Anita Mui Yim-fong (Chinese language: 梅艷芳; Jyutping: Mui4 Jim6 Fong1; 10 October 1963 – 30 December 2003) was a Hong Kong singer and actress who made main contributions to the Cantopop music scene and acquired quite a few awards and honours. She remained an idol all through her profession, and is thought to be a Cantopop diva. She was dubbed because the “daughter of Hong Kong” and is taken into account some of the iconic Cantopop singers.[3]
Mui as soon as held a sold-out live performance in Hammersmith, London, England, the place she was dubbed the “Madonna of the East” (東方麥當娜), which introduced her to additional worldwide fame.[2] That title stayed together with her all through her profession, in each Jap and Western media.[4][5][6]
Within the Nineteen Eighties, the gangtai fashion of music was revolutionised by Mui’s wild dancing and on-stage femininity.[7] She was famed for her outrageous costumes and high-powered performances together with contralto vocals, that are uncommon in feminine artists.[8]
Her fan base reached far past Hong Kong into many components of Asia, together with Taiwan, mainland China, Singapore and Malaysia, and different nations, as effectively. Within the Hong Kong leisure trade, the place stars typically rise and fall shortly, Mui remained within the highlight for 21 years (1982–2003). Her profession got here to an abrupt finish in 2003 when she introduced that she had cervical most cancers. She died later that yr on the age of 40.[3][5] It was then understood that she had developed the illness because of a familial genetic disposition as her sister Ann had died of the identical situation in 2000 at age 40 as effectively.
Profession
1963–1978: Early years
Mui in 1968
Mui skilled a lot hardship in her childhood. She was born at Fa Yuen Avenue in Mong Kok, Kowloon, She is the youngest daughter in a household of 4 youngsters. She is barely little one was born in Hong Kong by her household, as her brothers and sister have been born at China, Her mom Mui Tam Mei-kam was born at Xiguan in Guangzhou. She was a Chinese language medication practitioner, who opened Yuet Wah Chinese language Medical Clinic, Wah Geong Chinese language and Western Music School, and a music model in Hong Kong. Her siblings are Mui Kai-Ming (1952–), Mui Tak-Ming (1953–2015) and Ann Mui (1959–2000),[5]who was additionally a singer. The kids have been raised in a single mother or father household. Mui’s father died when she was very younger. In a few of her interviews, Mui talked about that she had little reminiscence of her father and the household have been very poor. This meant that she had to assist present for her siblings at an early age, dropping out of faculty on the age of 13 or 14. Extra hardship adopted the household when the bar that her mom ran was destroyed by a fireplace.[2] To earn a residing, Mui entered present enterprise across the age of 4 together with her sister Ann.[4][9] She carried out Chinese language operas and pop songs in theatres and on the streets.[4][9] Each Mui and her elder sister Ann carried out in virtually any nightclub that supplied them an opportunity to make a residing.[2]
On the age of 15, as a result of frequency of performances at completely different venues (as much as six venues per day) that she had, her voice was affected as a result of improvement of nodules on her vocal cords. Following the recommendation of the physician, she took a yr off and to maintain herself occupied, she attended artwork classes together with her cousin. After a yr, she began performing once more regardless of the change in her vocal vary, which lowered her voice by an octave.[citation needed]
1982–1989; 1994–2003: Singing
In 1982, as inspired by her sister, Mui competed within the first New Expertise Singing Awards. There, Mui acquired an enormous break by rising champion with the music “The Windy Season” (風的季節), initially sung by Paula Tsui, beating over 3,000 contestants.[9][10] Regardless of her title as “new expertise” at the moment, she had already been a singer for greater than 10 years from road and membership performances throughout her childhood.[11]
As a reward for successful the New Expertise contest on the time, Mui’s first album was launched with the native document firm Capital Artists.[11]
