二战后香港吉他发展史

wangjianguo

HISTORY OF GUITAR IN HONG KONG SINCE WORLD WAR II

来源：http://www.hkgia.org/gianews/2000-1/guihis2.htm

Lam Man Sun in the early 1970's read about an article published in Hi-Fi Music,1 a local music publication which covered the early stage classical guitar in Hong Kong. Accordingly to Mr. Lam, the article illustrated that during the time of Japanese invasion of China, a Chinese man from mainland China had been caught by the Japanese troops to inflict cruelty upon the Chinese without sympathy. Strangely enough a senior officer of the Japanese troops, knowing of the Chinese prisoner's ability to perform classical guitar, the Japanese treated him well and even requested him to teach him guitar.
Although the history of classical guitar started from the early 1940's, it was not until the 1950's and 1960's that, a small fraction of the population began to know exactly what classical guitar was.2 During that time the social structure of society was comparatively simple. The population was mainly composed of mainlanders from China. The average education level was relatively low. Since Hong Kong was a colony of the British Empire, within its society of mixed ethic groups, in particular Chinese and the European, the culture of Europe poured into the local community.

Hong Kong's economy was not as prosperous as today, and a great proportion of the population did not receive a public education. Their living was mainly earned from hard labour. The living standard was low, so they could not afford to appreciate other cultural activities. What they could achieve the music experience was through radio broadcasts.

In the early 1950's, people could generally receive broadcasts from Radio Hong Kong. In the latter part of the 1960's, there began broadcasting television programs which at that time was based on a monthly rental from the licensed television channel. However, the broadcasting was only in a black and white, since coloured television had not yet been introduced into Hong Kong. Those who could not afford a television set could pay twenty cents for admission to a local store or herbal tea house bringing their chairs along with them. The programs were mainly on musical performances, in particular foreign artists or local variety shows.3

IN the late 1960's, the forming of performing groups was prevalent. In those years the Beatles, Bee Gees, and other varieties of popular music, such as rock, jazz or blues were imported from the European countries. Rock music had a tremendous impact on the local development of performing groups which resulted in the existence of Teddy Robins and the Playboys, Joe Junior, Lotus and Wynners. Those groups placed a great weight on guitar in their performing activities. Every single one of the groups was accompanied by an electric guitar or bass guitar. Because of the popularity of rock music among the teenagers, they became professional guitarists in those performing groups at that time.

Even before rock music, folk guitar had been very popular in European countries since the 1940's. Most of the local classical guitar players began their practice from folk guitar (the expression of folk songs and guitar were inseparably linked). One example was the earliest local classical guitar player, Lam Man Sun (see the interview in Chapter V). At the time of his secondary education in 1965, Lam began his folk guitar, prior to his later sole emphasis on classical guitar. In our interviews Lam Man Sun provided valuable information on other performers active during the 1960's, including Michael Kwan.

A famous local singer, Kwan had performed on television and in City Hall of Hong Kong in the late 1960's. Kwan also performed with other folk guitarists. He hosted some music programs a guitar teaching show.4 With the impact of television, many teenagers had been influenced to join in the phenomenon of playing folk guitar. Since some playters had been using acoustic guitar for performing, in the course of playing folk guitar, they had learned to play solo introductions, interludes or ending passages. Those parts involved elements of classical styles. All these players had a desire to improve themselves after a period of performing folk guitar. Therefore, they evolved to classical guitar. Among those classical guitarists known to the writer, many of them went through the stage mentioned above.

