[Music] Michael Kwan - Reincarnated

Poster for Reincarnated (1979)

1. This music selection is to commemorate the end of an era in Hong Kong's television history.

Tomorrow (April 1, 2016), Asia Television (ATV) will cease over-the-air transmission after the Executive Council of Hong Kong did not renew it's broadcast license last year.

The predecessor of ATV, Rediffusion Television (RTV), was the first TV station in Hong Kong and possibly the first Chinese TV station in the world.


2. ("Asia Television", Wikipedia):

"Asia Television (Chinese: 亞洲電視有限公司, also known as ATV, stylised "aTV") is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong. Established as the first television service in Hong Kong as Rediffusion Television on 29 May 1957, it shifted to terrestrial television on 30 November 1973, and was renamed Asia Television on 24 September 1982. ATV operates two main over-the-air channels: the Cantonese-language ATV Home, and ATV World."

"Despite its relatively small market share, ATV has received numerous awards for its programmes. One of its successes was the local version of the British game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2001, which allowed ATV to enjoy a short-term upturn in its viewing figures. However, ATV faced a gradual decline in production quality and viewership in recent years and faced financial difficulties—a process hastened under the leadership of Wang Zheng. ATV's credibility was also severely damaged in 2011 after it falsely reported that Jiang Zemin had died."

"On 1 April 2015, Hong Kong's Executive Council announced that ATV's broadcast license would not be renewed, and ordered ATV to cease over-the-air transmission after 1 April 2016."


3. Reincarnated ("天蠶變") by Michael Kwan is the theme song of an 1979 Hong Kong ATV TV drama of the same name.

It is also the theme song for the sequel Reincarnated II ("天蠶變之再與天比高") broadcasted in 1983.

The TV drama Reincarnated (1979) is 60 episodes long and it is a landmark in Hong Kong television history.

There were two over-the-air TV stations in Hong Kong in the 1970s: TVB and RTV.

TVB dominated the market by far in terms of viewership.

The main attraction for viewers those days were TV dramas and Reincarnated (1979) was one of the high points when RTV was able pull close to TVB in viewership.

The lyrics of Reincarnated ("天蠶變") are inspirational but humanistic.

The last verse of the lyrics:

讓我攀險峰 再與天比高

(Let me climb a perilous peak to see whether I am higher than heaven)

is something no religious person can say.


4. Reincarnated ("天蠶變") by Michael Kwan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1Sqvc8aBhc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O207RDmsEzI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL6wy9zw8Yg

From a CD:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqKVRUf5C5Q


5. A Mandarin cover by the Taiwanese singer Liu Wen Zheng

(The lyrics are identical to the Cantonese original):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B0hLak81T8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irfKLUkbOv0


6. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:


天蠶變 -- 關正傑

作曲：黎小田
作詞：盧國沾


* 獨自在山坡   高處未處高
命運在冷笑   暗示前無路
浮雲遊身邊   發出警告   我高視闊步

# 雖知此山頭   猛虎滿佈
膽小非英雄   決不願停步
冷眼對血路   寂寞是命途
明月映山崗   倍覺孤高

@ 拋開愛慕   飽遭煎熬   早知代價高
絲方吐盡   繭中天蠶   必須破籠牢

Repeat *, #, @

一生稱英雄   永不信命數
經得起波濤   更感自傲
抹去了眼淚   背上了憤怒
讓我攀險峰   再與天比高


7. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:


天蚕变 -- 关正杰

作曲：黎小田
作词：卢国沾

*独自在山坡   高处未处高
命运在冷笑   暗示前无路
浮云游身边   发出警告   我高视阔步

#虽知此山头   猛虎满布
胆小非英雄   决不愿停步
冷眼对血路   寂寞是命途
明月映山岗   倍觉孤高

@抛开爱慕   饱遭煎熬   早知代价高
丝方吐尽   茧中天蚕   必须破笼牢

Repeat *, #, #

一生称英雄   永不信命数
经得起波涛   更感自傲
抹去了眼泪   背上了愤怒
让我攀险峰   再与天比高


8. Names, Words and Phrases:

ATV (Asia Television Limited) (Traditional Chinese: 亞洲電視有限公司; Simplified Chinese: 亚洲电视有限公司).

Executive Council of Hong Kong (Traditional: 行政會議; Simplified: 行政会议).

Michael Kwan (Traditional: 關正傑; Simplified: 关正杰).

Liu Wen Zheng (Traditional: 劉文正; Simplified: 刘文正).