Her debut album, Debt Coronary heart (心債), drew a lukewarm response from the viewers. Nevertheless, her subsequent albums, Purple (赤色梅艷芳) (1983) and Leaping within the Highlight (飛躍舞台) (1984) fared a lot better, as she developed her private fashion and picture. In 1983 and 1984, she gained the RTHK Prime 10 Gold Songs awards again to again.[12][13]
Her successful streak continued as she gained one other main award in 1985, her first prime 10 Jade Stable Gold Greatest Feminine Singer award.[14] Thereafter, she gained the award yearly till 1989.[15][16][17][18] She was awarded the Gold Songs Gold Awards (金曲金獎) in 1989 for the music “Sundown Melody” (夕陽之歌), which turned one among her signature songs all through her profession.[19]
Mui on the “Anita Basic Second Stay 2003” live performance within the Hong Kong Coliseum
Mui launched 50 albums in complete.[20] Her best-selling album was the 1985 “Dangerous Woman” (壞女孩), which bought over 400,000 copies (platinum 8x by Hong Kong’s requirements).[11] In her profession, she bought 10 million albums.[4][9]
By way of stay performances, in 1985, on the age of 21, her first live performance was held lasting 15 nights (thus being one of many youngest singers to carry a live performance on the Hong Kong Coliseum). Starting in late 1987, a collection of 28 consecutive concert events on the Coliseum was held by way of early 1988. This established a document on the time and dubbed Mui the title of “Ever Altering Anita Mui” (百變梅艷芳), which had turn out to be her trademark.[21] Her reputation was additionally gaining prominence outdoors of Hong Kong, as she was invited to sing on the 1988 Summer time Olympics opening ceremony in Seoul along with Janet Jackson.[22] She carried out in 300 concert events in her profession.[4][9] In 1995, Mui carried out the music “Dangerous Woman” (a Cantonese cowl of Sheena Easton’s “Strut”) in Guangzhou, China, the place it was banned,[7][23] because it was thought-about pornographic in nature.[7] The federal government authorities in Guangzhou have been infuriated when she selected to sing the music on the final day of her live performance.[23]
In 1990, throughout her birthday celebration together with her fan membership, Mui introduced that she would put an finish to receiving music awards to present an opportunity to newcomers. She held farewell concert events for 33 consecutive nights earlier than retiring from the stage. On the age of 28, she stepped down from the trade, solely to return from retirement in 1994.[24] Mui mentored a number of Hong Kong newcomer singers who’ve since turn out to be profitable, most notably Andy Hui, Denise Ho, Edmond Leung, the band Grasshopper, and Patrick Tam.[11]
In 1998, aged 35, she was awarded the RTHK Golden Needle Award, being one of many youngest recipients to obtain the award as a lifetime achievement.[25]
Mui’s star on the Avenue of Stars
1983–2002: Performing
Mui was additionally effectively generally known as an actress throughout Asia, as she starred in additional than 40 movies over a 20-year interval.[26] Her movies have been primarily of the action-thriller and martial arts selection, however she had additionally taken comedic and dramatic roles.[citation needed]
Her first appearing award as a supporting actress was gained on the Hong Kong Movie Awards for her efficiency in Behind the Yellow Line (1984). Three years later in 1987, her efficiency in Rouge alongside Leslie Cheung gained her the Greatest Actress on the Golden Horse Awards.[5] In 1989, she was awarded the Greatest Actress for her position in Rouge on the Hong Kong Movie Awards.[27]
In 1993, she starred in The Heroic Trio with Michelle Yeoh and Maggie Cheung, and it proved to be one among her hottest motion movies. In 1994 and 1995, she discovered some worldwide recognition by starring reverse Jackie Chan in The Legend of Drunken Grasp and Rumble within the Bronx.[2]
Later, in 1997, she additionally gained one other greatest supporting actress on the Hong Kong Movie Awards for her position in Eighteen Springs. In 2002, she gained Greatest Actress on the Changchun Movie Pageant Golden Deer Awards for Greatest Actress together with her efficiency in July Rhapsody.[28]