Starting in 1965, guitar soloists could enter the Hong Kong School Music Festival. Although the numbers of participants were few, this represented the beginning of increased interest in classical guitar by the young generation. They were comparatively naive and influenced by folk and classical guitar. The culture at that time was mainly influenced by foreign elements. The channel through which they learned classical guitar was different. Most of them were self-taught and some of them had followed principal methods to achieve their technique. However, in the 1960's, very few could actually teach classical guitar.5

This writer interviewed experienced classical guitarists about the situation of the classical guitar's performance in those days. They have discussed the electric guitar and bass guitar players in the performance groups and /or other individuals that were very enthusiastic about classical guitar. These were Leung Lai Tung, Chan Lai Chuen, Lui Shek Yan and Hunter. Hunter6 was among those who had classical guitar training. Although he was only an amateur, he had trained some students. His students were Michael Mo, Ramis Choi and Tenesee Leung.7 These could be seen as the first generation of classical guitarists in Hong Kong.

Some of the above-mentioned classical guitarists had been electric or bass guitar players in the night club bands. In order to earn their living, they also taught classical guitar. Lam Man Sun said after he had practiced guitar for one or two years, he began to teach classical guitar. One can only imagine the standards of those 1960's guitarists who taught others classical guitar right after teaching themselves.

Although in the 1960's, the standard of classical guitar were comparatively low, guitar as an instrument was acceptable to many, so they started to have an interest in classical guitar, which represented the preliminary stage of development in Hong Kong. Bernard Ho, as the earliest concert agent in Hong Kong, in 1955 had been organizing music concert. In the mid-1960's he was the first to hold a classical guitar concert. He organized numerous music concerts and invited many famous guitarists to Hong Kong including Maria Luisa Auido, Alirio Diaz, Regiuo Sainz De La Maza, Ernesto Bitetti and Siegfied Behrend, who all had a definite effect on the promotion and the development of the classical guitar in Hong Kong.8

In the 1970's. two classical guitarists had a great effect in developing the classical guitar in Hong Kong. They were respectively Lam Man Sun and Szeto Chi Chiu. It can be said that the 1970's was the ear of status establishment of the classical guitar. Lam Man Sun, in 1971, went to Italy and England for postgraduate study in classical guitar. In 1974, he returned to Hong Kong and devoted himself to introducing the classical guitar to Hong Kong. In addition to frequent participation in performance, Lam also put great effort into educational work in Hong Kong. He has taught at the Chinese University fo Hong Kong, Lingnan College and is a classical guitar tutor at the Tom Lee Music Centre.

Along with Lam Man Sun, Szeto Chi Chiu is also another forerunner of classical guitarist. For the last twenty years he was promoted the classical guitar. Mr. Szeto is also a fanatic regarding music education. He has toured Europe learning the classical guitar. When he came back to Hong Kong, he set up the Baroque School of Classical Guitar and the Baroque Guitar Ensemble. His efforts promoting the classical guitar in Hong Kong resulted in large numbers of high calibre guitar teachers and performers.

From the late 1970's to the early 1980's, there was a tremendous growth in the classical guitar's popularity in Hong Kong, which could be seen from the numbers of teenagers who carried guitars along the streets. This projected an image of romance, attracting most teenagers' desire to learn classical guitar.9

In addition to this, the introduction of the Yamaha Guitar Festival by the Tom Lee Music Foundation and the Yamaha Music Foundation in 1977 brought about the emergence of many local classical guitarists. Since the organisation wished to promote different aspects of the guitar, solo classical guitar, non-classical guitar solo (flamenco), ensembles and song groups were included in the festival. Since 1977 the festival has mainly focused on solo classical guitar. The winner represents Hong Kong in the Southern Asian Guitar Festival, competing with guitarists from Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan and Japan.10

In 1977, in addition to Mr. Szeto Chi Chiu's setting up of the Broque School of Classical Guitar, the Hong Kong Guitar Music Association was also established by a group of guitar buffs. This was the first guitar association in Hong Kong and was registered as a non-profit making corporation.