RTV (Rediffusion Television Limited) (Traditional: 麗的電視有限公司; Simplified: 丽的电视有限公司).

TVB (Television Broadcasts Limited) (Traditional: 電視廣播有限公司; Simplified: 电视广播有限公司).


References:

"Asia Television", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia_Television
(accessed 2016-03-31).

"Executive Council of Hong Kong", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Council_of_Hong_Kongecutive
(accessed 2016-03-31).

"Rediffusion Television", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rediffusion_Television
(accessed 2016-03-31).

"TVB", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVB
(accessed 2016-03-31).

"天蠶變 (電視劇)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%A4%A9%E8%A0%B6%E8%AE%8A_%28%E9%9B%BB%E8%A6%96%E5%8A%87%29
(accessed 2016-03-31).

"天蠶變之再與天比高", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%A4%A9%E8%A0%B6%E8%AE%8A%E4%B9%8B%E5%86%8D%E8%88%87%E5%A4%A9%E6%AF%94%E9%AB%98
(accessed 2016-03-31).

End.

[Music] Benevolence of the Land -- Michael Kwan

 Michael Kwan

 A Poster for Fatherland (1980)

1. Chinese Poem of the Day:


賀知章 (659 - 744)


回鄉偶書

少小離家老大回，鄉音無改鬢毛衰。

兒童相見不相識，笑問客從何處來。


2. Benevolence of the Land  ("大地恩情") was the theme song of Part 1 of a Hong Kong RTV's television drama that was first aired in 1980.

The TV drama was also called "大地恩情" in Chinese but the official translation of "大地恩情" in English is Fatherland.

Since I do not find Fatherland to be an appropriate title for the song, I have changed it to Benevolence of the Land.
 
Fatherland (1980) was consisted of three parts, each with its own theme song:

Part 1 - Home in Pearl River ("家在珠江") (36 episodes).

Part 2 - Revolution in the Old Capital ("古都驚雷") (22 episodes).

Part 3 - The Golden Mountain Dream ("金山夢") (12 episodes).


("Golden Mountain Dream" originally refers to Chinese who dreamt of making money in either the California or the British Columbia Gold Rush of the 1840s and 1850s. Today, it generally refers to Chinese who dreams of making big money in North America.)

(RTV was the predecessor of today's Asia Television Limited (ATV).)


3. Back in 1980, there were only two free-to-air television stations in Hong Kong:

(a) RTV (Rediffusion Television), and

(b) TVB (Television Broadcasts Limited).

TVB was by the far the dominant TV station in Hong Kong.

The airing of Fatherland ("大地恩情") was the first time RTV has beaten TVB in ratings and it is still consider a landmark in Hong Kong's television history.


4. The song Benevolence of the Land ("大地恩情") touched me very deeply because something similar happened to my family.

The backdrop for Home in Pearl River ("家在珠江") was the 1900s and 1910s when the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) was coming to an end the chaos of the Republic of China began.

The story tells of a family forced to leave their ancestral village in the Pearl River delta area because of poverty.

Similarly, my paternal grandfather and some from his clan left our ancestral village in the Pearl River delta area in the early 1910s because of poverty.

They moved to Hong Kong to seek economic opportunities.

My father was born in Hong Kong and in the same year he was born the clan moved to Shanghai.

The clan consisting of over thirty people moved back to Hong Kong in 1933 during the Japanese invasion of Shanghai.

My aunt remembered my father was not able to speak Cantonese but can only speak Shanghainese when they moved back.

Although my paternal grandfather passed away before I was born, the story Home in Pearl River ("家在珠江") touched me deeply.

I understand this kind of stories happened to a whole generation of people: they left their ancestral village not because they wanted to; they were forced to do so because of war and poverty.

There was a deep longing to return to the ancestral village and to the land in which they were rooted.

And this is the sentiment of the song Benevolence of the Land ("大地恩情").


5. Michael Kwan was the original singer of Benevolence of the Land ("大地恩情"):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIL6GIVJz3o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7TyxtrABGQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ysp-K2fTTo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOLTB3uXpVY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbhHGFA_jeE


6. Jacky Cheung:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoLGQu8elPo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rv0s_XtBdY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcKH2enwMLk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-piAC4cZoY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t99SpiGb3-s


7. David Lau was one of the actors in Fatherland (1980):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHqx9xFnqWs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YD8v5QHlAc


8. Johnny Yip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdFjnhT1iBk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLUa9F3shC4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0eTWfe9d6Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsADgGsQnHM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfm3CS02NJA


9. Andy Lau:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7CLtwR0zlE

The singing is ok.