Mui was initially solid in Zhang Yimou’s Home of Flying Daggers (2004), however she resigned solely two weeks earlier than her loss of life. Zhang had reserved her scenes to be shot final because of her poor well being.[29] Out of respect for Mui, Zhang didn’t solid one other actress within the position and the character was faraway from the screenplay. She acquired a dedication titled “In Reminiscence of Anita Mui” (謹以此電影緬懷梅艷芳小姐) through the closing credit.[29]
All through her profession, the tabloid magazines have been unforgiving. Rumours by no means ceased to plague Mui, who was accused of being hooked on medicine, having tattoos on her arms, going for cosmetic surgery, being suicidal, and being linked to the loss of life of a triad chief within the Nineteen Eighties and Nineties.[11] Rumours of affairs with main actors additionally circulated.[2]
1989–2003: Politics, activism, philanthropy
Mui attended a neighborhood Hong Kong rally publicly calling for democracy through the 1989 Tiananmen Sq. protests that reportedly drew in 1 million folks, which led to the founding of Hong Kong Alliance in Assist of Patriotic Democratic Actions of China.[30][31] She additionally carried out within the 1989 Hong Kong live performance for Chinese language Democracy and vowed by no means to carry out once more in Mainland China.[32] In response to the posthumous memoirs of democracy activist Szeto Wah, Mui lent important monetary and materials help to Operation Yellowbird, to assist activists flee from China after the Tiananmen protests.[33]
Mui was additionally actively concerned in charitable tasks all through her profession to present again to the group. After the Jap China flood of 1991, she modified her political thoughts and took half with different Hong Kong stars in a Beijing live performance to boost funds for victims of the disaster.[32]
The Tibetan red-crown Shamar Rinpoche as soon as stated “She had a real coronary heart. She was an unconventional lady and introduced happiness to a number of folks throughout her life.”[4][9] Her institution of a nursing house in San Francisco, prompted the mayor of town in 1992 to call 18 April as “Anita Mui Day”.[2] In 1993, she established the “Anita Mui True Coronary heart Charity Basis” (梅艷芳四海一心基金會). That very same yr, she was additionally one of many founders of the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild.[11][34] The Canadian metropolis of Toronto declared 23 October 1993 to be “Anita Mui Day”.
One of many care centres established by Mui.
Through the extreme acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, she initiated a fundraising live performance titled the 1:99 Live performance to boost cash for SARS-affected households, which attracted well-known fellow celebrities akin to Andy Lau and Jacky Cheung.[5][31] She was additionally awarded the “Preventing In opposition to SARS Award” from RTHK and the newspaper Ming Pao.[34] In 2003, she wrote and revealed the guide The Coronary heart of the Fashionable Girl (現代女人心). Earnings from the guide went to the Youngsters’s Most cancers Basis.[6]
On 23 September 2004, the Anita Mui True Coronary heart Digital Multimedia Studio was opened on the College of Hong Kong. It included state-of-the-art gear for digital audio and video enhancing.[35] In Causeway Bay, an Anita Mui-themed cafe referred to as Happiness Moon (囍月) can also be devoted to her legacy.[36]
Demise and legacy
Bronze statue of Anita Mui in Hong Kong
On 5 September 2003, Mui publicly introduced that she had cervical most cancers, from which her sister had additionally died.[3][9] She held a collection of eight reveals on the Hong Kong Coliseum from 6–11 November and 14–15 November 2003, which have been to be her final concert events earlier than her loss of life.[11][37]
Her symbolic act was to “marry the stage”, which was accompanied by her hit music “Sundown Melody” (夕陽之歌) as she exited the stage. The final music she carried out on stage was “Cherish When We Meet Once more” (珍惜再會時), a rendition of The Manhattans’ “Let’s Simply Kiss And Say Goodbye” on 15 November 2003, the place she was accompanied by her mates on the stage. She finally succumbed to cervical most cancers and died of respiratory problems resulting in lung failure at Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital on 30 December 2003 at 2:50am Hong Kong Time.[3][5][6] She was 40 years previous. Hundreds of followers turned out for her funeral at North Level in January 2004.[4][9] Mui was cremated and her ashes are interred on the Po Lin Monastery’s mausoleum on Lantau Island.
