Songs of the Sea: Traditional fisherfolk songs of Tai O

Taitai lives in Tai O, a fishing town in the west of Hong Kong’s Lantau Island. The 82-year-old woman is among the few people who still remember the traditional songs of the Tanka fishing community. The centuries-old ballads about stages of life, including specific songs people would sing at weddings and funerals, were once popular among fishermen. While the songs are listed as part of Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage, few young people learn them and they are steadily becoming an echo…