RED BOAT TROUPES AND CANTONESE ... - University of Georgia

Figure 13. Mr. C. Chan at the Qing Wan Music Association in Vancouver.
There seemed to be two groups of amateur singers in Vancouver: those who went to
Vancouver before the 1980s were working class immigrants who sung old repertoire and boun
huang and those who came after the 1980s were upper middle class and left Hong Kong because
of the 1997’s political uncertainties. Many husbands of the newer immigrant families returned to
Hong Kong to work, leaving their wives and children in Vancouver. Women of this class
enjoyed singing from the newer repertoire, such as siu kuk from Tong Dik Sung’s operas.
An Interview with Mr Wong Toa
In the summer of 2007, various members from Qing Wan Cantonese Opera Association
of Vancouver directed me to Mr Wong Toa. He was a retired professional instrumentalist, a
prolific writer who had published articles on Chinese opera for the Singtao Newspaper for
several years, and a teacher of opera singing for seventy years. Many professional singers
(including Bruce Lee) were his students. In 1961, Mr Wong became the first Cantonese Opera
musician to receive permission to immigrate to Canada on the basis of his trade. 157 Having
glanced through the publications he donated to the Chinese Library in Vancouver, I was excited
157 Conversation with Wong Toa
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