Cantonese Opera Artistic Workshop

Indigenous Music, Opera & People from South Guangdong

There is a long oral tradition of storytelling in China. Muk’yu/muyu (wooden fish) songs, naam yum (southern sound), dragon boat songs and a variety of folk songs have been popular among the ordinary people in South Guangdong for at least over 300 years. Over time they have found their ways into Cantonese opera which has the capacity to enrich itself and evolve continuously throughout its evolution and migration from place to place.

The most famous muyu song book – The Flowery Scroll with its 1713 Chinese edition preserved in the Museum of Paris today- was translated into English, Russian, German, Dutch and French by scholars in the 19th century. Muyu songs have been well-loved by the folks in the Siyi and Sanyi areas in South China and are sung in those dialects by women, children and peasants working in the fields and on many special occasions. Early migrants to Gold Mountain were familiar with this art form.

MVOH 2018 will investigate the relationship of these indigenous musical genres of South Guangdong and their place in the life of the early migrants and recent immigrants in Pacific Canada.

Workshop in Cantonese                                        Workshop in English

Date: 10th October, 2018 (Wednesday)                  Date: 12th October, 2018 (Friday)
Time : 2:00-4:00pm                                                     Time : 4:00pm-6:00pm
Venue : 578 Carrall Street, Vancouver, BC              Venue : IKBLC, UBC

Part 1: Guangdong Musical Storytelling & Chinese Canadian/American Immigrants
Panel Speakers: Dr Sonia Ng & Ms Winnie Cheung
Muyu Song Singing Demonstration in Siyi dialects by elders from Chinatown

Part II: Muyu, naam yum, dragon boat song, yue ou and Cantonese opera “chang hong”
Speaker: Cantonese opera maestro Mr Lau Wing Chuen
Demonstration: Mr Anthony Cheung & Mrs Angela Keung

For registration and other MVOH events, please visit:
mvoh.online or www.pchc-mom.ca