Yam Kim-fai
Yam Kim-fai | |||||||||||||
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Born | Yam Lee Chor ( 4 February 1913 | ||||||||||||
Died | 29 November 1989 | (aged 76)||||||||||||
Occupation(s) | Actress, Performer ( | ||||||||||||
Awards | Cantonese Opera Film Century Award 14th Hong Kong Film Awards | ||||||||||||
Chinese name | |||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | |||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | |||||||||||||
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Yam Lee Chor | |||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | |||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | |||||||||||||
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Musical career | |||||||||||||
Origin | Hong Kong | ||||||||||||
Genres | Cantonese opera | ||||||||||||
Instrument | Voice | ||||||||||||
Member of | Chor Fung Ming Cantonese Opera Troupe | ||||||||||||
Yam Kim-fai (Chinese:
Yam was most notable for her unique ability to sing in the lower register. That her opera voice was indistinguishable from a male one allowed her to play either male or female roles, though she usually performed male ones.
On 24 June 1972, Yam performed for the last time in public and TV viewers looked for the "man" they knew from movies/stage performances. They did not expect to see her in a 2-piece set of jacket and qipao (cheongsam) with floral print. Since 1972, Yam enjoyed singing in private with a live band and was often accompanied by her protégée Loong[2] who would read the lyrics out for her until her eyesight improved with surgery.
On 11 July 1976, during the 25th Miss Universe pageant held at the Lee Theatre in Hong Kong, contestants were asked to pick from five portraits the one they thought was the actress in a male Cantonese opera costume. Yam was not the one correctly identified by any of the contestants.[3]
In 1989, she died at home in Hong Kong due to pleural effusion. There was no JTWROS. Yam had a will drawn up and left her estate to families, including Yam Bing Yee.
Early life
[edit]Born Yam Lee Chor (Chinese:
Rooftops in Guangdong
[edit]Jade Flower (Chinese:
Rooftop theatres were for all-female troupes since the time of Lee Suet Fong (
《
鄉 下 佬買戲 》:「講 到 鰟鱓女 班 經 已 做到怕,有 文 無 武 而且有 鱓仲老 過 我 阿媽 。」
香港 報 章 :「女優 薪 金 微 賤,當 可 以減班 主 之 負擔 。」
Yam took after a male performer to be no "sissy", by just being in the audience, and became known as the female version of Kwai Ming Yeung, both AAA and vocal, before 1933,[Note 3] the year Ma Sze Tsang hired Tam Lan Hing to perform with him in Hong Kong.
Theatres in Macau
[edit]Many troupes with male performers[Note 4] followed her first own (Chinese:「
Portugal owned Macau during the Second World War and it was neutral during the conflict. Japan's respect for that neutrality made Macau a safe haven for migration from elsewhere otherwise occupied by Japan. Population in Macau went up significantly as a result. Their support for performances made life relatively easy for performers.
(Depending on individual performer's pay grade, some were paid in a less volatile currency. The top-billed (female lead) Tam Lan Hing, arrived in Macau in late 1942 and eventually gained weight in those years, was rumored to get one tael of gold for a day of performance.)
Ma Sze Tsang formed the first Hong Kong troupe with both actors and actresses in 1933. Records show Yam's all-female troupe was the last one still doing well in theatres since then.[7] For ten years (1935-1945), Yam made Macau her home, when her hometown in Guangdong fell to the Japanese during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Meanwhile, she moved her family, including her (Chinese custom, actually paternal first cousins.) younger sister[8] Yam Bing-yee (Chinese:
In Macau, she met the major contributors to her career, two very important men and a married couple through the two brothers who eventually became the troupe manager (Chinese:
Theatres in Hong Kong
[edit]Yam was the male lead[Note 8] in many Cantonese opera stage productions, in Macau initially and in Hong Kong since 1945, opposite many actresses, including Sheung Hoi Mui (
- Chan Yim Nung[8] (
陳 艷 儂 ), the Daan (Chinese:旦 ) - Au Yeung Kim (
歐 陽 儉), the Cau (Chinese:丑 ) - Lang Chi Bak (靚次
伯 ), the Zing (Chinese:淨 ) - Yam Bing Yee[8] (
任 冰兒) - Bak Sheut Sin (
白 雪 仙 )
Dream of Red Chamber in Macau was one of many highlights in her career since being the last all-female troupe standing. The trend of huge production cost never recoverable from no matter how good box-office record as a result also caused Yam headache.
Yam was known since very young as the single financial source of immediate family, extended families, big spender co-star and associated families. Yam had a reputation of being very generous, footing the bills when her troupe was in trouble. Chan Lap Ban told in 1989 on camera the old days when they performed in villages (both age 20 or so). Investors failed to pay for their performance. Yam as the patriarch actually provided for the troupe to be all home safe, with her personal gold collection.
Since leaving Macau, there was no more Macau financing but the spending spree continued. A "too good to be just student" of Tang allowing the free use of his story-on-air saved Yam/Lang/Au Yeung from ("
Yam's The Marriage of Tang Bohu, renamed in 1974 as The Marriage of Three Smiles (
The third major financial disaster was rescued with her extremely exhausting 1968 North America tour, more than a decade since she was deprived of the chance to say goodbye to her dying mother, the most treasured family member. Yam paid for the four-year long production of a film in Cantonese. The cost is said to be somewhere between that of two films directed by Li Han-hsiang. The Magnificent Concubine (1962 film) was the first Chinese-language film (
Career
[edit]A performer on stage first and foremost, Yam was the male lead in many Cantonese opera stage productions in Hong Kong, post-war, opposite many actresses, including but not limited to Chan Yim Nung, Lai-Zhen Yu, Fong Yim Fun, Tang Pik Wan, Hung Sin Nui.
Many of her performances were made into films, such as the 1953 remake of Sweet Girl.[10]
1. Fong Yim Fun since Golden Phoenix Opera Troupe (Chinese:
Year | Title | In Chinese | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1955 | A Beauty's Flourishing Fragrant | 一枝紅艷露凝香 | first versionRepeat 1[11] |
2 | 1956 | The Story of Little Cabbage and Yeung Nai-mo | ||
3 | 1956 | Feather Fan Under Spring Lantern | first versionRepeat 2 | |
4 | 1957 | Goddess of the Luo River | ||
5 | 1958 | Beauty Fades From Twelve Ladies' Tower | BtypoTcorrect in HKMDB | |
6 | 1958 | Butterfly Lovers | pdf full libretto | |
7 | 1958 | Swallows Come Home | ||
8 | 1958 | A Buddhist Recluse for Fourteen Years | ||
9 | 1958 | The Story of Yutangchun | ||
10 | 1958 | The Merry Phoenix | ||
11 | 1959 | The Summer Snow | pdf full libretto | |
12 | 1959 | A Pedestal of Rouge Fragrance or Sweet Dew on a Beautiful Flower | 一枝紅艷露凝香 | second versionRepeat 1 |
13 | 1959 | Regret from the Spring Lantern and Feather Fan | second versionRepeat 2 | |
14 | 1959 | The Moonlight and Pipa of the Borderland | HKU URL | |
15 | 1959 | The Dream Encounter Between Emperor Wu of Han and Lady Wai |
2. Lai-Zhen Yu (Chinese:
3. Chan Yim Nung (
4. Tang Pik Wan (鄧碧
5. Hung Sin Nui (
These actresses above are successful performers in their own right. They shared the stage with as well as had film roles opposite many male leads throughout their career. Tang Pik Wan actually took on male lead roles as well while Chan Yim Nung did that in late 1950s as well as much later in life in United States for leisure.
