The Chicago Cantonese Amateur Musical Association occupies a somewhat ramshackle but acoustically sound apartment above a nondescript Asian gift store on Cermak Avenue. On any Sunday or Monday, the sounds of Chinese opera and folk songs drift down to the street. The musicians play banjo, guitar, zither, violin, and various percussion instruments, and there’s always singing.
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The association was officially formed as a nonprofit in 1993 after several members walked away from other Chinese music clubs. “They were like coffee shops,” says Al Moi, the group’s current president. “You played two hours and you left.” The association’s members are largely from Hong Kong and the southern provinces. Some were master musicians and opera singers back in China, while others are amateurs with a mission. Many are over 50; all are over 30. “When I was in my teens, I played this kind of music,” Moi says, “but people that young aren’t interested anymore.”
The musicians come from all over the city and suburbs. They usually start practicing at 1 PM. The men, who play all the instruments, drink Old Style and smoke cigarettes between songs. Women do most of the singing, and since the club has many female members, they have a lot of downtime. They practice their phrasing, coach one another, drink tea, and enjoy pastries or other delicacies, such as pig’s stomach, which they’ve prepared.
(312-842-8010). Admission is free.
