First of all, let's witness a legendary story - Xu Guanjie, the musical genius who showed extraordinary talent at a young age! In the sixties, Hong Kong's music scene was dominated by Chinese songs and English pop songs, but Cantonese songs were often mistaken for vulgar "market minority" and were neglected.
However, no matter how the outside world blows, Hui Guanjie has always maintained a unique fanaticism and steadfastness for the authentic Cantonese music of his hometown, and when he was in high school, he formed his own band, with long flowing hair and wearing a beloved leather jacket, leading the team to passionately present those rock music full of strength and vitality, and more importantly, he has the courage to try to interpret Cantonese songs in the way of the young people of this era, and strive to show the world that Cantonese songs can also be full of chic fashion and glamorous style.
In 1964, Xu Guanjie, who was only 16 years old at the time, co-founded Xu's Film Company with several brothers, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to his music dream. In 1971, he signed with PolyGram Records and released his first album in English.
It was during a live performance that year that the trajectory of his life took a major turn, when there was a girl from a foreign country in the audience who was deeply moved by Xu Guanjie's intoxicating singing, she was completely immersed in this wonderful musical world, and her eyes flashed with a charming light When Xu Guanjie played the guitar, he couldn't help but be attracted by the girl's intoxicated expression, as if at that moment, they were already destined to become the other half of each other's lives, destined to go through a long journey of life hand in hand.
The straightforward Xu Guanjie did not hesitate to step down to find the woman who made his heart move, although there were thousands of mountains and rivers between them, but through the warm, sincere and touching exchange of letters, their relationship became deeper and deeper, and finally after several years of running-in and communication, he finally ushered in the dream moment, married this exotic beauty home, and began their happy life.
Next, let's look back at another important milestone in Hui Guanjie's music career - in 1972, he released the classic "Tower Lingyun", which is hailed as the beginning of a new era of Cantonese songs.
The lyrics of the song were written by his brother Hui Koon-man, who poetically praised Hong Kong as a vibrant and resilient city.
When Mr. Hui Guanjie performed this song passionately with his magnetic and charismatic voice, with great affection and pride, he seemed to vividly show the unique cultural scene of the city of Hong Kong to all listeners.
This soulful, simple and natural melody has instantly become stirring and majestic through his excellent interpretation, awakening the deep pride and deep attachment of countless Hong Kong citizens to this land.
This may be the first time in history that the majority of Hong Kong citizens have a deep understanding that our local Cantonese songs can be so melodious and fascinating! At that time, Cantonese songs were long regarded as low-grade and vulgar, and were even given a derogatory term like "market minor".
However, the birth of the song "Tower" has made people feel the unique charm and charm of Cantonese songs again.
There is no doubt that this song opens a new era of Cantonese songs in Hong Kong. With his musical talent, Mr. Xu Guanjie has successfully conquered countless audiences, making more and more people begin to love and cherish this unique musical language from his hometown.
Soon after, a large number of Cantonese singers such as Ms. Xu Xiaofeng and Mr. Lo Man followed suit, setting off a wave of Cantonese songs in Hong Kong.
3. Warm-hearted singing under the epidemic and reproducing the immortal legend
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, 2020 has come, the new crown pneumonia epidemic is raging all over the world, and human life is shrouded in a haze. Just when many Hong Kong citizens were in a panic, Mr. Hui Guanjie, who had entered his prime, picked up his beloved guitar again, wore his trademark black leather jacket and cool sunglasses, and stepped on the empty studio stage alone, dedicating a touching online concert to the Hong Kong people.
Although there was no audience at the scene, Mr. Xu Guanjie still devoted himself as before, and opened the song "Under the Lion Rock" full of positive energy. The moment the song sounds, it seems to bring the audience back to the familiar and intimate land of Hong Kong.
Immediately afterwards, he rarely sang the classic episode "A Laugh in the Sea" in the 1990 movie "Smiling Proud Jianghu", inspiring people with this heroic and free-spirited song, inspiring people to sing to their heart's content.
This unprecedented concert lasted for more than an hour! Despite the small number of live audiences, the live broadcast of the media still managed to attract the attention of up to 2.25 million TV viewers, which is comparable to the more than 200 performances of the Red Pavilion! It is no exaggeration to say that this 86-year-old legend in the music industry still retains an irresistible charisma and strong appeal.
Back in 2003, 17 years ago, Hong Kong had just come out of the shadow of SARS, and our beloved Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui had passed away one after another, and the entire Hong Kong society was in an unprecedented downturn.
