Recently Yahoo News on-lone reported the following:
Composer Joseph Koo, linked to 'Golden Era' of Hong Kong
culture, dies in Vancouver
The Canadian Press
Fri, January 6, 2023 at 8:52 a.m. GMT+8
VANCOUVER — Renowned composer Joseph Koo, whose music helped
form the soundtrack for what his family called the "Golden Era" of
Hong Kong culture in the 1970s and '80s, has died in a Metro Vancouver
hospital.
Koo's family said in a statement that he died of natural causes on Tuesday, six days short of his 92nd birthday.
The composer is closely associated with the heyday of Cantopop, writing songs for some of the biggest names of the Cantonese music genre as well as scoring movies including Bruce Lee's "Way of the Dragon" and "Fist of Fury."
He also wrote "Below the Lion Rock," the theme tune for a popular '70s TV series of the same name, which became an unofficial anthem for Hong Kong.
Koo's family said he attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston before returning to Hong Kong in the '60s to launch his music career.
They said he immigrated to Canada in the 1990s but continued his work in the Hong Kong music scene.
"He will be dearly missed within the music industry and by Chinese communities around the world," the family's statement said.
Koo’s son Ken, 64, said his father was a quiet "man of few words."
That was in contrast to his longtime collaborator and lyricist James Wong Jim.
"One is shyer and the other is more flamboyant, it's a very good balance. So together, they make a very good duo," Ken Koo said.
Ken Koo said his father wrote more than 1,000 songs, popularizing Cantonese music and capturing the spirit of Hong Kong at a time of great optimism, when “every day was a better day than yesterday.”
The songs resonated with generations of Hong Kongers and Chinese communities worldwide, he said.
Singer Annabelle Louie, a star in Hong Kong in the 1980s whose songs included two written by Koo, said the composer's melodies had not aged.
"I've done a lot of performances in Canada and the States, so whenever I do his songs, there is always a climax, people just love it," said Louie.
She said the "Godfather of Cantopop" was also a mentor.
"When I was working with him in a recording studio, he gently guided me on how to sing the song and he also left room for me to improvise. He is a really good teacher," said Louie. "His influence isn't just limited to the '70s and '80s, he also inspired the younger generation."
Ken Koo, who lives in Vancouver, said at the peak of his father's career, demand for his work was so great that he only slept three to four hours per day.
He divided his time between Canada and Hong Kong but he retired to Vancouver permanently four years ago.
“We spent a great amount of time here doing a lot of things that are very memorable, like going to Campbell River for fishing trips. We had a lot of really great moments in Canada,” said Ken.
He said his father died in Richmond Hospital.
Hong Kong's secretary for culture, sports and tourism, Kevin Yeung, paid tribute to Koo in a statement.
"Joseph Koo's works are evergreen pieces that have been a significant part of Hong Kong people's lives over the years, and have enriched the lives of Chinese people around the world," he said.
"His spirit and the memorable touching melodies he created will be passed down from one generation to the next. We shall fondly remember him."
Koo is survived by his widow Ella Tsang Noi Koo, son Ken, daughter Sally Koo, his brother Howard Ku and sister Koo Mei.
(This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2023. This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.)
Translation
溫哥華 - 著名作曲家 顧嘉煇在大溫哥華地區的一家醫院去世，他的家人稱他的音樂於 1970 年代和 80 年代的香港文化 “黃金時代” 中創作了影視配樂。
顧嘉煇的家人在一份聲明中說，他於週二因自然原因去世，距離他 92 歲生日還有六天。
這位作曲家與粵語流行樂的鼎盛時期密切相關，為廣東歌流派的一些知名人士創作歌曲，並為李小龍的《猛龍過江》和《精武門》等得獎電影配樂。
他還創作了 70 年代同名電視劇的主題曲《獅子山下》，成為香港的非官方國歌。
顧嘉煇的家人說，在 60 年代回到香港開始他的音樂生涯之前，他曾就讀於波士頓的伯克利音樂學院。
他們說他在 1990 年代移民到加拿大，但繼續在香港樂壇工作。
該家族的聲明說: “音樂界和世界各地的華人社區都會非常想念他”。
顧嘉煇的兒子 Ken Koo，64 歲，說他的父親是一個沉默 “寡言的人”。
這與他的長期合作者兼作詞家黃霑形成鮮明對比。
Ken Koo 說: “一個較害羞，另一個較張揚，這是一個很好的平衡。所以他們在一起，是一個非常好的二人組” 。
顧為張國榮、梅艷芳和羅文等明星寫歌，但他也以電影和電視作品而聞名。 他的第一首流行歌曲是1961年香港電影《不了情》中的《夢》。
Ken Koo 說他的父親寫了 1,000 多首歌曲，推廣粵語音樂，並在 “每一天都比昨天更好” 的非常樂觀年代捕捉香港精神。
他說，這些歌曲引起了幾代香港人和全球華人社區的共鳴。
1980 年代的香港明星歌手安Annabelle Louie 的歌曲中有兩首是顧嘉煇創作的，她說作曲家的旋律沒有過時。
Annabelle Louie 說: “我在加拿大和美國做過很多表演，所以每當我唱他的歌時，總會有一個高潮，人們就是喜歡它” 。
她說 “廣東歌教父” 也是一位導師。
Louie說: “我在錄音室和他一起工作時，他溫柔地指導我如何唱這首歌，他也給我留下了即興發揮的空間，他是一位非常好的老師”; “他的影響不僅限於 70 年代和 80 年代，他還啟發了年輕一代。”
住在溫哥華的 Ken Koo 說，他父親事業在巔峰的時期，他的工作需求如此之大，以至於他每天只睡三到四個小時。
他在加拿大和香港兩地生活，但四年前退休後長居於溫哥華。
Ken Koo說: “我們在這裡度過了很多時間，做了很多非常難忘的事情，比如去Campbell 河釣魚。 我們在加拿大度過了很多非常美好的時光” 。
他說他的父親在烈治文醫院去世了。
香港文化、體育及旅遊局局長楊潤雄在一份聲明中向顧表示敬意。
楊說： “顧嘉煇的作品是長青的，多年來一直是香港人生活的重要組成部分，也豐富了世界各地華人的生活。”
“他的精神和由他創作的,令人難忘的動人旋律將代代相傳。我們將永遠懷念他。”
顧嘉煇身後有遺孀 Ella Tsang Noi Koo、兒子 Ken Koo、女兒 Sally Koo、弟弟 Howard Koo 和姊姊 Koo Mei。
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