Cantopop in Canada: Songwriting and Performing Identity
Date:
Saturday, January 24, 4 P.M.
Location:
Chinese Canadian Museum
[51 E Pender St Vancouver, BC V6A 1S9]
Schedule:
3:30 P.M. – Doors
4 to 5 P.M. – Panel discussion with Ching Choi and handwash
Cost:
Included with museum admission
Join us for a panel discussion featuring Ching Choi (蔡紫晴) and handwash (手洗), two Vancouver-based musicians who create and perform in Cantonese. Moderated by Dr. Zoe Lam from UBC Asian Studies, this fireside-style conversation explores how language, migration, and identity shape their songwriting and creative practice across borders. Together, they reflect on the experience of moving between Hong Kong and Canada, draw inspiration from classic Cantopop, and share how Cantonese remains a powerful medium for storytelling in the diaspora.
This event will be conducted in English and will incorporate elements of Cantonese.
This event is presented in collaboration with the UBC Cantonese Language Program, with support by the UBC Pop Culture Cluster and BMO Campus Culture Pass, and is part of the public programming for the exhibition Dream Factory: Cantopop Mandopop 1980s-2000.
Guest Speakers
Jirong Huang
A graduate from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, is artistic director of the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble and a master of Chinese bowstring instruments.
Since arriving in Vancouver in 1988, Ji Rong has performed for the Canadian Governor General Concert as an erhu soloist and showcased his talent across Canada and the U.S., including appearances on TV and CBC radio programs. He has collaborated with musicians of diverse instrumentation and cultures as well as in interdisciplinary arts. In 1989, he started the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble, the very first professional Chinese music group in Canada.
Alan Lau
Composer-in-residence and musician for the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble, has contributed to various Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble events, including Ten Thousand Springs (2007), Autumn Flight (2014), the Tradition in the Future online symposium (2020), and Future in Past, Part I (2017) and Part II (2022).
As an independent scholar, Alan is a co-author of Qupai in Chinese Music: Melodic Models in Form and Practice (2016) and a contributor to The Oxford Handbook of Music in China and the Chinese Diaspora (2023). He was also an editorial board member of the Asian Musicology Journal.
Family Discovery
Our monthly Family Discovery programs welcome visitors of all ages!
Turn your museum visit into a memorable experience with our Family Discovery days, with programs designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and connection across generations.
Our Family Discovery days often feature a vibrant mix of hands-on art-making, interactive story times, special museum tours, and engaging activities that celebrate Chinese cultural holidays and bring the themes of our current exhibitions to life.
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July 1 at the Museum
Join us this July 1 in celebrating Chinese Canadian legacies and culture. From conversations around historical memory, creative crafts, and a special musical performance, there’s something for the whole family!
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“Clan of the Painted Lady” Film Screening & Director Q&A
Join director Jennifer Chiu for a special screening of her latest film exploring her Hakka-Canadian heritage, followed by an audience Q&A.
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Wearing the Cheongsam: Chinese Canadian Identity Through Fashion
Join Cheryl Sim and Mia Wu, owner and senior tailor at Modernize Tailors, for a presentation discussion on contemporary cheongsam trends, garment production, and cultural appropriation.
