Today, may I invite you to listen to some of the originals from 30s and 40s with some accompanying footnote.
One of the most popular times is 恭喜恭喜 by brother and sister team of 姚敏 and 姚莉 （attachment 1)。 They work their magic with their interweaving vocals accompanied by a guitar. This song a cathartic expression of the daily survival of the difficult time China was undergoing through with occupation by Japan and the concession of certain parts to western nations during 他the war years of the 30s and 40s.
The concession carved out a safe conclave in which denizens of Shanghai escaped into a make-believe world of movies, both local and western, and enjoyed the melding of western music and local folk fare.
Big band and jazz descended upon Shanghai with the immigration of Russian musicians (picture of band in attachment 2). They plied their artistic talents in recording studios, primarily dominated by Pathe, and dance floors of well known clubs such as the Black Cat （attachment 3）
This period spawned a genre known as 时代曲 'shi dai qu'. Apart from having the light and competent flight of fingers over piano, guitars, flutes, these war years were blessed with academically trained writers such as Chen Ge-Xin and Liu Ru-Zeng, not forgetting Yan Hua 严华 and Yao Min 姚敏. The result was stunning with intricate arrangements of the various instruments, and the weaving of the vocals. Example is 醉人的口红虹 （attachment 4 ）。
May I wish a happy new year with 贺新年by 张帆 （attachment 5）。 It borrows very heavily from ‘Jingle Bells’.
Comments are always welcome.
Author: JT CHEN.
Very grateful JT for such an awesome peek into this period of Shanghai's popular scene. Andy.
This song was written in the 1940’s. It was to celebrate ending of anti-Japanese warfare, not for celebration of Chinese New Year. But later became a popular Spring Festival Lunar New Year's song. Wishing you all happy lunar new year and enjoy the holiday!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the memories of my childhood days in the early 1950s when the Rediffusion set was in almost every Chinese home, constantly tuned to the Chinese programs and music when the adults were around.
ReplyDeleteThanks JAMES for your memories. Appreciate you writing and sharing them.
ReplyDeleteHappy Snake Year Andy n family. May the year of the Snake brings you and readers Hissing good fortune , health n fortune. I returned to Singapore 16 years after 3.5 years serving my Swedish Chemicals company for a total of 20 years covering the Asia Pacific region
ReplyDeletePublish
Circulated to all my ex Shanghai based buddies, family to friends in many countries…
ReplyDeleteBeing a frequent traveller, businessman n a singer now, you have met many friends and admirers. Our writer for this Shanghai post, JT and myself thank you for circulating it.
ReplyDeleteAndy Young
ReplyDeleteA Happy Lunar New Year to all friends, readers and contributing writers. Do read JT Chen's article about Shanghai Pops with Russian Bands. Comments are always welcome.
Tom Tan
ReplyDelete🍊Gong Xi Fa Cai 🍊
Andy Young
Tom Tan hello. Gong Xi Fa Cai to you and family too. Thanks for the support and for reading the post, and hopefully the blog.
Raymond Cho
ReplyDeleteHAPPY 2025, CHINESE NEW YEAR!
Andy Young
Raymond Cho hello! You have a great new year too. Appreciate your support and hope you enjoy reading the article.
Colin Ren
ReplyDeleteHappy new snakey year.
Be Huat-ed 🧧
Andy Young
Colin Ren hello. Thanks for your readership. You write well too, with your food posts. HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR.
Hiroshi Deguchi
ReplyDeleteI am shocked to know those popular Spring Festival Lunar Year's songs have such a sad, awful story behind them, I mean, as a Japanese I feel a sense of guilty looking back Japanese occupation days.
Andy Young
Hiroshi Deguchi hello from Singapore. Coming from Japan and with such insights, you are so honest with your comment. I must thank you for mentioning those troubled years. But then in the tumultuous world of ours, can we blame one another? Thanks for the visit. I hope you and family are much better now. HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!
Somkid Lakhawat
ReplyDeleteHappy Chinese New Year
Andy Young
Somkid Lakhawat hello. Season's Greetings. Thanks for the visit. Have a great Chinese New Year. JT and myself hope you enjoy reading the Shanghai music stories provided.
Koh Daisy
ReplyDeleteBlessed Lunar New Year to you and family Andy.
God bless you with good health and good fortune . Best wishes to the faithful readers of your blog as we sizzle into the year of the 🐍. 🤣. Have a sizzling new year everyone. 🙏
Andy Young
Koh Daisy; and you one of the most 'faithful' and significant ones. Thanks for all these years Daisy. You have a sizzling and Happy Chinese New Year too with your family beside. JT and I hope you enjoy the Shanghai pop history he wrote about.
IRENE HOE AI LEE:
ReplyDeleteA HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS CHINESE NEW YEAR.
