This morning, I came across two videos about James Wong Jim (黃霑).(黃湛森)
One showed him on stage—charismatic, confident, full of life.
The other told the story of how a “young master from Xiguan” grew into one of Hong Kong’s most iconic cultural figures.
As I watched, a quiet realization came over me—
I had seen this man long before the world knew his name.
Not on stage.
But on campus.
At La Salle College.
When I first joined La Salle, he was already in Form 5, later becoming the head prefect.
He was not the loudest or most attention-seeking student.
But there was something about him—something different.
Looking back now, after hearing people describe him as a “mad genius” or “eccentric talent,” I think that quality was already there.
Not loud.
But unmistakable.
He liked playing the harmonica.
That alone made him stand out.
On the sports field, while most students wore proper spike shoes, he would sometimes show up in simple kung fu shoes.
It didn’t feel like rebellion.
It felt like he simply didn’t care to follow the norm.
And then there was something even more memorable—
At times, he came to school wearing a traditional Chinese gown.
At that age, I didn’t understand it.
It just seemed unusual.
But now, I see it differently.
Perhaps even then, he was already expressing something deeper—
a connection to Chinese culture that would later define much of his work.
The documentary mentions his roots in Xiguan, Guangzhou, and how deeply he was influenced by traditional Chinese culture growing up.
That cultural foundation was not something he added later in life.
It was already part of him.
And suddenly, the small details I remembered—
the gown, the attitude, the individuality—
all made sense.
After graduation, he went on to study Chinese literature at The University of Hong Kong, and years later, he returned to earn a doctoral degree.
That, to me, is deeply impressive.
Many people have talent.
But not everyone has the discipline to return to scholarship after achieving success.
He did both.
His career went far beyond what any of us could have imagined back then.
In music, his lyrics and compositions influenced generations of Chinese people worldwide.
In advertising, his jingles became part of everyday life—memorable campaigns for brands like Rémy Martin and Marlboro.
From pop songs to children’s music, even Chinese-language creative work connected to Disney, his influence crossed borders and generations.
In many ways, his voice travelled wherever there were Chinese communities.
And yet, when I think of him today,
I don’t first think of the fame.
I remember a student.
A young man who:
- played the harmonica
- wore kung fu shoes on the field
- occasionally dressed in a traditional gown
- carried himself with a sense of individuality
Funny. Talented. Respectful.
People call him a “mad genius.”
And now, I understand why.
But that “madness” was not noise or arrogance.
It was something rarer—
the courage to be fully himself, from the very beginning.
Back then, he was simply a senior I noticed in passing.
I had no idea
that I was witnessing someone who would one day help shape the cultural voice of Hong Kong—and leave a lasting imprint on generations of Chinese people around the world.
Final Reflection
Sometimes, the people we meet in our youth
do not seem extraordinary at the time.
But years later, when we look back,
we realize—they were already becoming who they were meant to be.
Among his many grand and celebrated works, what stayed with me most was a simple children’s song ,世界真細小 written for young children and their parents, it carries a quiet warmth that goes beyond melody. It reminds me that true talent is not only measured by scale or fame, but by the ability to touch everyday life—softly, deeply, and across generations.
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#GrandpaJourney #JamesWong #WongJim #HongKongCulture #LaSalleCollege #LifeStories #PersonalReflection #ChineseMusic #CulturalLegacy #Memory
今天早上，我接連看了兩段關於 James Wong (黃湛森)（黃霑）的影片。
一段是他在舞台上的演唱，神采飛揚；
另一段，則細細講述他如何從一個「西關大少」，走到成為一代才子。
看完之後，我心裡有一種很特別的感覺——
原來，這位被稱為「鬼才」、「狂生」的人，
我在少年時代，早已見過。
在 La Salle College。
我剛進喇沙時，他是中五生，後來成為風紀。
在同學之中，他並不是那種最張揚的人，
但他身上，總有一種說不出的「不一樣」。
現在回看那些介紹他的影片，說他年輕時已帶有一種「狂」——
不是張狂，而是一種不受拘束、忠於自我的氣質。
我想，我當年其實已經隱約看到了。
他喜歡吹口琴。
在那個年代，這並不常見。
運動場上，大家穿釘鞋，他卻有時穿著功夫鞋出現。
不是為了標新立異，而像是他根本不在意別人的眼光。
更特別的是——
他有時穿長衫回校。
當年的我不明白，只覺得有點奇怪。
今天再看，這或許正是他對中國文化的一種自然流露。
影片中提到，他出身廣州西關，成長背景深受中國傳統文化影響。
那種文化底蘊，並不是後天刻意塑造，而是從小浸潤而來。
這一點，和我當年在校園裡看到的他，竟然對得上。
原來，那些「與眾不同」，
從來都不是偶然。
後來，他進入 The University of Hong Kong 修讀中文。多年後，更取得博士學位。
這讓我特別佩服。
很多人有才華，但未必願意沉下來做學問；
而他，兩者兼備。
他的事業發展，可以說是橫跨多個領域。
音樂上，他的填詞與創作，影響了幾代華人；
廣告界，他創作的廣告歌深入民心，例如人頭馬（Rémy Martin）、萬寶路（Marlboro）等；
他的作品，不只是流行，
更帶有文化的深度與情感。
甚至連兒童歌曲、迪士尼相關的中文創作，他也能駕馭自如。《世界真細小》
他的聲音，某程度上，真的走遍了世界每一個有華人的角落。
但對我來說，
這一切的光環，都比不上我記憶中的那個畫面——
一個在校園裡，
吹著口琴、
穿著功夫鞋、
偶爾身穿長衫的年輕人。
有點隨性，有點不羈，
卻又自然、真誠。
影片說他是「狂生」。
現在想來，這個詞很貼切。
但那種「狂」，不是浮誇，
而是一種——
敢於做自己，並且一直做自己。
當年，他只是我在喇沙校園裡見過的一位學長。
我從未想過，
自己曾經與一位日後影響整個華人文化世界的人，擦身而過。
結語
有些人，當你年輕時遇見，
你不會知道他將來會成為誰。
但當你回頭再看，
你會發現——他其實一直都是他。
在他眾多宏大而廣為傳頌的作品之中，最令我難忘的，反而是一首簡單而熟悉的旋律——《世界真細小》。這是一首寫給孩子的歌，卻同樣對父母別具意義，溫柔地傳遞出一個訊息：我們的世界其實很小，也彼此緊密相連。這讓我想起，黃霑不僅是創作宏大作品的大師，更是一位懂得體會平凡日常之美的人。
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#黃霑 #JamesWong #喇沙書院 #GrandpaJourney #香港文化 #人物回憶 #西關大少 #狂生 #人生故事 #文化傳承
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