The Bund composer Joseph Koo (left), singer Frances Yip (centre) and lyricist James Wong in an undated image. Photo: Courtesy of Frances Yip / Ashlyn Chak
HONG KONG: With its assertive orchestral opening and diva Frances Yip Lai-yee’s commanding voice singing “long bun, long lau”, the first few bars of “The Bund” are immediately recognisable to many.
But just why has this 1980 Cantonese song, the theme of a television gangster romance set in Shanghai, become such an enduring anthem beloved by speakers of different dialects?
