Chang Loo (1932-2009): Rest in Peace

I just learned over the weekend that Hong Kong singer Chang Loo recently passed away. A vivacious performer, she was always pushing the boundaries of Chinese popular music with her interpretations of the latest sounds from around the world (from Hank Williams and Patsy Cline to Japanese enka and Hawaiian hula).

In tribute to her remarkable career, here is her 1963 song 打魚忙 ("Busy Fishing"?), which — if my own babelfishing is to be trusted — was based on a 1960 song by Nikkatsu action star and enka singer Kobayashi Akira that was in turn based on a traditional Hokkaido fishing song.