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https://youtu.be/nrwQPcSK5Y0?si=d_Y2lZnx16uHjyDX&t=23

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Are there any aspects of this music that are morally questionable?

Lyrics

The lyrics involve topics, such as social issues, political matters, and relationships. Depending on the listener's perspective, the opinion of the artists might be processed as morally incorrect as every opinion is invulnerable of being morally questionable

Visual imagery

Some music videos could be considered as provocative or inappropriate by some viewers

Cultural shifts

As time moves on, the moral behind some songs could be questioned as it does not fit in the current moral standards. However, social researchers can use this as a method to find out the moral standard of a specific era

Use of language

Cantonese is famous for its wide range of slang and offensive languages. This could be an issue for some individuals who are not accepting of the "inappropriate" language used in the song

Do you think this genre has some ethical issues? Why or why not?

This depends on which standpoint I am asked to reply in. For instance, as a Taiwanese, most songs in this genre are politically acceptable. On the other hand, if I were to comment with a Chinese perspective, some songs are extremely inaccurate and inappropriate to the government. Another example would be which era of moral standard am I using? As discussed above, the standard will change over time. My answer is that not all songs in this genre are having ethical issues. However, I would consider "having ethical issues" as a scale. In other words, it should not be binomial. It shouldn't be a yes or no answer because literature questions is better suited with, for instance, a comparison between different similar literature. All in all, my final answer would be that this genre is on the lower end of the spectrum of ethical issues compared to other genres.

What reasons might others raise to not listen to this genre of music?

Language barrier

As mentioned, Cantonese is exceptionally hard even for native Chinese speakers, let alone foreigners. The reasons for that are the hard lingual system Chinese is built on, the 6+3 tones people have to learn, and the difference in vocabulary between Mandarin and Cantonese

Hard to understand

Most songs in the genre are extremely deep in both emotion and the literature aspect. Since Cantonese songs are built from a poetic standpoint, it is hard for people to understand the meaning of the lyrics, not to mention there are often "layers" of meanings behind the lyrics. This genre is more listened to as an audible art rather than your typical entertainment-based songs. In short, this genre, even after you understood the surface meaning of the Cantonese wordings, would make listeners to pounder aspects like the meaning,  connection, and  metaphoric words behind the lyrics

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What are the instruments needed to create music that is part of this genre? Techniques? Equipment?

Instruments

Guitar

Keyboards/piano

Drums

Bass guitar

String instruments

Violins

Cello

Wind instruments

Saxophones

Trumpets

Flutes

Techniques

Lyric writing

Melody & harmony

Arrangement

Vocal Techniques

What rhythms are important to this genre?

Similar to other pop genres, cantopop also features a wide range of rhythms. For this reason, there is no strict rule on the rhythms. However, influences from other genres are common. For example, traditional Chinese, electronic, Latin, and ballad are all genres which influenced cantopop

How does the instrumentation create the key characteristics of this genre?

Indifferent from other pop genres, cantopop is a mixture of Western and Eastern pop genres. Since this genre originated in Hong Kong, a city under  British colonisation, it has been the most internationally travelled city in Asia last century. This, consequently, caused the mix of different instruments from different music genres. For instance, the guitar from the West and the gusheng from China.

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What are some perspectives on this genre?
Positive:

The lyrics of this genre are one of the best music has to offer

The complex 6+3 tones system means that artists have a wider canvas to work with. Instead of Mandarin's 4 tone system, artists can work with 5 more tones

Effect: Most of the time the same song sung in Cantonese is more emotionally penetrating

As most lyrics in this genre employ poetic and metaphorical language, this creates vivid and imaginative imagery. Thus, unlike most recent songs, it adds an artistic dimension to the song

Multilingualism

Some Cantonese songs incorporate a wide range of other dialects or language

This reaches broader audiences and adds a contemporary touch to the song

Negative:

The younger generation could consider this as old-people music

Resulting in them listening to the Mandarin version or an alternative genre

This language is the most difficult language for people to learn

It is a nightmare for foreigners to speak fluent Cantonese because of the complex Chinese language system

With the 6+3 tones system to learn, it is the hardest dialect for anyone who speaks Mandarin

The market of this genre is shrinking

Cause: Starting from the 21st century, the mainland Mandarin market has grown rapidly

Effect: Fewer artists are willing to spend time on this smaller genre

Whose perspective matters when discussing this genre? Why is that opinion more important than others?

The awards giving managers

They matter when discussing as most indexes are published by the media. For instance, the number of discs sold or the popularity of each song. It is nearly impossible for us as audiences to check the reliability of their research.

The media

They also matter as they, for example, can create opposition between artists even without the approval of the artist himself. Another reason is that they could report false leading news on the artists. This could cause the songs of the particular artist to be seen with a negative lens.

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Scope What makes this precise genre of music different from other genres? 

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Scope What makes this precise genre of music different from other genres? 

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What are the conventions of this genre?

Language: Primarily in Cantonese

Often interspersed with Mandarin, English, Japanese

Lyrics

Topics: Love, personal experiences, social issues, etc.

One of the most poetic lyrics in the whole of music

Known for its emotional lyrics

Inspiration

Initially inspired by English pop and jazz

Vocals

Expressed orally with a variety of techniques required

Location

Originally started in Hong Kong in the late 70s

Spread to Chinese-speaking communities in the early 80s

Artists

Most of them are from Hong Kong

Some Mandarin singing artists from Taiwan also started entering this market soon after

Evolution

Changed over the years to match the taste of their audience

Political Issues

Some songs may include anti-government lyrics

Starts to get banned after the Chinese government took over Hong Kong

2. What makes this precise genre of music different from other genres

Language should be mainly in Cantonese

Must not be a variation of other genres

E.g. Jazz sung in Cantonese

3. What does this music need to be in this genre?

Language: Mainly in Cantonese

Time period: Late 70s to current times

Topics: Love, personal experiences, social issues, etc.