The movie "When Will You Come Again"
Don't cry, don't call my name
"Don't cry, don't call my name." This was the last words Anita Mui left to the world before she passed away. On December 30, 2003, Anita Mui died of lung failure in Hong Kong due to cervical cancer at the age of 40.
A month ago, Anita Mui, who was seriously ill, held her last concert at the Hung Hom Coliseum in Hong Kong. Before singing the last song "Song of the Sunset", she asked the tens of thousands of fans in the audience:
"Do I look good in a wedding dress? I am a singer and an actor. This is not the first time I have worn this wedding dress, but it has never belonged to me. . This may be a regret in my life. But your love has filled this regret. I married myself to music and you."
On November 6, 2003, Anita Mui sang in Hong Kong in a wedding dress Singing at the meeting (picture/ic photo)
finished saying "bye" and disappeared from the stage. As for leaving, as early as 1995 at the "A Beautiful Echo" concert, Anita Mui once said to fans:
"If one day, I leave this stage, leave this music scene, leave this entertainment industry, what will really happen to me?" How many people will really think of me? Will they remember the character Anita Mui? I dare not ask you to promise. I only hope that after dinner one night, when you open the window and look up at the stars in the sky, you will see it. When you see a star, you will think of a name you were very familiar with, a friend who once brought you a lot of joy. Her name is Anita Mui."
For those who are not familiar with Anita Mui, the first thing that is easy to see is her hundreds of faces. Changed shape. That is the symbol of the times of Hong Kong pop culture. On the stage, she can be elegant, sexy, noble and in disguise. This also established a type standard for many star concerts in the future: gorgeous and changeable stage looks.
Anita Mui once sang in "Gratitude": "It's me who's image has changed a lot, but compared to that face, it turns out that only my nature remains unchanged."
Anita Mui and Anita Mui sang in the movie "Play Back to School 3: The Dragon Celebrates the Year of the Rooster" Stephen Chow
Regarding Anita Mui in the audience and the real Anita Mui, good friend Sammi Cheng wrote an article "Brave Woman" in memory of Anita Mui on the 5th anniversary of her death:
"I will never forget that one night before you passed away, I was sitting in your bedroom, At that time, your hair was trimmed (cut) unusually short due to treatment, giving you a playful look like a child. I reached out and stroked your small and smooth head, and smiled. You looked at me, and somehow, you I laughed too! I smelled that there was a silent tear of farewell hidden in these two laughters. That is engraved on you, and I have repeatedly received the ultimate beauty of human nature, which is emitted from the heart. It has never been the so-called Beauty has nothing to do with it. You didn’t put on any makeup that night, your skin is fair and tender, your white pajamas are quietly attached to your slender limbs, and your smile in front of you is like a fresh little white flower. ), pure white, soft. There is an indescribable bravery in the willow-like body. Death does not scare you away. What a brave woman! I thought to myself about this. What a brave woman! No matter you are the peacock on the stage or the little white sheep in the hospital bed, you are always the brave woman."
This kind of natural bravery runs through Anita Mui's life.
On July 24, 1994, Anita Mui participated in a charity event in Hong Kong (Photo: Visual China)
Hong Kong’s daughter
Anita Mui was the only “queen” among the “three kings and one queen” of Hong Kong in the 1980s. After Anita Mui passed away due to illness in 2003, the funeral committee issued a document called "Farewell!" Hong Kong's Daughter".
Anita Mui's road to fame is related to the lifeline of Hong Kong. In the 1970s when she was growing up, the external environment caused the colonial government to change its policies. Hong Kong's citizen class developed rapidly, local culture rose, and Cantonese songs became popular. She has worked hard all the way from the grassroots to the grassroots, and has been righteous and perseverant. From the grassroots to the elite, she is consistent with the inner culture of Hong Kong's urban development. This "Lion Rock Spirit" has made the "Hong Kong Daughter" recognized by the public.