Films
[edit]In movies from 1951 to 1968, Yam played the male lead opposite just about every female lead, young like daughter of Leung Sing Bor included. In the 1961 film, "Fun on Polygamous Marriage" (《
As co-star | Of | Selective Actresses | In Chinese | Films select |
---|---|---|---|---|
59 | 62 | Yim-hing Law
(born 1924) |
1960 Comedy & Drama The Random Harvest, 1965 Masculine vocal style The Red Robe and 1960 Masculine & Martial arts Rescue at the West River | |
57 | 58 | Kwun-Lai Ng
(born 1931) |
1959 Classic Fete of the White Hare, 1958 Drama Substituting a Racoon for the Prince, 1957 Romantic The Phoenix Hairpin and 1964 Drama Mysterious Murder | |
34 | 36 | Lai-Zhen Yu
(1923-2004) |
1960 Drama Golden Chrysanthemum, 1961 Comedy Fun on Polygamous Marriage, Masculine & Martial arts, 1958 The Story of Liu Jinding, 1962 Luo Cheng at the Gate and 1963 The Lotus Lamp | |
28 | 29 | Fong Yim Fun
(born 1928) |
See above mostly since the Golden Phoenix and then Sun Yim Yeung era. | |
23 | 24 | Tang Bik-wan
(1924-1991) |
鄧碧 |
1954 Loyal lover in Paying Nocturnal Sacrifice to Kam-Kiu or 1956 Guizhi Sues, 1956 Masculine vocal style & Martial arts How Xue Dingshan Thrice Angered Fan Lihua and 1957 Drama Prosperity Knocks |
10 | 27 | Wong-Nui Fung
(1925-1992) |
1962 Comedy A Test of Love and 1963 Masculine I Want My Country and My Wife Back | |
0 | 1 | Tsui Yan Sam (born 1920) | 1937, Ensemble cast, Contemporary in A Mysterious Night | |
Total 211 | 237 | of 294 films made total counted to-date |
The above actresses are all very versatile and successful on stage as well as in films and TV (late in life). Fong Yin Fun, Yu Lai Zhen and Ng Kwun Lai all owned film production companies and hired Yam often by choice and therefore top-billed instead of Yam sometimes. Law Yim Hing and Ng Kwun Lai seldom shared the stage with Yam but made many films with her. Four of the seven listed (Fong Yin Fun, Law Yim Hing, Fung Wong Nui and Tang Pik Wan) dressed in male costume on stage as well as in films at some point. The 1956 film How Wong Fei-hung Saved the Lovelorn Monk from the Ancient Monastery reflects how wide the range of films Yam was in.
Linchpin
[edit]Yam was the "speak softly and carry a big stick" member of Cantonese opera community but without cult of personality character. Entourage (hospital, airport, etc.) around her could become out of control if she allowed it. (For example, construction, medical and legal professionals at a certain pay grade were not allowed to advertise out-right in the past. Getting in the limelight with celebrities was an alternative or even better deal. The resulted stream of "an upscale clientele" was worth the time and expenses.) However, the residue value of her "down-ballot effect" is minimal[13] for her co-stars. The last two, Lam and Loong, who played second fiddle to her on stage as second leading "men" continue to be super idols for decades.
Since 1956, for four years and then only sporadically in 1960s, on stage she was limited to only work opposite Bak Sheut Sin, fifteen years her junior and green from debut only in 1953, as the abandoned woman, a character like Eliza in My Fair Lady, in Red Cherries and a Broken Heart (Chinese:
Between 1953 and 1956, Bak played second fiddle (flowery role
They reprised many of those roles when the operas were adapted for the screen between 1951 and 1968. The only two made into movies are Li Yi (
Farewell
[edit]The last overseas tour was 1968 in North America. With all of her 'next' generation,[2][14][15] in tow, the last on stage live production of five titles in 1968/69/70 followed the last film "Tragedy of the Poet King" released in 1968.
Last public performance was on 24 June 1972.
Yam introduced her six backup singers,[2][14][15] her 'next' generation, to the wider audience with a song from 1964.[Note 11] Also, same day with Bak Sheut Sin, she sang the final scene from Tai Nui Fa for the TVB telethon event that was hosted for the victims in the 18 June landslide.
Yam never performed in public again since then. Instead, she kept her protégée[2] close by for training and proper upbringing to be her successor.[16][17][18][19]
Yam valued Loong as someone with a good head on shoulders and worth all resources needed to groom as successor to her AAA in Cantonese opera right after observing the 1965 September performances. In addition, Yam called Loong clever, subservient to her and persevering. A successor to Yam means, a frugal life off-stage and (if necessary) an only financially responsible adult in the room, in addition to:-
The short film shows the level of maturity Yam has achieved after years of struggle. With highly accomplished and superb opera acting skills, she knows how to improvise if it should become necessary. Such a stage demeanor can only be projected by a veteran virtuoso opera performer.
同 場 將 加 映 《錦 繡天堂 》 (1964)中折 子 戲 「孟 麗 君 」,是 任 姐 奮鬥多年 、成熟 揮灑的 表 演 ,造詣 高 深 ,演技 精 湛 ,既 具 壓 台 感 ,又 懂得「執 生 」,示 範 了 真正 的 大老 倌的 舞台 風 範 。
Old hands eating their young in the community is the die hard old habit like mothers-in-law punishing their sons' wives in Chinese culture. Senior members see their turn to be nasty and rip-off the young, thumbing their noses at the rank and file. With this danger in mind or not, Yam kept her time with Loong between the two of them. People are therefore naïve about the role Yam played in making Loong the success story some contemporary performers know as the prequel of their own career in Cantonese opera. Yam and Loong together had more than leveled the playing field for generations of actresses who have joined the Cantonese opera community since 1980s.[20][21]
Patriarch Quality
[edit]Birds must fly far and high to start their own families. Adult birds feed the young with their vomit only till they can fly on their own. It can take weeks or months. Patriarchs in Cantonese opera, the show-runners, must stand on their own two feet sooner or later. Sooner rather than later according to Yam, she kept in touch with Loong by long-distance phone calls only during overseas tours, even during those four months in 1975. Her trip was promised to be all paid for should she take it. She visited sometimes (in Canada per Loong) but never planted herself front and center to get the Press's attention.
