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''Naamyam'' (; lit. "southern tunes") is a unique local narrative singing tradition in
Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...
in the form of rap-like rhyme, which is different from the '' nanguan'' (lit. "southern pipes") tradition originating from Southern Fujian. Naamyam is originated in the Pearl River Delta in the late
Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
and was very popular in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
, Canton,
Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...
and other Cantonese-speaking areas. Naamyam in a broad sense refers to Cantonese tunes, including Dei Seoi Naamyam (地水南音, lit. “earth and water” Naamyam), Hei Kuk Naamyam (戲曲南音, lit. Opera Naamyam), Lou Geoi Naamyam (老舉南音, lit. Prostitute Naamyam). A singer would be engaged for a single performance or for regular performances over an extended period of time. Famous naamyam singers included Chung Tak (1860–1929), Dou Wun (; 1910–1979), Yuen Siu-fai and Au Kwan-cheung. Dei Seoi Naamyam was a unique regional narrative singing tradition in Cantonese that became popular in the 20th century when teahouse culture flourished in Canton, Hong Kong and Macao. In addition to teahouses, Dei Seoi Naamyam was also performed on the streets and in brothels. Dei Seoi Naamyam normally sung by blind people, (respectfully called the blind master (瞽師). Some famous songs include the Hegemon-King Bids His Lady Farewell (霸王别姬), Nan Siu Yi (男燒衣) and Nui Siu Yi (女燒衣). Dei Seoi Naamyam began to decline in the late 1920s, due to the popularity of Cantonese opera. Dei Seoi Naamyam was adapted into Cantonese Opera and become Hei Kuk Naamyam. Naamyam mostly sung in pornographic venues, so many tracks involve male and female love. Such tracks are also known as "Lou Geoi Naamyam". Lou Geoi Naamyam was sung by prostitutes in brothels and opium dens. There are also "Pipa Zai" (琵琶仔), which are girls who only play music but do not provide sexual service. Since the 1930s, Hong Kong has banned prostitution, brothels and opium dens were closed and the Lou Geoi Naamyam disappeared.


See also

*
Cantonese opera Cantonese opera is one of the major categories in Chinese opera, originating in southern China's Guangdong Province. It is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau and among Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Like all versions of ...
*
Cantopop Cantopop (a contraction of "Cantonese pop music") is a genre of pop music sung in Cantonese. Cantopop is also used to refer to the cultural context of its production and consumption. The genre began in the 1970s and became associated with Hon ...
* Huangmei Opera *
Beijing Opera Peking opera, or Beijing opera (), is the most dominant form of Chinese opera, which combines instrumental music, vocal performance, mime, martial arts, dance and acrobatics. It arose in Beijing in the mid-Qing dynasty (1644–1912) and became ...
*
Music of China The music of China consists of many distinct traditions, often specifically originating with one of the country's various Ethnic groups in China, ethnic groups. It is produced within and without the country, involving either people of Chinese or ...
*
Music of Hong Kong The Music of Hong Kong is an eclectic mixture of traditional and popular genres. Cantopop is one of the more prominent genres of music produced in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta regularly perform ...


References


External links


Cantonese Narrative Song Naamyam: Hong Kong Cultural Treasure
{{Guangdong topics Cantonese culture Chinese storytelling Chinese folk music