Kar-Sing Lam


Kar-Sing Lam was a former actor and Cantonese opera singer from Hong Kong. Lam is credited with over 300 films.

Early life

On January 18, 1933, Lam was born as Lam Man Shun in Hong Kong. Lam's ancestry origin was from Dongguan, Guangdong province, China. Lam's sister is Lam Kar-Yee. In 1936, Lam's mother died. Lam and his sister were raised up by their father. When Hong Kong was under Japanese occupation, Lam's family fled from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, China, and returned to Hong Kong later. At the age of 10, Lam became a student under Tang Chiu Lan-fong.

Career

In 1944, at age 11, Lam began his Cantonese opera career. In 1947 at age 14, Lam's acting career started. Lam first appeared in Prostituting to Raise the Orphan, a 1947 Cantonese opera film directed by Hung Chung-Ho. In 1966, Lam founded Tsung Sun Sing Troupe in performing Cantonese opera on stage.
Lam's last film was Madame Lee Sze-Sze
, a 1967 Cantonese opera film directed by Wong Hok-Sing. Lam is credited with over 300 films.
In Cantonese opera, Lam's singing is known as Sing style.

Repertoire

This is a partial list.
  1. The Marriage of the Top Scholar
  2. The Dream Encounter Between Emperor Wu of Han and Lady Wa
  3. Time To Go Home, a classic
  4. The Butterfly Lovers
  5. Lu Wen-long
  6. Bao and Dai of Red Chamber
  7. War and Never-ending Love
  8. Romance and Hatred
  9. Merciless Sword Under Merciful Heaven
  10. The Sounds of Battle
  11. The Story of Chu Pin's Loyalty to the Sung Dynasty
  12. Uproar in Jade Hall
  13. A Chronicle Written in Blood
  14. Lam Chung
  15. The Jade Disc
  16. Wu Song
  17. Zhou Yu
  18. Who Should Be the Commander-in-Chief?

Theater Performance

This is a partial list.
  • Passing of Sit Kok Sin in 1956
  • July 1957 with Yim-hing Law
  • 1967, United States with Ho-Kau Chan
  • 1971, United States
  • 1976, 1st Festival of Asian Arts
  • 1976, United States
  • 1977, 2nd Festival of Asian Arts
  • 1978, 6th Hong Kong Arts Festival
  • 1978, 3rd Festival of Asian Arts
  • 1980, 5th Festival of Asian Arts
  • 1981, Singapore
  • 1981, North America
  • 1982, 7th Festival of Asian Arts
  • 1984, Chinese Opera Fortnight

Filmography

Films

This is a partial list of films.
  • 1947 Prostituting to Raise the Orphan
  • 1955 Parents' Hearts
  • 1960 Three Females - Ho Chi-Hung.
  • 1962 Battle at Sizhou
  • 1963 The Battling Sounds
  • 1964 The Pitiless Sword
  • 1967 Uproar in Jade Hall - Cheung Kim-Chau.
  • 1967 Madame Lee Sze-Sze

Discography

This is a partial list.
  • 1968, Of Love and Enmity
  • 1969, Why Not Return?
  • 1969, Lam Chung
  • 1970, Drums Along the Battlefield
  • 1971, The Revenge Battle
  • Meeting at the Pavilion
  • The Story of Chu Pin's Loyalty to the Sung Dynasty

Awards

Personal life

In 1962, Lam married Hong Dou-zi, a Cantonese opera singer. They have two sons. In 1993, Lam and his family moved from Hong Kong to Toronto, Canada. In 2003, Lam's younger son committed suicide in Hong Kong. In 2009, after Lam's wife's death from cancer in Toronto, Canada, he returned to Hong Kong.
Lam suffered from Parkinson's disease. Lam resided in Kowloon Tong area, Hong Kong. On August 4, 2015, Lam died in Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei area, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Lam was 82 years old.