Asian Ripoff LXXXVIII - Joe Le Taxi

Artist: Priscilla Chan
Language: Cantonese

One of those old ripoffs I listened to as a kid but totally forgot about til now :)

Asian Ripoff LXXXV - Black Cat

Artist: Shirley Kwan
Language: Cantonese

Bad quality but a classic nonetheless.

Asian Ripoff LXXXIV - I've Never Been To Me

Artist: Vivian Chow
Language: Cantonese

She's insanely beautiful but never really had a singing voice.

Top 10 Reasons to Learn Cantonese

Source: Due-East

A friend of mine just sent me a link to a New York Times article about how Cantonese is slowly dying out in New York’s Chinatown. I couldn’t help but get a little sad reading it. Sure, it’s a ridiculously difficult language to learn (which is why it should be spelled Can’t-onese), but it’s also an amazingly interesting language brimming with character. So, here I make my case for why people should try to learn it in addition to Mandarin. Here you are: My top 10 reasons to learn Cantonese!

Reason 1: The Wow Factor – As I said above, Cantonese is ridiculously difficult. Nobody seems to agree on exactly how many tones it has. Some people say 7. Some say 9. And some say over 11, referencing so-called silent tones. Sorry, but if it’s silent, it’s not a tone. But the insistence on the existence of these so-called silent tones only ups the ‘cool factor’ of Cantonese. If you can master it, you’re pretty much an unstoppable language learning force. Native speakers will lavish you with praise, giving your self-esteem a temporary boost (at least until you say something wrong and get made fun of. See reason number 8). And also, I’ll be really jealous of you.

....more

Cantonese is a very cool language. I like it much better than Mandarin. It's clear and easy to understand, even if it sounds a little hard. Mandarin sounds very lazy, lots of words slurred together.

I was totally convinced that Mandarin sucks when I heard Mandarin speakers try to speak English. It's awful. Sure we all know the Cantonese accent for English sounds pretty funny.. but at least it's understandable. I was on China Airlines and the way they spoke English on there with their slurred words and their purposely high-pitched voices.. I might as well have been listening to Mandarin. Didn't understand a word! What if there was a important announcement like... the plane is falling? It was very frustrating.

So yeah. learn Cantonese. Don't let it die!

Music: Honey - Park Jin Young

While the Wonder Girls tour with the Jonas Brothers and all the Asian blogs are on it like a hawk with backstage footage and 'how to do the dance' footage, I'm reminded of a couple of things.

First is the Korean version of Nobody. Sounds much smoother then the new English version. Although the English version is still very good and I think it'll be a smach hit.


Youtube Link

In that video I LOVED the song honey at the beginning. A mostly forgotten song that was reborn with the Nobody video.


Youtube Link

What a wonderful upbeat song! I actually first heard this song in Cantonese by Jacky Cheung.


Youtube Link

So this is how I'm spending my afternoon :D

Asian Ripoff LXXIV - Everytime We Touch

Artist: Emme Wong
Language: Cantonese

Youtube Link

Pretty nice. I would have liked to hear the faster dance version though :)

Asian Ripoff LXXIII - I Hate Myself For Loving You

Artist: Andy Lau
Language: Cantonese

Youtube Link

Andy Lau has great concerts. An absolute Hong Kong megastar.
Now I'll be thinking of this cover next time I watch Sunday Night Football :)

Asian Ripoff LX - Crush

Artist: Joey Yung
Language: Cantonese

Joey Yung about 10 years ago before she became a mega-star. Not a bad cover but a little plain.


Youtube Link

Other Asian Ripoffs

Asian Ripoff LVII - Love Me With All of Your Heart

Artist: Stephanie Lai
Language: Cantonese


Youtube Link

Proof that being cute doesn't ensure a good singing voice or a famous career :)

See other Asian Ripoffs!

Asian Ripoff LVI - Nothing´s Gonna Stop Us Now

Artist: George Lam
Language: Cantonese


Youtube Link

Not too bad. Music is the same and Lam has always had one of the stronger voices around.

Asian Ripoff LIV - Sway

Artist: Aaron Kwok
Language: Cantonese

An oldie :)


Youtube Link

Asian Ripoff LI - Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You

Artist: Lui Fong
Language: Cantonese

Lui Fong was a great singer in the 80s. But he's not that well known. He had two things going against him in HK. He wasn't good looking and he sang in the golden era with many great singers like Alan Tam, Leslie Cheung, the 4 Heavenly Kings and others.

He's got a real sweet voice.


Youtube Link

Asian Ripoff L - I Like Chopin

For some inane reason, this is an extremely popular song in Asia. It's not a bad song, I like the piano parts :)

First it was Alan Tam in Cantonese. Sorry for bad quality of a 1984 concert.


Youtube Link

Then HK group Grasshopper re-made it and re-titled it Rainy Days. Also in Cantonese with a much quicker beat but they took out the piano :(



Youtube Link

And In Mandarin


Youtube Link

Then in Japanese by Asami Kobayashi


Youtube Link

Then in Vietnamese by Nguyen Thang


Youtube Link

And then just the piano score from Japan. There's no sheet they say. Just from memory.


Youtube Link

And finally Alan Tam decided that everyone else's version sucked and remade it again last year for his new CD using traditional instruments.


Youtube Link

Now. Does anyone recognize/remember/like the original English song? Must be a popular song for it to be copied this many times!

Asian Ripoff XLIX - You're A Woman

Artist: Prudence Liew
Language: Cantonese


Youtube Link

Europop was very popular in 1980s Hong Kong :)

Asian Ripoff XLVIII - Take My Breath Away

Artist: Sandy Lam
Language: Cantonese


Youtube Link

Some of you may remember the song from Wong Kar Wai's As Tears Go By


Youtube Link

Asian Ripoff XLV - Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday

Artist: Jacky Cheung
Language: Cantonese

Boyz II Men suck! Three guys can't sing this song properly. Watch a HK legend sing it!


Youtube Link

Asian Ripoff XLII - Eat You Up

Artist: Samantha Lam (林志美)
Language: Cantonese


Youtube Link

Artist: Yoko Oginome
Language: Japanese


Youtube Link

Asian Ripoff XL - Cherry Cherry Lady

Artist: Sandy Lam San San
Language: Cantonese

I've been listening to this song way too much lately. The song is sped up and has a real techno beat to it. It's really catchy! I like this version more than original which it waaay too slow and high-pitched for two guys singing it!

Couldn't find a proper MV. Only found this danceclub video from Tudou



"DON'T YOU FIGHT IT BABY!" might be my new catch phrase :D

Asian Ripoff XXXIX - It's a Sin!

Artist: Danny Chan
Language: Cantonese



Danny Chan was a bit before my time because he died so young. This is a wonderful remake of It's A Sin.

Asian Ripoff XXXVI - One More Try

Here's an oldie :)

Artist: Hacken Lee
Language: Cantonese


Youtube Link