By 2000 in Hong Kong, Loong on camera talked about an AAA formula. (She shared same or another one with lads in recent years. Their digestive systems were not ready yet, according to themselves on radio) that she learnt from Yam and applied in all her performances while in 1980s Loong was already far beyond the abc123 according to the Press. Yam's approach to acquired taste could have been to advise someone to "try cabbage compresses" instead of what happened to the wet nurse of Puyi in the 1987 film The Last Emperor.
Exhibit A of acquired taste in Hong Kong observed as per 2012-06-05 【Wen Wei Po】
"就像
某 富豪 生 有 五 子 ,其中大 兒 子 努力 建立 自己 的 事業 ,其餘四 子 只 依賴 父親 供養 。到 富豪 百 年 歸 老 ,遺 囑 上 只 有 四個兒子的名字可分家產,大 兒 子 卻一個巴仙也沒有分到,大 兒 子 大 罵 自己 是 傻瓜,為 甚麼 不學 四個弟弟做大懶蟲,享受 父 蔭 。"
Leslie Cheung was rumored to have learnt singing from Loong in 1980s for his concert performance.[22] There are however more open and extreme cases in that nature. One (扑/
However, there has been more a problem for actresses to find a female lead on stage to even meet the minimum expectation since the poor performance of the female lead in these 50+ shows are also well-documented by columnists and insiders alike since 1985. Elder/veteran in the Cantonese opera community pointed to her lack of improvement from the very low level they first saw in 1979, notwithstanding being on stage for decades non-stop, in mid-2000s on camera. They kindly blamed her busy social schedule for her being the same old rug. Lam Kar Sing didn't know what himself was really up against for close to two decades until after spending months to teach her.
A Lesson in What Not to Do
One son shared with first cousins once removed the "right" lesson to take away. Their maternal grandma was busy studying manuscript for performance. According to the son, his mother's "misspent youth", playing hooky, not paying attention in class and not studying at home, was to blame for still learning the same abc123 after 60+ years. There is actually plenty of evidence to prove in due course the grandma's successful career, lifetime effort and endurance. No harm, no foul but not vice versa. In reverse, fraudulent "role model" misrepresentations along with all evidence of the what's not to do wiped out are just to young minds "poison ivy", something only monsters feed infants and toddlers so as "to increase their growths". (Poison ivy always has clusters of three leaves.)
The motive to wipe out in 2013 was in plain sight but in vain. Live on air, one academic started reining in the clueless radio host Mr. Chan and guest (now deceased "walking encyclopedia" in Cantonese opera) who kept admiring how great box office record for decades Loong achieved on stage, especially the 2011 winter event and 2012 IFPI wins, a finalist up for a vote. The now deceased columnist and/or radio character had plenty of her mind in writing for over 50 years that wagging finger of any academic behind a microphone couldn't remove from the wall. The occasion merely marked the beginning of concerted campaign out in open to promote misaligned personal agenda. The academic launched her current career by books published in the past specifically related to Loong's return to stage. Without Loong on board, published was add-on/attachment to a book already on the way to printer.
"Whom to learn what from" then is the most difficult question. People only see what they are prepared to see. How to learn if never see the good in other people. One privileged student of a master from her vintage point backstage observed nothing more than a female lead as born without a good voice or good look and concluded that "She only hided it well. Nice thread.". That student never played the legacy classic roles such female lead best known for. Neither was her 1956 Pan4 Hing1 (
As such, what did not happen was the film Dream of Red Chamber[Note 10] directed by Lau Hak Suen and produced by a new production company (
- Lau Hak Suen
- Poon Yat On
- Yam Bing Yee
- Pak Bik (
白 碧 ) - Fung Wong Leui
- Mui Yee (
梅 綺 , 1922–1966), 1956 original cast for Xue Baochai.
During Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the said female lead let an underprivileged 10/11-year-old Lam use her official gown (蟒袍) temporarily for performance in Guangdong. Lam spent about his last breath to make sure the lad of his choice at least has one decent co-star for this Sit legacy title going forward. While jury is still out on this lad, Lam gave his blessings knowing his performance of this title planned. The lad is by design free to hire any co-star, a benefit Lam (unlike Loong) enjoyed in his career throughout.
Some individuals can learn in less orthodox settings and run with what they can take away. For example, Loong accompanying Leung Sing Bor on set of Tai Nui Fa filming in 1975 to meet fans/visitors from SE Asia was what Yuen called the best "observe, watch and learn" opportunity in the era of Sifu/apprentice system. On the contrary, wrong lessons could also be found in photographs. The ne'er-do-well was peeled off the costume cladded Loong, when group photos were taken that day in 1975. That's her day off just like several other occasions during the 1975 filming when photos were taken. Following the tag-along playbook of some "never good in her own right", said person in 1960s actually already used Loong's thigh as armrest when Loong was wearing shorts, much to Loong's dismay.
By the same token, instead of getting autographs from Sifu/mentor or just photos by the Press with Sifu/mentor and friends on film sets, Loong was also photographed holding the make-up mirror on several occasions for her mentor and has since been known as the only student of Yam who learnt the secret manner to get ready for long hours on stage with makeups on and headache free.
- on film set for Yam to put on costume during the shooting of their 1964–1967 cinematographic co-operation but Loong only had her own hair done (Loong was so busy that she didn't even get a proper photo with Yam like classmates did on set in costumes by the Press.)
- backstage in 1968–69 live productions
- home of Yam in 1975 possibly putting on costume one last time
Loong represented Yam on stage as Jia Baoyu to live audience and TVB broadcast afterwards in the 1980 gathering (
Yam took Loong under her wings just like many Cantonese opera masters did/does. Sit Gok Sin picked a young lad and groomed Lam Kar Sing who also picked a young lad very late in life. Sit and Lam both had veteran performers hanging around for decades to borrow their fame throughout their life. Rather than beating a dead horse, Sit and Lam each only spent their last six years to make sure their AAA continue to shine on stage. It has been beyond connections and history, family or otherwise. Master, growing up tough, passed the test of the Shaolin Wooden Men Alley (
Reputation is always on the line
Patriarch is always the one with his/her reputation on the line except when top-billed female leads are of the caliber of Fong (since the creation of own vocal style)/Tam (before gaining weight in Macau). It is just fantasy until the path from A to B is clear. Only wrong casting makes an incompetent director, who couldn't demonstrate and/or teach, cut & paste vocal style. That approach doesn't fit the 1980s description by Lam who didn't mind directors using his coat tail to make a name in Cantonese opera.
For example, grass-root or 爽台 is not to turn Casablanca into Scooby-Doo and Shaggy completely out of context in addition to:-
- dancing Hula
- talking brothel related STD
- naming off-stage grievance in Hong Kong and Bugis Street in Singapore - performer deceased
- pretending to relieve himself - performer deceased
Having spent close to 20 years with the original cast (died in 1964), Lam didn't want lads to learn from performer #2 above and showed them the video of another performer, Tam Ting Kwun (
As an experienced, knowledgeable and hands-on patriarch for decades, Lam laid out on radio a job prescription for directors in Cantonese opera; what/where/when/how and could/couldn't contribute. Yuen was more frank on camera in 2014 that directors were obstacles to him. To be his own domain about AAA, he picked stage over film as a teenager. Desired to tell any veteran virtuoso opera performer how and what to do is just hubris for some have never seen, let alone been in those shoes of such performers. Easy-Bake Oven in baking may have an equivalent in Cantonese opera. Cheung Wood Yau was the ready-mixed cake mix for his son, assistant director Chor Yuen in the 1956 film.
