On Sunday, Aug 11, over a hundred people gathered at the crossroad of Mott Street and Mosco Street to join the Chinatown Block Party. Organized by the nonprofit Think! Chinatown, the event merged 20th century Cantonese and Mandarin pop music with Latin dances such as salsa and cha-cha, celebrating songs that are loved by members of the Chinatown community across generations.
The blend of Latin dance and Chinese pop music was nothing out of the blue, as the dance has been a long-time influence in places such as Hong Kong. Pop stars such as Sally Yeh, Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung often performed these dances both on concert stages and in movies, and Bruce Lee was even a Hong Kong cha-cha champion in 1958.
As iconic Chinese and Latin hits blasted from a newsstand-turned-DJ booth, the historic heart of Manhattan’s Chinatown, populated by old restaurants, an antique shop and a catholic church, was transformed into a vibrant dance floor, inviting the audience, skilled dancers and beginners alike, to come forth and dance.
The soul of the block party was a thoughtfully-curated set list by DJs Rochelle “Yiu Yiu” Kwan, the curator of the Chinatown Records project, and Gia Fu, a music producer from Hong Kong. From the jazz tunes of Chang Loo from 1940s Shanghai to the greatest hits of George Lam from 1980s Hong Kong, the set list gave a nod to the temporal and spatial shifts of Chinese popular music over the 20th century.
For people who grew up with these songs, hearing them brought back lasting childhood memories.
Such is the case for Danny Cadet, a dancer at the block party. Growing up in Queens, surrounded by friends from Flushing, Cadet was exposed to Cantopop music at a young age. For him, the block party reminded him of childhood parties and gatherings with family and friends.
“We used to come together and play pop music, and we used to just dance,” said Cadet. “The thing I like about it is that you just dance your heart out, whenever the beat flows. I’m here dancing, just feeling the vibes, and feeling it in me and through me.”
Even for people who weren’t experts with Chinese pop music, the event itself was a spectacle filled with energy and excitement, as dancers took turns to showcase their skills in the spotlight, sparking rounds and rounds of applause.
Pit Wa Chan was one of the oldest dancers at the party. As a Cantopop enthusiast, the 83-year-old Hong Kong immigrant is an almost constant presence in all the Chinatown Block Parties. With Hong Kong pop star Alan Tam’s 1985 hit song “Love Trap” blasting out the stereo, Chan danced in the center of the crowd, as dozens clapped and cheered at his moves.
The block party culminated at nightfall with a karaoke of Cantonese songs, as the crowd passionately sang along to the songs of Anita Mui, Beyond, Jacky Cheung and Hacken Lee.
Among the people who passionately sang was Winnie Cheng, a Chinatown resident born and raised in the neighborhood. Growing up with her family from Hong Kong, Cantopop music has been an integral part of her life, as she would sing these songs in family karaokes, watch TV shows featuring them, or dance to a Leslie Cheung video in a VCR device. For Cheng, celebrating these music is an opportunity for community members to reconnect with one another.
“I think that’s what makes me super happy, because now we’re older, we don’t get together as much, but when we do get together, we do the same things,” said Cheng. “I am happy that this exists and it brings the community together.”