On October 10, 1963, Anita Mui was born into a poor family in Mong Kok, Hong Kong.There are two brothers and one sister in the family. Her father died young and her mother supported the four children on her own. The family relied on her mother's dilapidated "Jinxia" song and dance troupe to make ends meet. Anita Mui started singing on stage with her sister at the age of 4 to support her family. At that time, singing and performing arts was not considered a serious career. When Anita Mui was in school, she was ostracized and ridiculed by her classmates. Recalling her childhood, Anita Mui commented as "regrettable" and "hell".
On December 14, 2018, in Hong Kong, Anita Mui’s mother introduced a photo of Anita Mui when she was a child (Picture: Visual China)
The days of singing were just like what she sang in "The Girl of the Song":
"Learning to sing and practicing singing are the same. Songs go together / Are you hungry? Are you hungry? Sing loudly, I will feel better / Sing day and night, I don’t know what the song is saying / Still separated, I just want you to like me / I remember a little singer back then / Her body Very thin/I remember her singing some old tunes with the theater troupe in a not-so-high-end area/The old theater was never full/She acted to stop hunger by singing songs."
Later, Anita Mui was discovered by musician Lai Siu-tin. Li Xiaotian first heard that there was a newcomer with a similar voice to the singer Xu Xiaofeng, but he frowned when he heard that he sang in a lounge: "Generally, we don't think much about a singer who has experience in a lounge. Because he might become a singer." Wearing heavy makeup and smelling like a prostitute." But after meeting Anita Mui, he changed his original idea. Since then, the two have collaborated on many songs such as "My Sweetheart", "Rouge Button", and "Old Love Is Like a Dream".
In 1982, Anita Mui was 19 years old. At the invitation of Lai Xiaotian, she participated in the first Hong Kong Rookie Singing Competition (later renamed the "Global Chinese Rookie Singing Competition"), and finally won the championship by singing "Season of the Wind" by Tsui Siu Fung. The judge at the time, the famous genius Huang Zhan, directly gave a perfect score, while another judge Gu Jiahui said that there is no limit to art, so he deducted one point and gave him the highest score in this competition.
In the same year, Anita Mui signed with China Star Records and released her first album "Heart Debt", officially entering the music scene. At that time, the sweet line was popular in the Hong Kong music scene, and Anita Mui obviously did not follow this line.
The movie "Rouge", Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung
Amid controversy and doubts, Anita Mui insisted on her personal style. The following year she released the album "Red Anita Mui", which directly achieved five platinum sales and became a hit with the title song "Red's Doubt" Cannon and red.
The song "Bad Girl" later caused Anita Mui to be accused of "moral corruption". "Bad Girls" was banned and even being slapped by her mother failed to change Anita Mui. She felt that to be loyal to people, she should also be loyal to songs, and insisted on singing "Bad Girl" at the concert.
During her singing career, Anita Mui was known as the "Queen of Concerts". She held a total of 292 concerts throughout her career and was recognized by the World Records Association as the female singer with the most Chinese solo concerts in the world. In the five years from 1985 to 1989, Anita Mui continuously won the title of Hong Kong's most popular female singer, with record sales exceeding 10 million.
The movie "Drunken Master 2", Anita Mui and Jackie Chan
Besides Hong Kong, Anita Mui can also be called the "Asian Queen". In 1988, as the only Asian female singer, Anita Mui was invited to the Seoul Olympics in South Korea to perform the "Olympic Prelude Show" with global superstars. Along with the melody of "Flaming Lips", Anita Mui interpreted the charm of Hong Kong on the stage.
In addition to singing, Anita Mui started her own film career. At the age of 26, Anita Mui won the Best Actress crown at the 24th Golden Horse Awards, the 8th Academy Awards, the Golden Dragon Award and the Asia Pacific Film Festival Award, becoming the fourth best actress.
Director of "Rouge Button" Kwan Kam-peng said: "I have seen what it means to be a born artist! Everyone has talent, quality and ability, but no one can learn from Anita Mui."