Vocal style in Cantonese opera is personal, the brand, the signature, of performers, that they decide to teach/share for a fee or otherwise. Yam shared with only Loong how to use the mouth and surrounding cavities as an instrument while others learnt to sing like Yam directly or indirectly. According to herself, Yam was a home body who needed only 3-meals a day, sleep and mahjong solitaire to make her day since retirement. Actually, she was alone often photographed guiding Loong and others or talked to her buddy Leung Sing Bor during rehearsals in 1970s or others in the troupe since his death.
Loong and crew, so used to Yam looking over their shoulders, were not natural in speaking up on film set in 1976. Eventually, Loong picked up the necessary mentality as the chief and then Lang Chi Bak slowed Loong down when classmates were behind at manuscript reading as a group. Back in 2004, Loong requested musicians to pick up their pace but in vain. Returning after 12 years, Loong was caught off guard by the prevailing melodramatic style. All that happened in front of the Press in 2004. What made the performance "stale jau4 zaa3 gwai 2" (就像
The Choice Made
[edit]Yam went one step further by telling her supporters to see herself in Loong when time spent with Loong came to fruition. (Loong has been widely known as a quick learner.) That's the most important ringing endorsement from a mentor/Sifu. Lam gave the lad of his choice a brand (troupe) name just like Yam gave Loong the Chor Fung Ming brand name in 1982. Fung (phoenix), since the Golden Fung Ping, has been a popular reference for more than seven decades and used by many actresses as newcomers. It is golden. Early 1980s, with her successor well established as a professional career Cantonese opera performer, Yam moved to Canada. In 1989, she died at home in Hong Kong due to pleural effusion.
The 2004 emotional reunion backstage caught on tape was the best resonance of Yam's endorsement. Mrs. Ho[23] from Macau passed away (age 98) on 16 June 2016 but wanted no attention from Cantonese opera community. She was a well-known enthusiast just like her husband and a renowned vocalist. (Her opera voice was male.) She held Loong nose-to-nose for long minutes after the 2004 performance, Loong's return to stage after the 12-year sabbatical. Mrs. Ho continued to be in the audience as well as backstage for the next few years of Loong's performances, the 2007 homecoming as successor of Yam in particular.
In 2011, Loong mentioned an "Auntie" group[13] who reprimanded her "must return to stage (to guard Yam's reputation)". Mrs. Ho probably knew Yam before her husband financed and then gave Yam the New Voice Opera Troupe. An "Auntie" to Loong, (
Yam let Loong run free generally since day one but didn't refrain from making sure Loong learn only what's good. When Yam found too disgraceful an unwanted comparison by the Press, meant to be an insult or not, Loong never performed that one title again to put that image, a disgrace from Yam's past, out of Yam's mind. Yam was embarrassed by any association with that episode of her life in 1960s but it has always been beneath a master to throw a "hissy fit" under any circumstances. Neither has it been appropriate to speak ill of the dead in the Cantonese opera community.
Yam's reputation[Note 8] as Jia Baoyu since 1945 has become a myth to contemporary and future audience because of the lack of any films/videos.[Note 10] Cut & paste private comments to serve as evidence can never beat the unshakable proofs, although infants and toddlers cannot, the knowledgeable public can see/watch with their own eyes. Records as hard evidence can include:-
- DVDs (composites speak volume)
- DVD of full stage, wide shots
- photographs
- current stage performances
By the same token, it was pointless for Yam to clarify in 1980s that myth from 1960s disgraceful episode. The truth spoke for itself on stage in recent years. Neither did Loong need to in 2014 as insiders already called out what's obvious to their eyes and ears.[24]
Yam allegedly declined to sing in front of members of her last birthday trip. Her legacy would have been jeopardized by such "last poor taste left in their mouths" kind of (Chinese:
AAA on stage
[edit]Yam shared her AAA (art, acrobatics, acting) on stage, in return for combined, no more than, HK$2.00 worth of Christmas gift in the form of a pair of nylon stockings, with more than a dozen enthusiasts, age 10 to 20, for the sake of preserving the art form of Cantonese opera as she knew it for future generations. She asked for nothing else, tangible or intangible, implicit or explicit, from them, except studying hard.[20] Yam was never heard talking about her sacrifices (For example, September 1965 told how not put on new clothes for months. Chinese:
Moreover, Yam declined to entertain any academics' requests, whether to share her AAA in Cantonese opera with them or to be back on stage for their studies/researches.[25] This preserved the demand (hunger) from her admirers for her 'next' generation to supply (feed) in due course.[26]
When these female enthusiasts were good and ready, Yam shared the spotlight with them every step of the way if she was not actually the spotlight that introduced to the community these then up-and-coming performers with years of training under her guidance and with a given stage name (
Yam was said to be the only[7] actress competitive in male lead role of a generation and survived when the ban on "male/female in same troupe" was lifted in 1930s. Yam's protégée Loong Kim Sang (Loong) is considered by some as the first actress in male lead role that dominated the field although she was dueling with one actor very often in 1972–1992. Yam and Loong together had more than leveled the playing field for generations of actresses who have joined the Cantonese opera community since 1980s.([21] The list of bona fide Cantonese opera actresses in male lead roles since 1960, excluding those up-and-coming still being tutored. One of them was known as the Singapore version of Yam since 1970s and greeted Loong's crew[14][15] there in 1975. Before that, Loong was in Vietnam[2] when Chan Kim Sing was already busy in Hong Kong working for Yuen's Sifu. Chinese New Year was main business in city center for performers. The unemployed 'why not me instead' clad in checkered jacket, with bright red socks and sweater, sat idle on a broken armchair green with envy.)
Rule of Thumb
[edit]In 1999, the 10th anniversary of passing of Yam, Loong disclosed the first time on camera, Yam's rule of thumb, "Be Natural" (Chinese:
"Prepared but be spontaneous to keep the performance refreshing in every show, as if it were the debut (first show) even for the Nth time in the same role", a bar set by mentor Yam for Loong, resulted in close to 40 versions of each of two titles from 2005 to 2008.[28] This requirement from mentor Yam explains the challenge for Loong to be on stage within a six-month period and provide 40 different (in some way in one or two acts out of total 6 to 8) but still GOOD interpretations without changing the show as a whole. This organic way, to hunt/harvest for the meal instead of "frozen" or "canned", was the only way acceptable to Yam and therefore set Loong apart from classmates or performers of a generation from very early days. That makes it worthwhile for those who pay for their tickets[29] to be back every day for every show.
