Interview by William Chan
Macau Jazz Promotion Association (MJPA) Chairman Mars Lee Siu Hong told The Macau Post Daily in an exclusive interview on Monday that his organisation has commissioned local composer Addison Wong Kei Hong to compose and arrange several modern jazz themed compositions for a concert on December 9.
The interview was held on Monday at the association’s venue in Areia Preta.
Wong, a former musical director and music lecturer at the University of Bushnell in Oregon, United States, returned to Macau in 2020. Upon his return, he took on the role of music director for the musical “Philinpinos [sic] Macanese”. Wong also provided coaching to the Macau Acapella Association for their 10th anniversary concert and teaches music courses at the Macao Polytechnic University (MPU). Presently, Wong serves as the director of Ocean Walker, a soul choir.
Lee mentioned that the collaboration between MJPA and Wong has entered its third year, and in the previous years, they chose to perform with Ocean Walker alongside the Macau Jazz Orchestra. “However, for this year’s concert, all the songs were written by Wong and are going to be performed by local professional musicians. Some are new compositions specifically created for this performance, while others are adapted from older compositions,” Lee said.
Lee underlined the significance of new compositions in enriching the music culture, and his group is delighted to have Wong, a talented and versatile composer, take on this task. In the past, according to Lee, they commissioned composers from other places like Singapore to write songs for the association’s performances, but this year they decided to hire local professional musicians to perform Wong’s music. “Despite the modern jazz style of the compositions, the instrumentals have an orchestral quality, incorporating instruments such as oboe, flute, clarinet, and string instruments,” Lee noted.
One notable aspect of the performance is the suite* ”Remembering Vila de Nossa Senhora”, the first movement of which is “The Sweeping Priest,” which draws inspiration from the remarkable story of Fr. Caetano Nicosia, an Italian Catholic priest and missionary. In the mid-20th century, Fr. Nicosia arrived in Our Lady of Sorrows, Coloane, with the purpose of caring for over 90 cloistered lepers for nearly five decades. According to Lee, during a previous interview**, Fr. Nicosia humorously mentioned his expertise in sweeping the floor, which led to the creation of the priest’s nickname.
Lee added that “To Sound Together”, the second movement of the suite, is another composition with a Macau theme that captures the essence of resilience and determination exhibited by the local community throughout the challenging years they have endured. “Despite facing trials and tribulations, the people of Macau have held onto hope and remained resolute in their pursuit to conquer fear. This composition serves as an inspiration for everyone to listen to the collective noise generated by the community, representing unity and strength in the face of adversity,” he said.
Lee expressed gratitude towards the Macau Cultural Development Fund for their support, which has made the performance possible.
The live performances will be held at Clube Militar’s Dr Stanley Ho Room on December 9 at 6:30 p.m. The ticket price is 160 patacas. For more information, visit MJPA on Facebook: www.facebook.com/100081845700096
*A set of instrumental compositions played in succession.
** Nicosia’s interview can be viewed on YouTube: http://y2u.be/pXxXFc4-WUE
Local composer Addison Wong Kei Hong posing - All photos provided by Mars Lee
Drummer Fan Fan Cheung posing
Local saxophone player Hugo Loi posing
Local double bassist Kabi posing
Soprano singer Hapi Chan posing
Local pianist Arnold Leung posing
