JUST TO SHARE (Lau Tai Onn): March 2015

Samuel Hui Koon-kit (许冠杰, born 6 September 1948), or better known as Sam Hui, has always been my all-time most favorite Cantonese pop singer since I was a teenager. Actually he is 7 years older than me. I am very familiar with all his songs and love to listen to most of them.

As most people already knew, Sam Hui is a Hong Kong Cantonese pop (Cantopop) musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is credited with popularising Cantopop both with the infusion of Western-style music and using light-hearted, street Cantonese jargon in his lyrics writing that appealed to the Hong Kong masses, particularly the working class, and became very popular in the late 1970s. Sam is widely acclaimed as the “God of Cantopop Songs (歌神)” in Hong Kong, the first singer ever to be acknowledged with such a title.

I have never attended any musical concerts of singers all my life in the past. As soon as I first heard from the radio on my way to work one day last month about Sam Hui's world tour show “What a Wonderful World Live in Malaysia 2015” at Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands on 21st March, 2015, I promptly booked four tickets for my wife and two children who were interested to join me for the show. In addition to that, I also booked two rooms at the First World Hotel so that we can stay overnight and need not rush back to home after the show.

Our tickets are priced at RM 255 each and the room RM 100 per night using my Genting WorldCard membership.

On Saturday, 21st March, 2015, my wife Soh Ai, my two sons Wai Kit and Wai Kei and I left home at 10.00am after taking breakfast and we reached the First World Hotel, Genting Highlands at around 12.00pm.

We then met Soh Ai’s cousin Albert Choo Chuan Leong who had a complimentary 1R2N stay at Resort Hotel and as he came alone the previous day on Friday and would check out on Saturday, he was very kind to let us take over the room for the second night. As such, my two sons would stay separately in one room each at the First World Hotel.

After checking into our respective rooms, Albert was very generous in further treating us to a Chinese (Hakka–style) lunch at Restoran Good Friends (好友记) before leaving us for home. We had a pleasant chat and savored pretty delicious food. I must take this opportunity to express my utmost appreciation and gratitude to him for his hospitality and kindness.

The concert of this evening was indeed an extravaganza of classic songs by my idol singer Sam Hui lasting from 8.30pm till 11.20pm. Sam did perform to his best at such a senior age of 67 and I found it truly a show of value for money. I totally enjoyed every moment of this fascinating concert which inter alia brought back many fond memories of my past.

Sam Hui began his performance of about 40 songs beginning with “Jui gan yiu ho waan (最紧要好玩)” or “The most critical of fun” which is the theme song of his film "Working Class《打工皇帝》(1985)" (See: https://youtu.be/k8x_5cZMBnQ).

He almost sang non-stop for more than two and a half hours with few short breaks to change 6 pieces of costumes and intermittent performance by his two sons Ryan and Scott, his student Justin and his daughter-in-law Ida (wife of Scott). The greatest surprise was his eldest brother Michael Hui also appeared on stage to sing a song with Sam and did a short talk show which could be considered as a warm-up for his upcoming show at the same venue next month.

The final song by Sam was the famous “浪子心声 (Long zi sum sing)” or “From the heart of a loafer” which is also a song from his movie “Games Gamblers Play 《鬼马双星》(1974)”. The lyrics that goes: “命里有时终须有ming leoi jau si zung seoi jau; 命里无时莫强求 ming leoi mou si mok koeng kau” (literally meaning: “We’ll eventually gain whatever as fate would have it; we’d better not to strive too hard for something not destined for us”) is so famous all these years that it has become a philosophical quote.
(See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dkoBCtMLn0A).

Absolutely meaningful from start to end!