「
養 兒 一 百 歲 ,長 憂 九十九 。」
She was backstage, as well as in the audience, on 20 February 1989 when Loong's troupe, Chor Fung Ming (Young Phoenix) Cantonese Opera Troupe,[20] performed The Purple Hairpin for Tong Wah (a charity event), according to one veteran audience who kept that ticket as souvenir.
[26]"Over years, legacy projects of mentor Yam, being staged frequently, have become a very poor quality stencil instead of a xerox with the best technology available." - according to one contemporary librettist. Loong calls herself "old school" continuing to follow Yam's teaching to a T even though, as described by the Press, already "in a league of her own".[30]
The remaining other two of the six 1972 backup singers, since retiring as cast member (six pillar) of Chor Fung Ming, have been tutoring students of all backgrounds,[14] including some with down syndrome[15] for years in Hong Kong. They are wise not to brand themselves as representatives of Yam style or even compare themselves with Yam while sharing what they have learnt in the decades of Yam's guidance. Yam's (style or school of) AAA on stage has only been observed and commented on by third parties. There has been no authentic account yet since neither Yam nor Loong had published on the topic.
Contrary to some comments by columnists/academics, some of the well-known signature acrobatics happened to be unintended consequence. Yam and Loong had/have spine damage from bending forward all the time to accommodate co-stars of very short statue. In 1952 film The Twelve Beauties, height difference was close to a foot when Yam still stood fairly straight in the Fantasy of Heaven of Parting Sorrow, ending scene of Dream of the Red Chamber.
The "a performance did take place" ("做咗") generations of performers known, per Yuen, as feel too good about themselves (Chinese:
The Yam legacy titles have been instantly gratifying for generations still in infancy as a performer. As a result, they skip the essential foundation courses and perform these legendary titles en masse. Contemporary performers took in pupils within years as six-pillar member of troupes to elevate themselves to the status of guru. They have audiovisual resources from the market as well as private collection to copy/learn from or even, in return for remunerations, teach followers of their own (the let's watch the video class). Yam and Loong were never hubris and claimed teacher status at any point. In 2004/5, Loong disagreed when one reporter suggested a performer, albeit successful to some, as a copy of her.
- Yam is two generations Loong's senior and had complete control over whether Loong taking in students or not throughout the 30-year mentorship. (Lam Kar Sing, who has his own version of Jia Baoyu, is the generation in-between Yam and Loong. Lam spent last six years of his life grooming a protégé as successor almost from scratch, having seen a good match instantly in the lad. One want-to-be has been hanging around Lam for fifty years, yet never learnt the proper order of cast listing and had no place around super idols. Misspent youth.)
- Loong is one to two if not three generations more senior to any contemporary career performers, except those do not take both hands to count.
「
有人 辭 官 歸 故里 ,」
Spin-offs or rip-offs, a dime a dozen, playing fast and loose with the Yam-Loong brand to steal their thunder do not come and go. Recent demise of Yam's legacy titles could be the work of:
- Sponges (
靠 嗦) who were in the audience in 1970s to 1990s and since 2004, excluding, for example, Lam Kar Sing in the audience only as a competitor since he never on the record performed any of Yam's legacy titles since 1970s.
- sponges in their audiences to watch and learn
- their students, excluding those hobbyists in grade/high school classes
- Scavenger (
靠 執 ) carrying water for the worst childhood Shirley Temple fantasy. Misspent youth. Never good enough to play second fiddle to Loong or last around Lam.
- graduate, respectably, opined that Cantonese opera was not alive without someone like Loong around in 2009 and 2016
- student not aware of gimmicks available to some (such as radio host to promote personal agenda or tag along big, deserved or not, names with cult of personality to get attention in the community) was respectably online looking to boost the box-office of Tai Nui Fa in 2015
- Garlic-coated generations[29] (
靠 黐 )
- watched Loong videos to learn in 1990s in private (
宗 師 )- graduates from the let's watch and learn together class (
二 代 )
- graduates from the let's watch and learn together class (
- watched Loong videos to learn in 2000s in private (
一 代 )- students still in the let's watch and learn together class (
二 代 )
- students still in the let's watch and learn together class (
- watched Loong videos to learn in 2010s in private
- watched Loong videos to learn in 1990s in private (
The aroma[29] came from a brew started a year before Loong was born and decades longer than the summation of all garlic coatings of these performers. To fool (around) again and again with this iconic image of Jia Baoyu, instead of any other version, within a five-year period can be fetish, a stunt, a con, or something else. Get in line.
「
有人 漏 夜 趕科場 。」
Yam only finished grade school while Loong did not finish high school when they had roles like Jia Baoyu in 1943 and 1964 respectively. In 1964, Yam taught Loong, age 20 with one year of formal training, line by line and word by word while there is no information as to how Yam came to be in that role so well received in Macau. Neither of them ever claimed to be child prodigy. They both wrote for publications and are known most for their roles as romantic scholars, well-educated and fluent in literature. Contemporary performers benefiting from Yam-Loong perspiration take it that they can just clock in/clock out and produce what is now known as poor quality stencil and the demise of such repertoire once propped up the Cantonese opera community for five decades.[31][32][33]
Since 2011
[edit]Since 2011, Loong (
Yam legacy titles were not as well received in 1950s as a decade since the debut. That was achieved with exposure across several media.[36] The deal was sealed with audiences from the 1970s and 1980s known to be more educated than those from the 1950s or before in Hong Kong. This is also the group that witnessed the dueling between two leading men known as super idols who dominated the only decade or two that there was an increase in audience for Cantonese opera. They can recite line by line and verse by verse of these legacy titles of Yam. These veteran audiences are not craving for run-of-the-mill low-quality performances with famous titles. They know better than even columnists (nationwide or not) or academics (worldwide or not) who are mostly motivated or paid to be biased if not just recycle second hand information or pull it out of thin air. Accommodation for entourage, including Trojan horse (
Vocal style
[edit]Yam was once upon a time known as the female version of and is still one of the more famous exponent of Kwai Ming Yeung style, both AAA and vocal.[37]
Yam demonstrated the "Kwai" trait of her AAA in film The Red Robe (1965) and on stage titles like "Wong Fei-fu's Rebellion" or "The Revolt from Huang Feihu’s Rebellion" (Chinese: 《
[2][14][15][Note 11]According to experience of James Wong in 1960s as backup singer for this song,[Note 11] Yam was louder than the four of them. They were shocked by the "little old lady" met that day.[27]
Yam reprised her role as Liang Shanbo (Chinese:
Naamyam (Chinese:
Reflecting the lighter/grassroots side of Yam's formal training with Wong Lui Hap (Chinese:
- How Two Naughty Girls Thrice Insulted Xiao Yuebai (1952)
- The True Story of Siu Yuet-Pak (Part 1) (1955)
- The True Story of Siu Yuet-Pak (Part 2) (1955)
Yam has shared this lighter, but cleaned up, side with her protégée as well and put Loong on the map globally with just one move. In 1974, Yam and Loong in matching sweater and scarf, were in studio to record for Loong's first starring role in a film as male lead. The solo (with some Leung/Tam/Lang/Sum) scene about picking his wife-to-be became the hit theme song many now contemporary performers could even recite in reverse even though they were still a pre-teen or barely teenagers back then.
