They may have just created their own genre of music altogether.
“We do China trucker funk, and that’s my thing right? It’s a big rig rolling down a dusty highway carrying a cargo full of silk,” said musician Shon Wong.
With his band Son of James, Wong’s Chinatown Nights series has been showcasing a mix of younger acts alongside Vancouver legends.
“I want to bring a bit of history into it with Henry Young who was a staple here in Chinatown,” said Wong. “Played all up and down the streets, Marco Polo, Smilin’ Budha.”
Wong’s roots run deep in the community. His grandfather and father ran a shop on Pender Street
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“They started a watch-making business in this very building right here, at the Sam Kee building,” said Wong.
He grew up hearing stories from their days at family dinners.
“We went to a lot of them, and it’s a big part of my DNA as a Chinese kid,” said Wong.
“Everyone’s birthday, your cousins, your mom, your dad, your grandfather. So I was probably in one of these restaurants twice, maybe three times a month.”
Family, food, and music, a combination which has led to his latest production: a murder mystery series with the latest set in 1950s Chinatown.
“I’m just trying to make something a little more, you know not “R” rated, but just a little something for the adults,” said Wong.
Leaving his own creative stamp with new shows that serve as a little tribute to the past and all those great Chinatown nights.
“I’m going to keep going man, this is my thing, this is how I breathe,” said Wong.
“This is in my bones. I’ve got no choice. It’s what I love and I’m going to keep doing it.”
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