| Fans of Canto-pop star Keung To crowdfunded money for billboard ads featuring Keung To in the Causeway Way shopping district. South China Morning Post |
Home-grown talent aspiring to succeed and doing so in the local Chinese dialect of Cantonese with the familiar backdrop of the city from which they hail is exactly what residents of all ages need at so challenging a time.
Made famous by a popular television reality show, the group is a local twist on the K-pop phenomenon. But while K-pop is renowned for the manufactured, pitch and picture-perfect image of its stars, the Hong Kong take is down-to-earth.
Keung To has a likeable, boy-next-door demeanor. Although sporting a stylish haircut, he is perceived as level-headed, humble and simple.
Popular music takes many forms and its pinnacle in Hong Kong is widely perceived as being during the golden years of Canto-pop during the 1980s and 1990s. But it would be wrong to compare Keung To and Mirror to the entertainers of those years, when the economy was booming, fans could attend concerts in person and disease did not menace society.
The reputation of young people has also taken a hit from the protests of recent years that were marred by police clashes, vandalism and violence. The group sets all that aside with its songs and choreography; they are not the best at what they do, but they are trying their hardest to achieve their potential in challenging times and that is to be applauded.
A home-grown success story is exactly what young people in Hong Kong need to give hope and lift their spirits. Older generations appreciate the determination and drive. It helps that it is being done in the name of entertainment, the catchy sounds and sights providing an escape from the everyday drudgery, limits and restrictions. Keung To's best-known song, about living and loving while having to wear a mask, vividly reflects the times.
Hong Kong has a vibrant culture that the coronavirus has all but suppressed. The latest version of Canto-pop is not a reason to look back to the past and compare, but to set sights on a future of creativity and possibilities.