Andy Young
Irene Hoe Ai Lee hello. Your journalism journey kept me attracted all these years, especially your venture into our local pop music. Keep it alive too. Have a happy chinese new year.
Superlatives, their voices. JT thank you for keeping Shanghai songs alive!
ReplyDeleteTHANKS TO THE FOLLOWING FOR LIKING
ReplyDeleteAND LOVING JT CHEN'S ARTICLE:
Alphonso Soosay
Stephen Han
Ann Rowena Lim
Rose Khoo
Hiroshi Deguchi
Colin Ren
Irene Hoe Ai Lee
Jennie Law
Francis Anthony Rozells
Chee Chien
Yip Dick
Roop Singh
Koh Daisy
Somkid Lakhawat
Raymond Cho
Tom Tan
Salim Mohamed
Juliet Wang
More comments and greetings coming up soon... thank you all.
ReplyDeleteYao Li outlived Zhou Xuan when the latter expired in 1957. In the earlier days Yao Li sung in the ethereal style very popular in 30s to 40s.
ReplyDeleteIn the 50s when the Pathe moved to Hong Kong, she lowered her voice to sound like Patti Page. That's when she lost me.
Is anyone interested in any more info or video? I will be willing to provide if I have them
Yip Dick
ReplyDeleteHave a Blessed Snake 🐍 year, Andy !.😍❤️
Andy Young
Yip Dick hello! You too have a Blessed New 2025 with your family too. Thanks for the years of support.
I must thank you all well-wishers who wrote in to send greetings. Appreciate your kindness all these years. Informative and encouraging comments like yours fill the pages of the blog, to make it a readable and lively guideline to Singapore music from the 60s, its influence and its spread beyond.
ReplyDeleteRose Khoo
ReplyDeleteXIN NIAN KWAI LEH
Andy Young
Rose Khoo hi! Thanks for the visit again. You have a great New Year, 2025 too.
HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR.
ReplyDeleteAndy Young
Salim Mohamed Thank you Sir. Appreciate the goodwill. Do enjoy the Chinese New Year too with your family n friends. And thanks for reading the blog post.
52m
Reply
Wishing you and your family a happy new year, good health and good fortune. All the best. Cheers!😊
ReplyDeletePeter Cheong
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you Andy n family
Andy Young
Peter Cheong hello. Play the game, keep the flame, burning brightly ever! Have a lovely Lunar New Year, Peter.
Andy Young
ReplyDeleteChee Chien hey, guitar master. Thanks for visiting. To you, your wife and family enjoy the Lunar moon soon to be bright and shiny.
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR
ReplyDeleteAndy Young
Jennie Law thanks for the support all these years. Have a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2025.
Hi, Andy, it is another brand new year 2025 ! Forgive me if I seldom write. Anyway I am taking this opportunity to wish you and family happiness and good health in the Year of the Snake ! You must relax and enjoy your life. Thank you, Andy.
ReplyDeleteHi FL, always great to have you write and still remember the blog. Please do not apologise. Yes, it's great to relax and enjoy life. Wishing you and your folks at home a Prosperous Lunar New Year too. Thanks so much FL.
ReplyDeleteThanks to the following friends who sent Chinese New Year Greetings. Names are not in any particular order:
ReplyDeleteLarry Lai, Chris Toh, Phil Chan, Jan Cheong, Ronald Ho, Oliver Balasingham, Cedric Collars, Johnny Yeo, Victor Lam, Winston Koh, Ricky Wong, Eddy Eng, Patrick Teng, Jerry Fernandez, Tan Soo Khoon, Jimmy Chng, Clarence Perera, Wilfred Lim, Steve Ho, Sunny Wee, Lawrence Lim, Jerry Saram, JT Chen, Horace Wee, Chew Hee Hong, Happy Tay, Cedric Cork, Ivor Lesslar, Jimmy PresLee, Tony Goh, Mark [TSL], Anna Law, Vincent Tan, George Chew, Harry Cheok, Danny Boy, Sammin/ Esther Ang, Rumini, Stephen Han, Sharmini, Malcolm Hyder, Yang, Larry See, Mike Bangar, Sam, Jimmy Yap, Richard Rajoo, James Kwok, Merlin Lim, Fabian Foo, Perry Koh, Matthew Tan, SL Tan, Audie Ng, Alvin Tan, Alfred Ng, Jalani Mohd, CS See, Tracy [MPSS], Paul Ibrahm...
The song, Kungsi, Kungsi, Ni is so much more meaningful if you know the historical perspective. Composed in 1945, to celebrate life after the terrible war, people congratulated each other in the streets for having survived WW2.
ReplyDeleteShanghai, together with Nanjing, were especially hard hit and the people suffered great atrocities under the Japanese. Just to survive and live to see another Spring, was reason enough to celebrate.