Commemoration
[edit]In recognition of the talents of four late artists, Hongkong Post issued the first series of special stamps on movie stars on 15 November 1995.[38] This stamp set focused on Hong Kong's movie stars, saluting four stars who have left their marks on film history. Yam, in Cantonese opera costume, was featured on the HK$2.60 stamp.
For her 100th birthday, Yam Kim-fai centenary celebration at HK Film Archive[39]
Year | Co-star | Title | In Chinese | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1954 | Tang Pik Wan | Paying Nocturnal Sacrifice to Kam-kiu | |
2 | 1959 | Fong Yim Fun | The Story of Little Cabbage and Yeung Nai-mo | |
3 | 1959 | Fong Yim Fun | Regret from the Spring Lantern and Feather Fan | |
4 | 1959 | Bak Sheut Sin | Butterfly and Red Pear Blossom | |
5 | 1958 | Bak Sheut Sin | The Peach Blossom Fairy | |
6 | 1960 | Yu Lai Zhen | Fan Lei-fa | 紮腳樊梨 |
7 | 1961 | Ng Kwun Lai / Tam Lan Hing | The Courtship of the Queen | |
8 | 1960 | Law Yim Hing | The Story of Lee Sin | |
9 | 1961 | Law Yim Hing | The Golden Cat | |
10 | 1955 | Yam was the female lead | An Actress's Struggle |
In 2013, the Cantonese Opera Legend Yam Kim Fai – Repertoire Select by librettist Tang Ti-sheng (Alias:Tong Tik Sang/Tong Dick-san).[31][32] was organized by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Hong Kong.
- Only one actress listed in male lead role (finished hkbarwo.com training school in 1983)
- Only one, aged 60 or older performer listed, never worked for[20] Chor Fung Ming (Young Phoenix) Cantonese Opera Troupe.
Title | In Chinese | |
---|---|---|
1 | The Story of the Lute | |
2 | The Daughter of the Horse Trader | 販馬 |
3 | Princess Cheung Ping | |
4 | A Romance of Pear Blossoms | |
5 | The Reincarnation of a Beauty | |
6 | Sweet Dew on a Beautiful Flower | 一枝紅艷露凝香 |
7 | A Buddhist Recluse for Fourteen Years |
On 4 February 2016, her 103rd birthday, Google Hong Kong's homepage (Google.com.hk) Google Doodle was her illustration by Google artist Sophie Diao.[40][41]
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b
經常 落鄉演 戲 ,在 悟 州 、佛山 一 炮而紅 ,成 名作 是 《西 廂 待 月 》。 - ^
在 廣州 「大龍 鳳 劇團 」演出 ,以一 曲 《夜祭 雷 峰 塔 》成 名 ,所 創 的 「反 線 二王 」腔,盛 極 一 時 。 - ^ 【
細說 任 龍 雛 】梨園 客 /王 心 帆 (顧問 )第 22-24頁 太平 全 男 班 劇團 (小 散 班 )太平 戲 院 - ^ Troupes:-
新 聲 前身 :嗚聲劇團 (鄧碧雲 /歐 陽 儉/徐 時 )《晨妻暮 嫂 -歐 陽 儉》、平安 戲 院 =平安 劇團 :(何 芙蓮/鄧碧雲 /何 非凡 /半日 安 )《金粉 殿 -徐 若 呆 》、平安 戲 院 =平安 劇團 :(譚 蘭 卿 /半日 安 )《嫦娥 奔月》、新 太平 男女 班 (譚 蘭 卿 /黃 千 歲 /歐 陽 儉)《神秘 女 皇 》、金星 劇團 (譚 蘭 卿 /黃 千 歲 )、清 平 戲 院 /花 錦 繡(花 旦 譚 蘭 卿 \小 生 梁 國風 \二 花 小 飛 紅 \醜 生 小 覺 天 \武生 張 醒非)《玉 面 狐狸 -羅 素 》籌募經費 、三 王 劇團 (上海 妹 /半日 安 ) - ^ 「
鏡花 影 」全 女 班 「藝 員 一覽 表 」從 「澳門 賽 狗 會 萬家樂戲院演鏡花影女劇團」的 海 報 中 ,行 當 有 十 多 廿 個 。武生 梁 少 平 、文武 生 任 劍 輝 、小武 呂 劍 雲 、唯一 艷 旦 牡丹 蘇 *、青 衣 旦 粵蘭芳 、花 旦 鍾翠蟬、布 鳳 英 、桂 花 元 等 ,還 有正 旦 、正 生 、總生 、小生 、公 腳、大花 面 、二 花 面 、唯一 丑 生 、男女 丑 等 ,有 的 行 當 如今已 不 復 存在 。由 「文武 生 任 劍 輝 」執 正 帥 印 ,「日 演 新編 良 劇 《醋 醃藍橋 》」,「晚 演 著名 猛 劇 《狸 貓換太子 仁 宗 皇 認 母 》」。是 晚 特 煩 任 劍 輝 先 飾 陳 琳,後 飾 仁 宗 ;牡丹 蘇 先 飾 寇珠,後 飾 李 宸妃。(牡丹 蘇 1927年 3月 起 ,與 李 雪 芳 到 美国 演出 三 年 。) - ^ 【
戲曲 品 味 】第 五 十 二 期 -任 劍 輝 執 帥 印 之 「鏡花 艷 影 」省 港 澳唯一長壽全女班大放異彩(陳 樹 榮 ) - ^
十 年 磨 劍 -澳門 時期 的 任 劍 輝 【香港 電 影 資料 館 第 30期 】陳 樹 榮 - ^ a b 【
細說 任 龍 雛 】梨園 客 /王 心 帆 (顧問 )第 148頁 「翻 生 」賈寶玉 - ^ 【
戲曲 品 味 】第 六 十 期 -新 聲 滄桑歲月 紀 念 戲 迷情人 任 劍 輝 (岳 清 ) - ^ a b c
興 友 影 業 公司 《紅 樓 夢 》電 影 花 氣 襲 人 晴 雯補裘- 賈政
罪 子 黛 玉 葬 花 金玉 良 緣 黛 玉 歸 天 寶玉 哭靈
- ^ a b c Song:- 《
李 後 主 》之 《去 國 歸 降 》 - ^ Sets:- "釵頭
鳳 ","無雙 傳 " - ^ Co-star - "set":- Chinese: 冼劍
麗 - "胭脂巷 口 故人 來 ",冼劍麗 - "榮 歸 會 李 仙 ",崔 妙 芝 - "琵琶 記 " - ^ Co-star - "song":-
秦 小梨 - “《玉 葵 寶 扇 》之 《碧 容 探 監 》”,羅 麗 娟 - "飄",上海 妹 - "好 女 兩頭 瞞",小 飛 紅 - "恩愛 夫妻 ",小 燕 飛 - "海 角 紅 樓 ",小 燕 飛 - "款擺紅 綾 帶 ",銀 劍 影 - "紅 衣 贈 杞良" - ^ Songs:-
情 淚 浸 袈裟 ,《海 角 紅 樓 》之 《海 角 紅 樓 恨》,《穿 金寶 扇 》之 《金扇 緣 》,《梁 祝 恨史》之 《有情 活 把 鴛鴦 葬 》,一枝紅艷露凝香,《胭脂巷 口 故人 來 》之 《孤雁 再 還 巢 》,《牡丹 亭 驚 夢 》之 《玩真》 - ^ Co-star - "song":-
梁 卓 卿 - "雅士 採 梅香 " - ^ a b Song:-
祭 金 嬌 - ^ Co-star - "song":-
歐 陽 儉 - "《蕭 月白 》之 《賣 白 欖》"
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Zhang, Yingjin (2004). Chinese national cinema. Routledge. p. 172. ISBN 978-0-415-17290-5. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h 1972
年 三 月 一 日 華僑 日報 "龍 劍 笙 一馬當先金牌特多。" - From 1 March 1972 【Wah Kiu Yat Po】 - ^ Eunice Lam recalled that occasion in 2015.
