Cantonese operatic cantatrices in old Canton 省城茶樓歌伶
Channel: Bosham
Date: 2013-09-09

Both English and Chinese subtitles are available, please select your own preference.

此片斷以地道香港粵語（Hong Kong style Cantonese）演譯，不暗粵語（Cantonese）的觀眾，請打開「中文字幕」欣賞。

Cantonese operatic cantatrices was started from 1910s, the beginner should be "Republican Tea House (共和茶室)", it employed blind girls' singers to entertain clients in evening. Famous blind girls' singers were 2 sisters, they are Ms. Chu Tsui Yin (朱翠燕) and Ms. Chu Tsui Fook (朱翠福); Ms. Wing Sheung (詠嫦), Ms. Yuet Ying (月英), with an elderly Ms. Cheuk Ho Hing (卓可卿). As no need for applying an license, and earn more money, so many restayrants and tea houses offered evening service too, Canton residents used to attend restaurants after dinning at home, enjoyed to listen Cantonese opera songs. health singers joined into this jobs, In 1920s, a group of adolescent girls, they are Ms. Ngan Choi (銀彩), Ms. Man Chai (文仔), Ms. Fan Chai (芬仔), Ms. Ngan Chai (銀仔), Ms. Mui Ying (梅影), Ms. Kwok Sheung Man (郭湘文), Ms. Yin Yin (หญิงหญิง; 燕燕; 연연, ? to 10th July 1929), Ms. Shan Shan (珊珊), Ms. Tai Ngan Chai (大銀仔), they used different voices and dominated the market.
 
Apart from those cheapest class tea huts, almost all restaurants and tea houses just employed healthy singers in 1920s. In 1923, popular singers were Ms. Man Mo Yiu (文武耀) and Ms. Wan Fei (雲妃), Canton had over 30 places offered evening Cantonese opera songs in 1920s, but Ms. Ngan Fung (銀鳳) and Ms. Mui Ying (梅影) got marry and retaired later; Ms. Yin Yin (หญิงหญิง; 燕燕; 연연) died on 10th July, 1929 (Wednesday); Ms. Hung Fei Ying (熊飛影) and Ms. Kwok Sheung Man (郭湘文) travelled to sing in another cities; Ms. Sai Sze Ying (西施英) and Ms. Sai Sze Nu (西施女) changed to be Cantonese opera actresses, those restaurants offered evening Cantonese opera songs, was down to just a dozen; communist bandits started a Canton-Hong Kong strike, finally harm themselves, only "Yee Heung (怡香)" and "Sin Wu (仙湖)" could keep their evening services! Until 1935, the places was increased to a dozen! No man be a singer at that time, hkgalbert's mother pointed out that only Mr. Chi Hou Tsat (子喉七, 1891 to 24th March, 1965) who is a fat giu like to cross dress in Hong Kong restaurants.