Sam Hui, the ‘father of Cantopop' whose relatable music and film roles struck a chord
biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades.
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His name is Samuel Hui Koon-kit.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the singer, known as Sam Hui, helped popularise Cantopop by infusing his songs with colloquial Cantonese lyrics and Western pop elements.
Sam Hui in 1969. Photo: SCMP
He was widely praised for the relatability of his songs, which addressed everyday difficulties faced by the working classes.
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Hui was born in Guangzhou, China, in 1948. His family fled with him to Hong Kong in 1950. They settled in the Kowloon neighbourhood of Diamond Hill before moving to a public housing estate in So Uk, in Cheung Sha Wan.
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