But as @SiegfriedJRLi remarked in YouTube, the choreography is really inappropriate.


10. A piano cover:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsCFj-rDJFM


11.  The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:


大地恩情 -- 關正傑

啊...啊...啊...
啊...啊...啊...

河水彎又彎   冷然說憂患
別我鄉里時   眼淚一串濕衣衫

人於天地中   似螻蟻千萬
獨我苦笑離群   當日抑憤郁心間

若有輕舟強渡   有朝必定再返
水漲   水退   難免起落數番

大地倚在河畔   水聲輕說變幻
夢裡依稀滿地青翠   但我鬢上已斑斑


12. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:


大地恩情--关正杰

啊...啊...啊...
啊...啊...啊...

河水弯又弯   冷然说忧患
别我乡里时   眼泪一串湿衣衫

人于天地中   似蝼蚁千万
独我苦笑离群   当日抑愤郁心间

若有轻舟强渡   有朝必定再返
水涨   水退   难免起落数番

大地倚在河畔   水声轻说变幻
梦里依稀满地青翠   但我鬓上已斑斑


13. Names, Words and Phrases:

Andy Lau (Traditional Chinese: 劉德華; Simplified Chinese: 刘德华).

David Lau (Traditional: 劉志榮; Simplified: 刘志荣).

Jacky Cheung (Traditional: 張學友; Simplified: 张学友).

Johnny Yip (Traditional: 葉振棠; Simplified: 叶振棠).

Michael Kwan (Traditional: 關正傑; Simplified: 关正杰).

Pearl River (Traditional: 珠江; Simplified: 珠江).

Qing Dynasty (Traditional: 清朝; Simplified: 清朝).

RTV (Traditional: 麗的電視; Simplified: 丽的电视).

TVB (Traditional: 無綫電視; Simplified: 无线电视).


References:

"Gold Mountain", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Mountain
(accessed 2013-06-29).

"List of television stations in Hong Kong", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_television_stations_in_Hong_Kong
(accessed 2013-06-29).

"大地恩情", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%A4%A7%E5%9C%B0%E6%81%A9%E6%83%85
(accessed 2013-06-29).

"賀知章", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E8%B4%BA%E7%9F%A5%E7%AB%A0
(accessed 2013-06-29).

End.

[Music] Michael Kwan and Susanna Kwan - Losing Both Ourselves in the Watery Mists

1. Although a Christian by religion, I am by temperament closer to Daoism (or Taoism).

There are quite a few Cantopop songs that appeal to the would-be Daoist in me - "Losing Both Ourselves in the Watery Mists" ("倆忘煙水裡") is one of them.


2. "Losing Both Ourselves in the Watery Mists" is the theme song of the Hong Kong TVB Drama "The Demi-Gods & Semi-Devils (First Part)", which was first aired in March, 1982.

"The Demi-Gods & Semi-Devils" is based on a martial arts and chivalry novel of the same name by Louis Cha.

Louis Cha's pen name is "Jin Yong".

Like many Chinese, I am a big fan of Louis Cha's novels.

I must have read his 15 works at least three times each; some even more.

At one time, I have the hope that Louis Cha will be the first Chinese to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.

But alas, that honour was bestowed on Gao Xingjian in 2000.


3. "Losing Both Ourselves in the Watery Mists" was sung by Michael Kwan and Susanna Kwan.

Although sharing a common last name, Michael and Susanna are not related.

Michael Kwan was an important Cantopop singer from the mid-1970s to late 1980s, but he has never sung full-time.

Michael Kwan entered the School of Architecture of the University of Hong Kong in 1969.

"Kwan practiced architecture full time after graduation and founded his practice in 1983." ("Michael Kwan", Wikipedia.)

Michael Kwan immigrated to the US in the early 1990s.

Susanna Kwan, on the other hand, is still active as a singer and TV actress in Hong Kong.


4. The title of this song is rather hard to translate into English:

"倆" ("two of us")
"忘" ("forget")
"煙" ("mist")
"水" ("water")
"裡" ("in")

I have seen the following translations in YouTube:

(a) "Memories Lost in the Mists";

(b) "Lost in the Mists of Time";

(c) "Both are Forgotten in the Mist"; and

(d) "Forgotten in the Mists of Time".

In the end, I opted for a wooden translation: "Losing Both Ourselves in the Watery Mists".