- ^ Chan Lap Ban worked with both Yam and Wong.
關 於演員 陳 立 品 整理 :黃 夏 柏 陳 立 品 :年 輕 時 陳 立 品 加入 「鏡花 艷 影 」全 女 班 。女 班 ,在 廣州 西堤 馬路 的 大新 公司 天台 表 演 ,當時 是 頗具名 氣 的 班 牌 ,那 時 她19歲 。她憶述 當時 「鏡花 艷 影 」的 陣容 :「生 角 是 黃 侶俠,花 旦 則 由 西 麗 霞 (Sai Lai Ha) 擔正。」年 輕 的 品 姨選擇 了 粵劇演出 為 職業 。 - ^ As per 2013-05-28 【Wen Wei Po】.
陳 皮 梅 是 粵劇女 班 「鏡花 艷 影 」的 文武 生 ,與 胡蝶 影 、關 影 憐、倩影儂 及桂花 咸(譚 蘭 卿 )、任 劍 輝 等 女 伶合作 ,在 廣州 市 大新 公司 天台 演出 。【文 滙報】2013年 05月 28日 and the three pieces about all-female troupes (全 女 班 ) back in the days from 2013-06-04, 2013-06-11 and 2013-06-18 of 【Wen Wei Po】 - ^
三 十年代廣州粵劇盛衰記 - ^ a b c
女 戲 班 雙 城 記 文 :凌 寧 資料 來 源 :星 島 日報 - ^ a b c
細 女 姐 十 一 歲 加入 戲 行 ,說 是 得 到 堂 姊任劍 輝 的 提 攜,卻原來 從 沒 有正 式 拜師 學藝 ,工夫 都 是 從 虎渡 門 「偷」回 來 的 。她最初 在 澳門 「新 聲 劇團 」當 梅香 ,隨 當時 的 正印 花 旦 、行 內公認 推車第 一的陳艷儂學習推車,...成 為 年 輕 演出 者 的 「定 海神 針 」。 - ^ Died 13 August 2010 at age 91
- ^
香港 影 片 大全 9628050192 Hong Kong. Urban Council - 2003 Sweet Girl (Remake) (Xin Nii'er Xiang) 8.8.1953 / Cantonese / B&W / Period / Musical Romance Dir: Chan Pei Scr: Nam Hoi Sap-sam Long Cast: Yam Kim-fai, Chan Kam-tong, Wai Ming-chu, Yee Chau-shui, Cheung Yuet-yee (aka Yuet Yee), Ming Meng Synopsis: Mui Am-heung (Tarn Kim-fai) is the daughter of the marshal leading the Eastern Expedition. To give failed scholar Ngai Chiu-yan (Chan Kam-tong) a hand in his career, Mui disguises herself as a ... - ^ A Beauty's Flourishing Fragrant/A Pedestal of Rouge Fragrance/Sweet Dew on a Beautiful Flower
- ^ a b c Films by others – Red Chamber in the Sea (1947) Part I and Part II but One of her two CDs for this title (Chinese: 《
海 角 紅 樓 恨》) - ^ a b Observation about "older audience's view" since the passing of Yam as expressed by one speaker while whether that was fair or not is the speaker's personal opinion at that moment. 【
香港 粤劇口述 史 】第 206頁 "現在 上 了 年紀 的 觀 眾...不 夠公平 。....任 姐 的 去 世 .." - ^ a b c d e Fund raising for Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association 2010 Chinese:
中 環 出 更 香港 唐 氏 綜合 症 協會 慈善 粵曲欣賞會 【Oriental Daily】 2010-01-24 - ^ a b c d e f
朱 劍 丹 師傅 per RTHK radio 1 【Free as the Wind】 6 December 2016 Episode. - ^ 《
戲曲 之 旅 》第 115期 22頁 龍 劍 笙 得 天 獨 厚 龍 劍 笙 是 繼 薛覺先 ,馬 師 曾及仼劍輝 以後 ,粵劇生 角 人才 ,只 此一員 新 秀 而已。...龍 劍 笙 可 以說是 天 賜 給 任 劍 輝 的 禮物 ,任 誰 也估不 到 龍 劍 笙 不 單 只 繼承 任 劍 輝 的 衣 缽,且在往後的 日子 裏 ,因 雛 鳳 鳴 的 成功 ,龍 劍 笙 的 成功 ,將 任 劍 輝 這三個字重新注入每一位七十年代後的戲迷心中,地位 有 增 無 減 。 - ^ TVB《The Art of Cantonese Opera
合 晒 合 尺 》 Episode One: The Top-billed in Cantonese Opera第 一 集 -介 紹粵劇 之 首 -文武 生 :二 零 零 八 年 一 月 二 日 - ^ "
梨園 客 (1986)".細說 任 、龍 、雛 香港 :香港 周 刊 出版 社 . Book published in 1986 with title "Yam, Loong, Chor" - ^ "
龍 劍 笙 -細說 當年 ".創 藝 文化 企業 有限 公司 出版 .{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|url=
(help) Book gave a fairly comprehensive, accurate or not, account of the training years up to that point of time (late 1980s ?). Loong was indicated by the author as the ONLY spokesperson on behalf of the group and had been the member-in-charge. Loong was indicated by this author to be the ONLY interviewee who spoke on behalf of the group. - ^ a b c d The troupe with best box-office in 1970s and 1980s. Chor Fung strives to 【Wen Wei Po】 2003-10-28
- ^ a b Bona fide actresses in this field. 【Wen Wei Po】 2013-05-28
- ^
張 國榮 唱「客 途 秋 恨」。【華僑 日報 】刊 載 日 期 :1988-08-05 - ^
何 賢夫人 陳 瓊女士 六 月 十 六 日 辭世 - ^ 【
華僑 日報 】1989年 12月13日 第 24頁 - From page 24, 13 December 1989 【Wah Kiu Yat Po】 - ^ The knowledgeable few (who were not motivated or paid to be biased) versus academics. Chinese:
反 而,雖云戲 行 中 人 讀書 不 多 ,但 看 他 們的回 憶、分析 與 前 瞻,可 能收 獲 更 大 。例 如,陳 劍 聲 說 現時 戲 行 的 文武 生 那 裏 是 學 任 劍 輝 ,不 過 是 學 龍 劍 笙 吧,可 謂 一 語 中 的 ;當年 戲曲 片 的 「場 記 王 」(後 轉任 副 導 )朱 日 紅 ,亦 因 長期 深入 、貼 身 地 觀察 演 員 及各電 影 工作 人員 ,對 任 姐 的 演藝 及演員 道德 就十 分 了解 。 - ^ a b To audiences, mentor equals brand. (Chinese:
說 「流派 」,便 是 指 「師承 」。) UNESCO application resulted in one big question: where are the performers from? Brands known in Hong Kong include the Sit Gok Sin (generally accepted successor Lam Kar Sing) and the Yam (indisputably represented by Loong). Many performers hide which brand they really came from because YamTong legacy titles dominated in Hong Kong. For all performers from the era before audiovisual devices as readily available, age 60 or older generally, could not have come up with their own crafts. Audiences have no confidence in those did not learn from Yam. The situation is different lately. The recent demise of YamTong's legacy titles makes it less desirable to hide the performers' origins. Chinese: 2010-10-19戲曲 視 窗 :香港 粵劇不 重 流派 ?...年 ,內地負 責 撰 寫 申請 粵劇列 入 「世界 文化 遺產 名 單 」文 本 的 工作 隊 來 港 搜 集 資料 ,...一是缺乏完整和具學術水平的歷史資料,二 是 沒 有 流派 的 資料 。...除 了 林家 聲 堅持 以發揚 「薛派」藝術 為 己 任 ,龍 劍 笙 ...不用 多 說 也是任 ...徒弟 。...尤 其是在 沒 有 錄 像 的 年代 。...是 名 角原 來 已 有 一 批支持 者 ,作為 藝術 繼承 人 有 很大機會 吸引 這批戲 迷來支持 自己 ,票 房 便 有 保證 了 。...說 出來 不 會 提 升 身 價 和 增加 票 房 收入 ,又 或 ...呢?根據 戲 行人 說 ,這和過去 大半 個 世紀 唐 滌生的 作品 獨 領 風 騷有 關 。 2010-10-19【Wen Wei Po】 2010-11-02戲曲 視 窗 :重視 流派 有 助 粵劇承 傳 。"... 如非過 目 不 忘,...現時 粵劇界 六 、七 十 歲 的 ...,只 能 拜師 學藝 ,...是 否 想 強調 師承 ...門派 ,...沒 有 「來 頭 」,說 出來 無 助 提 升 自己 的 身 價 。...自己 不 是 任 姐 ...的 徒弟 ,...演 唐 滌生先生 的 名 劇 ,不 肯買票 今 天 ,唐 滌生先生 的 作品 已 不 再 是 票 房 靈 丹 ,...。 2010-11-02【Wen Wei Po】 - ^ a b "Louder than the four of them." (Chinese:
任 姐 音量 勝 過 四 個 大聲 公 ) by James Wong,2004-10-13 《Eastweek》Issue 59。 - ^ a b "
點 止 光 師 耀祖"「芳 、紅 、白 傲視梨園 」馬 龍 月 記 速寫 ,粵劇曲藝 月刊 - ^ a b c d For the 20th anniversary, 10 December 2009 RTHK radio 1 【Free as the Wind】 Chinese:
任 劍 輝 逝世二 十 周年 −(二 零 零 九 年 十二月 十 日 )香港 電 台 第 一 台 :《講 東 講 西 》節目 主持 人 盧 偉力 、馬 恩賜 、嘉 賓 :潘 步 釗、阮兆輝 :天 天 以及場 場 新鮮 (fresh),有 內涵 (Connotation)而好自然 (natural) ,有 自然 又 有 光彩 (luster),完全 沒 有 斧鑿 痕跡 (look effortless)。....Cantonese: 佢行出 嚟就係 㗎啦,冇得教 㗎喎。 (translation: To capture attention the way like Loong can is not taught. More like a quality born with. A quality has yet to be found in later generation as of that day.) - ^ "Follow the mentor's teaching for life."Chinese:
終生 為 師 【Macao Daily News】 2014-10-14 Tuesday - ^ a b YamTongRepertoire Select
- ^ a b HK strives to revive Cantonese Opera's heyday."...once energized by legendary figures like librettist Tong Dick-san and actor Yam Kim-fai." - China Daily/Agencies, 4 December 2009
- ^ a b The only game in town to expect 40 full-houses with audience flying in from all around the world. 如所
周知 :龍 劍 笙 已 定 於十 一 月 返 港 ,...,預 計 初步 四 十 場 並無 問題 ,因 為 各地 的 太 太 姊妹們都已 開始 安 排 行程 ,預 訂 來 港 機 票 。 - ^ How Hong Kong box-office driven environment worked so much better than otherwise.
評 戲曲 發展 :香港 粵劇興 盛 的 啟示 2013-03-14 - ^ General consensus: Individuals, with box-office supported by pocketbooks of individual audience, are keys to keeping Cantonese opera alive. 2006-01-17 Chinese: ...
說 :「阿 葉 ,你們又 籌款,又 開會 ,又 搞計劃;你看,龍 劍 笙 回 來 ,場 場 爆 滿 ,不 懂粵劇的 人 也去看 。如果,多 兩個 龍 劍 笙 ,粵劇一定 興 旺,不用 你們這班路 人 甲 做到身 水 身 汗 ,吃 力 不 討好。」【Wen Wei Po】 2006-01-17戲曲 視 窗 :粵劇以人為本 and again 2011-09-27 Chinese:相 信 近年 接觸 阮兆輝 (輝 哥)的 朋友 ,都會 聽過他 說 ,要 粵劇有希 望 ,最 重要 是 培養 出 像 龍 劍 笙 般的演 員 。【Wen Wei Po】 2011-09-27戲曲 視 窗 :粵劇票 房 接 班 人 - ^ Dream Tryst in Peony Pavilion (1963) at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase in Teochew dialect
- ^ 'Masculine' traits of Yam style coming from the Kwai Ming Yeung style 2010-07-08 (Chinese: 聽“
桂 派 ”名曲 【藝 海 】) - ^ Speech by the Postmaster General Sunday, 08 April 2001
- ^ Announcement of Yam Kim-fai centenary celebration at HK Film Archive
- ^ Google Doodle 103rd-birthday Yam Kim-fai
- ^ Google Doodle shows off 1960's LGBT icon: Cantonese opera legend Yam Kim-fai SCMP updated 04 February, 2016
External links
[edit]- Yam Kim-fai at IMDb
- Yam Kim-fai at the Hong Kong Movie Database