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Michael Lai (composer)

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Michael Lai
Lê tiểu điền
Pronunciationlai4 siu2 tin4
Born8 November 1946(1946-11-08)
British Hong Kong
Died1 December 2019(2019-12-01)(aged 73)
St.Paul Hospital, Causeway Bay,Hong Kong
NationalityHong Konger
Occupation(s)Composer, music producer, actor
Known forCantopop
Spouse
​
​
(m.1982;div.1984)​

Michael Lai Siu-tin(Chinese:Lê tiểu điền;Jyutping:lai4 siu2 tin4;8 November 1946[1]– 1 December 2019) was aHong Kongmusiccomposer,record producerand actor.

Lai was born in 1946 inBritish Hong Kongto the composerLai Cho-tin[zh]and his literary critic wife, and he later became friends with Cantopop band leaderJoseph Koo.Lai attendedLa Salle College.[2]

Lai first appeared on the music scene in the 1950s, but would also make a number of small but notable appearances as a film actor from the 1950s to 1990s.

Life and career

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Lai was born in 1946 inBritish Hong Kong.His father,Lai Cho-tin[zh],was amusic director,and his mother was a literary critic.[2]He first worked in the entertainment industry as achild actor,making his first appearance inJuvenile(1953).[3]Lai attendedLa Salle College.[2]

Entry into music with Rediffusion Television

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As a teenager who wanted to explore pop music, Lai joined a band performing in anightclub,where he first metJoseph Koo.[2]In 1973, he entered a songwriting contest hosted byTVB,coming in third place behind Koo andJames Wong Jim.[2][3]By 1975, Lai had become the music director forRediffusion Television.[4]That year, he gained popularity as the co-host of thevariety show,Nancy & Michael(Chinese:Chim yến cùng tiểu điền;Jyutping:gaa1 jin3 jyu5 siu2 tin4), sharing hosting duties with actressNancy SIt.[3][5]

During his time at Rediffusion, Lai worked on varioustheme songsfor the channel'stelevision dramas.[4]WithlyricistJimmy Lo[zh],who started working at the television station in 1978, Lai composed many theme songs that placed in theRTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awardsduring the late 70s and early 80s.[5]The theme song for the 1979 television seriesReincarnatedplaced in the top 10 of theGold Songs Awardsof that year.[6]The following year, three compositions by Lai and Lo appeared in the top 10 of the1980 Gold Songs Awards:"Tear Drops on a Journey" (Chinese:Người ở lữ đồ rơi lệ khi;Jyutping:jan4 zoi6 leoi5 tou4 saa2 leoi6 si4), "Decrepit Dream" (Chinese:Tàn mộng;Jyutping:caan4 mung6), and "Drama of Life" (Chinese:Hí kịch nhân sinh;Jyutping:hei3 kek6 jan4 saang7).[5][7]In addition, the Lai-composed song "Unable to Find an Excuse", from the seriesHong Kong Gentlemen,won Jimmy Lo the inaugural Best Lyrics Award at the1981 Gold Songs Awards.[5][8]

Move to Capital Artists

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In 1982, Lai began working for theCapital Artistsrecord label,[5]a subsidiary of TVB.[9]In this position, he played a significant part in helpingCantopopsingers achieve success in the industry. Lai producedLeslie Cheung's second Cantonese album,Wind Blows On,[3]which propelled the singer to newfound popularity and was certified gold by theInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry.[10]He also helped organise theNew Talent Singing Awards,which helped scout talent likeAnita Mui,the winner of its inaugural year in 1982.[4]Lai composed some of Mui's songs, such as "Fiery Tango" (Chinese:Như lửa Tango),[3]from the 1987 platinum-selling album of the same name.[11]

In addition to working with singers and television series, Lai also composed works for films. He won Best Original Film Score and Best Original Film Song at the1989 Hong Kong Film AwardsforRouge(1988), which featured bothCheungandMui.[2][3]Throughout his career, Lai has been credited with 30 original musical scores for Hong Kong films from the 1970s to 1990s, as well as 700 original songs.[2]

Lai received a Hall of Fame Award from theComposers and Authors Society of Hong Kongin 2006.[2]

Personal life

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Lai was married toSusanna Kwanfrom 1982 to 1984.[3][12]

Lai died on 1 December 2019, inSt.Paul Hospitaldue tolung cancer.He was survived by his son from a former relationship.

Musicianship and composition style

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Lai often start songs with simple melody and a natural flow.[13]He also likes to set a 7-chord repertoire, then set akey changeat the final chorus. His preferred instrument for composition is piano.

While most of his songs are slow ballads, but mostly experimented with songs with traditional Chinese instruments, but doesn't use as manypentatonic scalelikeJames Wong Jimdid.

Works

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Film

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References

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  1. ^"Vừa mới, Trương Quốc Vinh ngự dụng âm nhạc người lê tiểu điền chết bệnh, hưởng thọ 73 tuổi - xe quản sở tin tức võng".lycgs.
  2. ^abcdefghChou, Oliver (1 December 2019)."Michael Lai, giant of film and TV music in Hong Kong, dies at 73".South China Morning Post.Archived fromthe originalon 1 December 2019.Alt URL
  3. ^abcdefgHui, Sophie (2 December 2019)."Cantopop star-maker Michael Lai dead at 73".The Standard.Retrieved28 January2020.
  4. ^abcLi, Neil (13 December 2019)."Multifaceted musician Michael Lai".China Daily HK.Retrieved28 January2020.
  5. ^abcdeYiu-Wai Chu (1 January 2017).Hong Kong Cantopop: A Concise History.Hong Kong University Press. pp. 72–73.ISBN978-988-8390-58-8.
  6. ^"Bao năm qua mười đại tiếng Trung kim khúc trao giải âm nhạc sẽ - đệ nhị giới (1979)"[Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Awards - 2nd (1979)].rthk9.rthk.hk(in Chinese).Retrieved28 January2020.
  7. ^"Bao năm qua mười đại tiếng Trung kim khúc trao giải âm nhạc sẽ - lần thứ ba (1980)"[Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Awards - 3rd (1980)].rthk9.rthk.hk(in Chinese).Retrieved28 January2020.
  8. ^"Bao năm qua mười đại tiếng Trung kim khúc trao giải âm nhạc sẽ - lần thứ tư (1981)"[Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Awards - 4th (1981)].rthk9.rthk.hk(in Chinese).Retrieved28 January2020.
  9. ^Klavier J. Wang (7 January 2020).Hong Kong Popular Culture: Worlding Film, Television, and Pop Music.Springer Nature. pp. 368–.ISBN9789811388170.
  10. ^"1983 Certifications".International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.Archived fromthe originalon 24 September 2015.Retrieved28 January2020.
  11. ^"1988 Certifications".International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.Archived fromthe originalon 24 September 2015.Retrieved28 January2020.
  12. ^"Susanna Kwan Unafraid of Public Scrutiny in Same-Sex Relationship".Jayne Stars. 11 December 2015.Retrieved5 December2019.
  13. ^Lý triển bằng; trác nam (2014).Cuối cùng mạn châu toa hoa: Mai Diễm Phương diễn nghệ sĩ sinh = Anita Mui.Tam liên hiệu sách ( Hong Kong ) công ty hữu hạn.ISBN978-962-04-3494-5.OCLC897209656.
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