5. A search in YouTube yields many instances of this song.

However, most of the instances are duets by ordinary folks.

Michael Kwan and Susanna Kwan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByC2V-dftGE


6. The quality of the sound is very good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcFO8KBJ-3c

Another good one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UCXBsuNtUQ


7. Susanna Kwan and Johnny Yip in concert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiyMOZRZ32U

Johnny Yip has become Susanna Kwan's duet partner for this song since Michael Kwan's retirement from Cantopop.

Another version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTPdX-1c38Y


8. The music in the instrument "Guzheng":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0OM7slHniw

Very good.


9. The video are scenes from the 1982 TV drama:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEtMW-iuQSo

Brings back a lot of memory.


10. I am so glad they enjoy themselves:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQr09RBR-1o


11. The video in this version has an English translation of the lyrics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6X5XlYGJCw


12. The video model is Pinky Cheung, a Hong Kong actress:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RonUx3gcIhA


13. They sang pretty well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuvcsR8PeiI

Although the guy missed some of the lyrics.


14. I suppose this song is pretty popular among us middle-aged folks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=250-WuS-nvQ


15. This is pretty ok too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXKIASEaNPc


16. Like some commented in YouTube, I too have a difficult time making out Ms. Wong's Cantonese:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVM6RR8EHZ0

But she has a good voice for this song and they harmonize quite well.


17. Phoebus can really play this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RJCuN3DA34

As to the singing, uh um ...


18. This is uploaded in February, 2012:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7RSUG1zib0

Somebody still likes this song!

The video is nicely done - they are stills from the 1982 TV drama.


19. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:


倆忘煙水裡 - 關正傑, 關菊英

男：女兒意   英雄癡   吐盡恩義情深幾許
女：塞外約   枕畔詩   心中也留多少醉

*男：磊落志   天地心   傾出摯誠不會悔
女：獻盡愛   竟是哀   風中化成唏噓句

#男：笑莫笑   悲莫悲   此刻我乘風遠去
女：凝悲忍歎   無可

@男：往日意    今日癡   他他朝兩忘煙水裡
女：奈從今癡   兩   忘煙水裡

Repeat *, #, @, @


20. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:


俩忘烟水里 - 关正杰, 关菊英

男：女儿意   英雄痴   吐尽恩义情深几许

女：塞外约   枕畔诗   心中也留多少醉

*男：磊落志   天地心   倾出挚诚不会悔
女：献尽爱   竟是哀   风中化成唏嘘句

#男：笑莫笑   悲莫悲   此刻我乘风远去
女：凝悲忍叹   无可

@男：往日意   今日痴   他他朝两忘烟水里
女：奈从今   痴   两忘烟水里

Repeat *, #, @, @


21. Names, Words and Phrases:

Michael Kwan (Traditional Chinese: 關正傑; Simplified Chinese: 关正杰).

Susanna Kwan (Traditional: 關菊英; Simplified: 关菊英).

Daoism (alternate spelling of "Taoism").

Gao Xingjian (Traditional: 高行健; Simplified: 高行健).

Guzheng (Traditional: 古箏; Simplified: 古筝).

Jin Yong (Traditional: 金庸; Simplified: 金庸).

Johnny Yip (Traditional: 葉振棠; Simplified: 叶振棠).

Louis Cha (Traditional: 查良鏞; Simplified: 查良镛).

Martial arts and chivalry novel (Traditional: 武俠小說; Simplified: 武侠小说).

Nobel Prize in Literature (Traditional: 諾貝爾文學獎; Simplified: 诺贝尔文学奖).

Pinky Cheung (Traditional: 張文慈; Simplified: 张文慈).

Taoism (Traditional: 道家; Simplified: 道家).

The Demi-Gods & Semi-Devils (First Part) (Traditional: 天龍八部之六脈神劍; Simplified: 天龙八部之六脉神剑).


References:

"Michael Kwan", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Kwan
(accessed 2012-03-09).

"Susanna Kwan", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susanna_Kwan
(accessed 2012-03-09).

"關正傑", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%97%9C%E6%AD%A3%E5%82%91
(accessed 2012-03-09).

"關菊英", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%97%9C%E8%8F%8A%E8%8B%B1
(accessed 2012-03-09).

"天龍八部 (1982年電視劇)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hant/%E5%A4%A9%E9%BE%8D%E5%85%AB%E9%83%A8_%281982%E5%B9%B4%E9%9B%BB%E8%A6%96%E5%8A%87%29
(accessed 2012-03-09).

End.