{"id":17452,"date":"2020-11-14T20:27:29","date_gmt":"2020-11-14T12:27:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/?p=17452"},"modified":"2021-06-23T15:23:13","modified_gmt":"2021-06-23T07:23:13","slug":"vocals-are-muted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/2020\/11\/vocals-are-muted\/","title":{"rendered":"Vocals are Muted?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Local music creators are worried about the increasing risks of political music creation due to national security law.
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By Mandy YIM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contagious Fear over the Law<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI will avoid using terms like \u201cFree Hong Kong, revolution now\u201d or replace the phrase with other terms when I write songs,\u201d says Sunny Lam, a local political singer who has been creating music videos about political issues since 2014. With more than seventy thousand subscribers on his YouTube channel, Lam expresses fear over the national security law which came into effect on June 30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He is concerned about the ambiguity in the law. \u201cThe government interprets everything,\u201d Lam says. \u201cOnce the government says you violate the law, then you are,\u201d Lam adds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having published two songs about the Prince Edward 831 incident on his channel, Lam worries about being arrested. \u201cI thought about giving up (producing political songs) in August,\u201d he says. \u201cWith the introduction of the law, the government may say I am spreading rumours through my songs about the 831 incident,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Sunny Lam creates and performs his own political music. (Photo courtesy of Sunny Lam)
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On August 31, 2019, police entered Prince Edward MTR station to arrest people after receiving reports that protesters assaulted members of the public and damaged station properties. Video footage showed police pepper-spraying protesters inside a train carriage and ordering them to kneel against a wall with their hands on their heads before making arrests. Commuters protected themselves with umbrellas, but some were still seen bleeding from head injuries. The event generates unsubstantiated claims of deaths that have been repeatedly denied and denounced by police and government officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lam says some netizens he has worked with share his fear. \u201cSome netizens wrote lyrics for some of my songs about Hong Kong. They told me they would stop doing it because of the law,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People around Lam, especially his parents, advise him to stop his production to avoid violation of the law. “I used the phrase \u201cblack cops\u201d many times in most of my songs. I may soon be arrested,\u201d Lam says.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite his fear of being arrested, Lam says he will keep producing new songs and post them on his YouTube channel. \u201cI am scared, but I won\u2019t stop doing it,\u201d he says. \u201cI am still passionate about music creation,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lam believes that creating songs about current issues can arouse public awareness. \u201cSome people may not care about politics. Some may find news boring. Music can repackage news by adding different styles to it such as a sense of humour,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Law predicts a decline in audience as people may tend to discuss political issues less openly under the law. \u201cI\u2019ve never thought the situation would become like this. In the past, I thought this only happens in China. Now, Hong Kong is the same,\u201d Lam says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the past, I thought this only happens in China. Now, Hong Kong is the same.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

<\/p>
<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Scene in the music video produced by Fong. (Photo courtesy of Fong King-lok)  <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Scene in the music video produced by Fong. (Photo courtesy of Fong King-lok)  <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Survive under a Vague Law<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another music producer Fong King-lok also shares Lam\u2019s feelings. \u201cI do not expect the law to come so soon,\u201d Fong says. \u201c(Despite the law,) we will continue to create music and sing our minds,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fong, an executive committee member of the Hong Kong Professional Teachers\u2019 Union, has devoted to music production for more than 20 years. He wrote a Cantonese song with his friends about how ordinary citizens resist the government. The team published the music video on YouTube in May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fong describes his team as a group of people who care about Hong Kong. \u201cWe want to entertain ourselves and voice out our thoughts and resonate with people through music,\u201d he says. \u201cMusic can help everyone express their thoughts. It is not just an idea. It can be watched, listened to and shared with others. As a creator, this is the greatest joy,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, he loses motivation to produce music after the law was introduced in June. \u201cFrankly speaking, the law makes me feel discouraged. I lose the will to express my opinion,\u201d he says. Fong thinks the lack of room for tolerance and respect for different opinions in the city is suffocating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similar to Lam, Fong points out the vagueness in the law creates fear. \u201cWhat is sedition? What is subversion? Does singing a song mean sedition? Is national security that easy to be interfered with?\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur team is not a group of young frontline protesters. We are relatively moderate. Even so, we have worries.\u201d Fong says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also feels surprised about the current situation. \u201cI have lived (in Hong Kong) for more than 40 years, and I have never seen a situation like this before,\u201d Fong adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fong says he will not stop making music. \u201cWe will not change the theme of our music. All the productions we do are related to society,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAny change may cause a lot of ripples but may also bring a lot of hope,\u201d he says. Fong believes the most beautiful music is created at the hardest time. \u201cI don\u2019t believe music creation will die,\u201d he adds. He is planning to create a song about saying goodbye to Hong Kong. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Power of Linguistics <\/strong>
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Heartgrey, a three-time Chinese Beatbox Champion who represented Hong Kong at the 2012 Beatbox Battle World Championship, has produced music about political affairs in Hong Kong. He says that it is important for music creators to survive in their own ways. \u201cMusic creators can use less explicit words in their lyrics,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, Heartgrey produced a song titled \u201cUnder Mountain\u201d with his friends to express their feelings towards the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill (Anti-ELAB) movement. The song was first performed in the King Maker II Final Competition on ViuTV. It then became a hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Heartgrey performed the song \u201cUnder Mountain\u201d in the King Maker II Final 
Competition on ViuTV. (Photo courtesy of Heartgrey)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Heartgrey thinks music can be a source of emotional support for Hong Kongers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMusic creators are able to influence the public emotionally by playing guitar and composing songs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, everyone can walk hand in hand with an optimistic vibe,\u201d he says. \u201cGiven the tense atmosphere, music creators should make greater effort to send out our ray of sunshine,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGiven the tense atmosphere, music 
creators should make greater effort to send out our ray of sunshine.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Heartgrey says there are still positive impacts of the law. He believes that the quality of language used in lyrics writing will be improved because producers will express their minds by using implicit words. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t clash with the law directly,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd we have to stay alive. Don\u2019t just bury ourselves into politics,\u201d he adds.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edited by Emilie Lui<\/em>
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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