Director Johnnie To praised Anita Mui as the best in modern times A female artist is naturally chivalrous. "When she, Michelle Yeoh, and Maggie Cheung acted in "The Heroes of the East", there was a scene where everyone swung their cloaks and walked out in slow motion. Anita Mui's natural chivalrous feeling was stronger than the other two."
The movie "The Heroes of the East", From left: Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung, Anita Mui
The road is still my road
"The country and the city are all over the place, this is my famous name.Only the beauty of the sky and the country are unparalleled. I am born noble and gorgeous to the end. Confusing all sentient beings, I will accept you as my fan..."
At the end of his life, when Anita Mui was suffering from cervical cancer and Leslie Cheung was suffering from acid reflux, the two performed a song "Fang" on the stage without any rehearsal. Hua Juedai", that performance was called "the pinnacle stage of the Hong Kong Philharmonic".
On April 8, 2002, Leslie Cheung kissed Anita Mui's hand at her concert (Picture: Visual China)
Anita Mui at the top, no She is arrogant, but keen to support the younger generations, and is only loyal to friends and country.
Once, Anita Mui saw a performance by the Grasshopper Band and felt that these young men were very talented, so she invited them to come to her concert as guests. , which accumulated the first batch of fans for Grasshopper.
At the farewell concert, Anita Mui introduced her younger brother Eason Chan to tens of thousands of fans in the audience, saying that she firmly believed that he would make a difference in the future. Later, Eason Chan missed Anita Mui and said: "I think about it every year I will think of you twice, on October 10th, and on December 30th every year. ”
In addition to her career, Anita Mui has always been enthusiastic about public welfare and caring about her country. In 1993, the immigration wave in Hong Kong was booming, and Anita Mui firmly believed that the Chinese people should strengthen themselves. She gave up the Canadian passport she had just obtained and decided to stay in Hong Kong and do her best for the country. At a time when people in Hong Kong are panicking, she called for unity and took the lead when necessary.
"When a disaster occurs somewhere in China, my heart will suddenly hurt and I will be very anxious. But sometimes, someone does something bad. As a Chinese, I feel very ashamed. "On the occasion of Hong Kong's return in 1997, when "Movie Story" interviewed Anita Mui about her feelings about the return, Anita Mui said this.
From left: Leslie Cheung, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Anita Mui, Rosamund Kwan, Kim Yan Ling, Jackie Chan, Andy Lau and Wong Chan during the recording of the program (picture: Visual China)
Anita Mui, Jackie Chan and others initiated and established the Hong Kong Performing Artists Association. In 2001, Anita Mui became the first female president of the association. She has gone to many places in China to perform charity performances for disaster relief.
In 2003, the "SARS" broke out and she was already suffering from cancer. Anita Mui concealed her illness and devoted all her efforts to organizing the "Strong Action" and "1:99 Charity Concert" in the Hong Kong entertainment industry, which raised more than 23 million yuan and benefited the world.
In the last moment of her life, Anita Mui held He attended the last concert in his life, "Anita Mui's Classic Golden Songs Concert".
Jacky Cheung once commented: "Anita Mui is a very 'manly' woman, very loyal, and she is always rushing to pay when friends gather for dinner. I think Anita Mui truly belongs on the stage. She can control the entire stage. The stage is like her home. "
Along the way, from grassroots to the top, from appearance to departure, Anita Mui has not changed her true character, standing on the stage like a knight, showing herself, as said in the song "Walking My Way Alone":
"Walking My Way Alone/But Confidence fills the journey/Loneliness fills the heart/Who is whispering in my ears/I have decided to walk the long road/Follow the beat of my heart/I dance alone proudly and never stop/I don’t care when the end will arrive/I walk my path alone/But I have confidence The road is full of roads/The road is still my road/When I am lonely, dance with me in shadows and songs”
Southern People Weekly reporter Han Ruxue
Editor-in-chief Chen Yafeng