In 1998, an ATV-produced tv collection Eternally Love Tune advised a narrative of a personality which was loosely based mostly on that of Mui, however the character names have been purposely modified. In 2007, a tv collection was produced in China titled Anita Mui Fei (梅艷芳菲) to inform the story of her life. The 42-episode collection was broadcast by China Training Tv. Some topics, akin to her affected by most cancers, Leslie Cheung’s suicide and her mom’s actual property dilemma, have been prevented.[38] Alice Chan portrayed Mui within the collection.[39]
On 11 October 2008, a present on TVB, titled Our Anita Mui (我們的梅艷芳), was devoted to Mui. Many followers and off-stage personnel who labored together with her had an opportunity to speak about their private experiences with Mui. Singers who participated within the present included Andy Hui, Edmond Leung, and Stephanie Cheng.[40]
On 18 July 2014, a statue of Anita Mui was unveiled on Hong Kong’s Avenue of Stars.[41]
In 2019, she was the topic of the movie Dearest Anita. The movie centered round people whose lives had been formed by her work, together with her followers and beneficiaries of her philanthropic work.[42]
In 2021, Anita was portrayed within the biopic Anita (梅艷芳), directed by Longman Leung.[43][44][45] She was performed by the Hong Kong mannequin Louise Wong.[46]
Will
In her will, Mui bequeathed two properties to her dressmaker, Eddie Lau, and the rest to the Karen Belief – a belief she had arrange and sorted by HSBC Worldwide Trustees. Its beneficiaries included her mom, Tam Mei-kam, and 4 nieces and nephews. The Karen Belief offered Tam with a life tenancy of HK$70,000 per 30 days; upon Tam’s loss of life, the property would go to the New Horizon Buddhist Affiliation (妙境佛學會).[47]
In 2005, Tam acquired a HK$705,000 lump-sum fee from the belief in Could. She utilized for and obtained a hardship grant to pay for medical expenditure of $50,000 in December; her utility for funds from the property to problem the desire was denied.[48] In 2008, Mui’s property was estimated to be price HK$100 million. Tam Mei-kam contested the desire, arguing that Mui was mentally unfit when she executed her will in 2003, weeks earlier than her loss of life. The Excessive Court docket dominated that Mui was of sound thoughts when she signed the desire, and that she merely didn’t belief her mom with cash.[3][49]
Over time, Tam mounted a number of authorized challenges to the desire, and succeeded in having the life tenancy diversified to HK$120,000.[49][50] Tam was reportedly owing $2 million in authorized prices in 2011.[47] A recent enchantment by Tam and Mui’s elder brother Peter Mui Kai-ming failed on the Court docket of Remaining Attraction in Could 2011.[50]
After that problem, the Court docket of First Occasion of Hong Kong declared Tam bankrupt on 25 April 2012 for failing to pay authorized charges, while permitting her to proceed receiving her month-to-month allowance.[51] In January 2013, the courtroom dominated that the month-to-month tenancy of HK$120,000 to Tam, suspended because the earlier July, would proceed to be frozen because of mounting money owed of the property.[52] Her brother was declared bankrupt on 17 January 2013 for failing to pay authorized charges regarding the appeals.[53] In Could 2013, the courtroom ordered the property to pay Tam HK$20,000 a month for her residing prices, in addition to $240,000 to settle her overdue lease.[54]
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Wikimedia Commons has media associated to Anita Mui. |
- Anita Mui at IMDb
- Sham-Shackleton, Yan. “Goodbye, Anita Mui”. Glutter. Fan Memorial. Archived from the unique on 2 August 2004. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