A pose with Albert Choo at the lobby of First World Hotel

Soh Ai and her cousin brother Albert Choo

A pose with Albert at the restaurant

My two sons Wai Kit (pic left) and Wai Kei

A spacious room at Resort Hotel

Our entry tickets to Sam Hui's concert at Arena of Stars

A pose before entering Arena of Stars

The front view of the newly refurbished Arena of Stars

A report from a Chinese newspaper is reproduced as follows:

年届67岁的许冠杰周六（21日）8时30分在云顶云星剧场，举办其《世界多美好2015》巡回演唱会。虽然许冠杰相隔一年再站上同一个舞台，但现场座无虚席，除了60%为“后青春”歌迷，也有不少年轻人捧场。

许冠杰以《最紧要好玩》为演唱会掀开序幕，紧接唱出《最佳拍档》及《半斤八两》向大马歌迷打招。呼边唱带跳演绎3首歌后的许冠杰略显有点喘，炒热现场气氛。

一番热身后，许冠杰请出其御用演唱会嘉宾，大儿子许怀恩 (Ryan)、小儿子许怀谷(Scott) 及徒弟Justin Lim。3人合唱经典英文歌曲《Johnny B.Good》，现场更播放着“想当年”年纪轻轻的许怀恩弹吉他为父亲伴奏的片段，极为温馨。

接着，许冠杰也请出演唱会安排的惊喜嘉宾之一，“许氏兄弟”的大哥许冠文。幽默的许冠文首先咨询弟弟是否能发言后，爆料说：“Sam（许冠杰洋名）向来说我唱歌差，从来不曾让我有机会开声，这次非常难得，但他说明了只能唱一首。”其后两人搭肩合唱《是雨是泪》，画面上少了三哥许冠英，略显遗憾。

即将于下月来马举办《难分真与假》Talk Show的许冠文也获准在弟弟下场换衣时，发言几句。他趁机抛出几个笑话，试观众反应。他更笑指现今的流行歌曲已不如当年弟弟的作品有“情”，“尤其那首深受欢迎的《江南Style》，大家可能听不懂在唱什么。”他还在台上小秀一段江南舞，非常搞笑。

哥哥儿子轮流上阵后，许冠杰的惊喜“死不罢休”，竟请出小儿子老婆Ida上场。原来Ida也是“唱得”之人，在与许冠杰合唱《无敌是爱》时，其不俗唱功的唱功也成功让歌迷如此如醉。见台下歌迷的热情，“鬼马”风趣的他忍不住笑称：“今晚像是发了一场春梦，很不真实的春梦。”

两个半小时的演唱会上，许冠杰演唱了近40首的经典旧作，大部分都是大家耳熟能详的曲子。其中，他也特意在演唱《时光倒流》及《在回忆中》时播放多为已故著名歌手的表演片段，缅怀他们对舞台的热爱，包括陈百强、梅艳芳、黄家驹、邓丽君、罗文及许冠英。

另外，许冠杰也特别选唱《沉默是金》向“哥哥”张国荣致敬。除了屏幕上放出张国荣昔日旧照，歌迷们在许冠杰深情演唱中，配合地挥动手中荧光棒，场面相当动容。

虽然已“不复当年勇”，但活泼好动的许冠杰在演唱会开场不久及安哥时，两度下台走到观众席，与歌迷握手互动。偶像近在眼前，歌迷失控蜂涌上前，让陷在人群中的许冠杰几乎寸步难行。

最后，许冠杰以《浪子心声》为演唱会划上句点。他还自嘲此曲为其江郎才尽的最后作品，观众们也非常配合得全场合唱。

(Another report can be referred to:

http://www.orientaldaily.com.my/entertainment/ylstyle )

许冠杰《世界多美好演唱会》曲目:

最紧要好玩∕最佳拍档∕半斤八两∕最喜欢你∕锡晒你∕快乐∕印象∕微风∕心里日记∕难忘你∕Johnny B.Good＋钱会继续來（许怀欣、许怀谷、Justin）∕What A Wonderful World＋鬼马双星∕双星情歌∕摩登保鏢∕卖身契∕是雨是泪（许冠文合唱）∕尖沙咀Susie＋玛丽我好钟意你＋Pretty Woman＋十个女仔∕杯酒当歌∕世事如棋∕有酒今朝醉∕无敌是爱(Ida合唱)∕父母恩（许怀欣&Justin&许怀谷&Ida合唱）∕时光倒流∕在回忆中∕沉默是金∕为你+这一曲送你（许怀欣合唱）∕乐土∕天才白痴梦∕急流勇退