In this context, Hui Guanjie resolutely decided to return to the stage, and held 38 shocking concerts in a row, with his magnetic voice and singing voice that has gone through the baptism of time, he has brought endless strength and hope to Hong Kong, warmed the hearts of countless people, and inspired the people's fighting spirit.
Whenever Hong Kong faces major crises and difficult times, the music legend has always stepped up to inspire people in his unique way, sharing the glory of the city through thick and thin.
There is no doubt that he has long since become the pride of the city of Hong Kong, an indelible cultural symbol.
However, despite Xu Guanjie's great achievements in his career, life has brought him many challenges and tests. His eldest son, Xu Huaixin, has been suffering from deafness in his right ear since he was three years old, but he has always insisted on living a life like ordinary people without wearing hearing aids.
Everything seemed to be going in a good direction, until the shocking incident in 2018 - Xu Huaixin, who usually does not smoke or drink alcohol and has extremely healthy habits, accidentally found blood stains during a toilet visit.
Feeling apprehensive, he went to the hospital for a comprehensive check-up and was diagnosed with bladder cancer. This sudden bad news was like a thunderbolt from the blue, and the whole family fell into extreme grief.
In order not to worry his elderly grandparents, and at the same time to avoid panic among his wife and children, Xu Huaixin firmly decided to actively accept the doctor's treatment.
In those difficult days, he had to endure the pain caused by chemotherapy drugs, and his weight plummeted by 27 pounds, and his haggard face made his family see it in their eyes and hurt in their hearts.
However, even when her physical condition is deteriorating, Xu Huaixin has always adhered to her inner yearning for a better life and a positive attitude. He firmly believes that as long as he follows the doctor's prescribed treatment, he will be able to overcome the disease and embrace the sunshine of life again.
As expected, during the long and arduous journey against cancer, he finally survived the difficulties and got rid of the shadow of death.
After the catastrophe, the doctor told Xu Huaixin to undergo regular check-ups and observation for up to 5 years to ensure that the cancer did not recur.
This good news is like a rain after a long drought, bringing unprecedented comfort and joy to the whole family. On the other side of the family, Xu Guanjie also reaped a different kind of joy - his long-held wish was finally realized! This grandfather has been looking forward to having a beautiful and lovely granddaughter.
In 2020, the wife of his youngest son Xu Huaigu finally gave birth to an innocent little princess Xu Zhichen for him. Three generations are in the same house, with both grandsons and granddaughters, which satisfies one of Xu Guanjie's long-cherished wishes in life.
5. Starring in "Smiling Proud Jianghu" leads a new peak in film and television
In addition to his brilliant achievements in the field of music, Xu Guanjie has also left a deep mark on the film screen through his own film and television company. In 1990, at the age of 42, he starred in the actor Ling Huchong in the drama blockbuster "Smiling Proud Jianghu" adapted from Jin Yong's martial arts masterpiece.
Despite his age, Xu Guanjie has a unique understanding and interpretation of this character with deep cultural heritage. He successfully created a heroic, unruly but kind and innocent hero, perfectly presenting the character traits of the male protagonist in the original book "hiding a knife in a smile and turning over in Caojiagou".
On the big screen, the audience saw an image of Ling Hu Chong that was exactly the same as the description in the novel: "tiger eyes and eyebrows, teeth and claws, wearing a yellow satin vest, roaring and reprimanding", all of which made people marvel.
Even Mr. Jin Yong himself spoke highly of Xu Guanjie's wonderful performance, believing that he was the version of Linghu Chong that was closest to the original character.
In the last scene of the film, many heroes and heroes such as Hu Chong sang the theme song "A Laugh in the Sea" composed by Xu Guanjie for the film, announcing his retirement from martial arts and enjoying the joy of family.
This passionate song coincidentally complements the noble life pursuit of Xu Guanjie, who had reached the peak of his career at that time!
What is remarkable is that only two years later, at the end of 1992, Xu Guanjie, who had already entered the age of no doubt, solemnly issued a statement saying that he had officially retired from the Chinese music scene. In order to express its high respect for the superstar, Hong Kong TVB specially held a touching farewell party for this purpose.
Many dazzling stars such as Alan Tam, Leslie Cheung, Jacky Cheung, Anita Mui and Andy Lau attended the event, and the atmosphere was extraordinary, which was enough to demonstrate Hui's irreplaceable status in the Hong Kong music scene.
From founding a family film and television company, to starring in the classic "Smiling Proud Jianghu", to personally writing lyrics for the theme song of the show, Xu Guanjie has also shown outstanding talent and influence in the field of film and television.
With his unique artistic approach, he skillfully combined music and film and television, creating a new artistic field and leaving a valuable legacy for future generations.