of Cantopop.” His illustrious career began in 1962 when he immigrated to Hong Kong from Guangzhou for better opportunities after being rejected by a Cantonese opera academy.