After its establishment, a large number of guitar recitals were held, member subscribed on a large scale, and other promotions of the guitar took place. The diverse membership included pop music, classical, flamenco, jazz and folk guitarists. These members were mainly guitar teachers at music centres or secondary schools. Even without considering their standard of performance, they have contributed to the effort of promoting guitar music.11

It could be said that 1977 was a significant year for the guitar's development. Besides the establishment of two major guitar associations and the commencement of a guitar festival, a publication related to the development was also established, the "Hong Kong Guitar Magazine" (later renamed, "Guitar and Players Journal"). It first circulated in May 1977. This was the only local guitar magazine, contents of which mainly focused on local trends in guitar music, reports of guitar concerts and analysis, shop talk, special articles written by local guitarists, editorial replies to readers (for example, how to select a guitar and teacher). Since it was a local publication, it undoubtedly had a great impact on local guitar development.

It can be definitely concluded that in comparison with 1960's, the decade of 1970's saw a tremendous increase in playing and learning guitar in Hong Kong. The birth of the guitar festival, the publication of the magazine, other associations' establishment and frequent concerts by local and overseas guitarists paved the way for this important stage of guitar development in Hong Kong.

This period provided great opportunities and additional venues for local guitar learners in terms of practicing and learning. But most significantly, for learning classical technique. In those days, guitarists started from folk guitar or flamenco, then switched to classical guitar. They were mainly self-taught which resulted in using self-introduced techniques. They would be contented to finish their chosen pieces. The favorites were mainly pieces by famous overseas guitarists which were not suitable for a beginner or self- taught player.12 Therefore, they lacked a comprehensive training process which resulted in stagnant stage at a certain level of their performing life. Most would have to start all over again, and a lot of time was wasted.

In the early and mid-1980's, a tremendous change occurred in Hong Kong. Some local guitarist returned to Hong Kong after several years' training in Europe. Great expectations were placed on them to put great efforts into the development of the guitar in Hong Kong.

Unfortunately, the heyday of classical guitar in Hong Kong was fading away. In particular, in 1989, the festival ceased because of disappointing monetary returns and a drastic decrease in the number of participants. There is to date no sign of reopening the festival. With the exception of the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival, the said festival was the only contest for classical guitar. Therefore its absence has caused a reduction of chances to compete.

Apart from the end of the festival, in 1988; the Baroque School of Classical Guitar established by Szeto Chi Chiu also ceased to operate. This resulted in eliminating another venue for classical guitar. This school was originally a place mainly devoted to classical guitar. The school had nearly twelve years' history from its establishment in 1976 until its cessation. During that period, the school has cultivated hundreds of classical guitar teachers and students. Its closing was definitely a tremendous loss to the development of guitar in Hong Kong.

The "Guitar & Players Magazine" mentioned previously has also publication. Although the magazine was not wholly acceptable to all guitarists, in any event, it was the only resourceful magazine of guitar ever published in Hong Kong. Since the magazine was publicly circulated, its coverage was comparatively extensive. The reason for its demise was mainly weak financial support as well as labour shortages. Since then, there have been no other magazines of this kind circulated in Hong Kong. From the foregoing information, it can be seen that the development of classical guitar faced a series of significant events which had an adverse effect on its development in 1988 and 1989.


End Notes:


Hi-Fi Muisc, one of the earliest local music magazines, commenced publication in late 1960's.
Information provided by Lam Man Sun.
Information provided by Alex Chu in an interview on 8th March 1993.
Information provided by Lam Man Sun in an interview on 4th Februrary 1993.
Information provided by local guitarists.
Hunter was a British classical guitar teacher in late 1960's.
Information provided by Lui Cheong Hing.
Extract information from issue No.3 of Guitar News p.1.
Information provided by Hong Kong Classical Guitar Society in an interview on 8th March 1993.
Information provided by Lam Man Sun in an interview on 4th Februrary 1993.
Extract information from issue No.3 of Hong Kong Guitar Magazine p.12.
Information is provided by various early local guitar players.

wangjianguo

开头说，抗战期间有个中国人被日本军队抓住了，得知他会弹吉他后，日本军官对他很好，要他教他们学吉他。是谁呢？