Pop icon Leslie Cheung’s legacy endures 20 decades just after demise
HONG KONG — Lovers of late Canto-pop icon Leslie Cheung, one particular of the first singers to occur out as homosexual in Hong Kong, flocked to the metropolis this 7 days to commemorate their idol’s loss of life 20 several years back — revisiting his legacy of groundbreaking get the job done produced in the course of a socially conservative time.
Cheung, who was 46 when he died, was a celebrity acknowledged for his singing, dancing and performing for the duration of the heyday of Hong Kong’s enjoyment field in the 1980s and ’90s. His supporters, who span throughout Asia, fondly remembered his norm-breaking functions and identified as him “ahead of time.”
The 20th anniversary of Cheung’s demise was Saturday and drew crowds of equally neighborhood fans and supporters from mainland China to visit exhibitions about him in Hong Kong. Even the government bundled concerts and movie screenings about him in the city’s initial pop culture festival, which is slated to formally kick off in three months.
The local reminiscences of Cheung show the late celebrity continues to be a popular icon across generations of Hong Kongers and displays the desire for reviving the city’s cultural impact, explained Anthony Fung, professor of the university of journalism and communication at the Chinese College of Hong Kong.
“After so several years, we hardly uncover any new icons, new superstars who could access that stage of worth,” he explained.
Cheung, who was affectionately recognised as Gor Gor — “big brother” in Cantonese — manufactured many hits that even non-Cantonese speaking new music enthusiasts in other parts of Asia could sing alongside to. Individuals involve “Monica,” “Sleepless Nights Restless Heart” and “Chase.” He also starred in basic films which includes John Woo’s “A Far better Tomorrow,” Wong Kar-wai’s “Happy Alongside one another,” Stanley Kwan’s “Rouge” and Chen Kaige’s “Farewell My Concubine.”
But driving all of his results, Cheung endured from depression. He jumped to his dying from the Mandarin Oriental Lodge in central Hong Kong on April 1 in 2003, sending shockwaves throughout the town. His loss of life arrived as his hometown was battling the SARS epidemic, which eventually killed hundreds and crippled the nearby financial system.
Hong Kong fan Connie Leung, a retiree now in her 60s, recalled her disbelief when she initial read about the information of his loss of life from a former colleague. “I reported ‘don’t make these types of a joke on April Fools’ Day’,” she explained.
She mentioned Cheung’s music in no way became out-of-date and his vogue preferences, which include his legendary long hair, were modern — even by present-day requirements.
Chris Choi, Cheung’s concert choreographer in the 2000s, stated the late celebrity broke by many gender boundaries by introducing “unisex” suggestions, some of which had been dangerous at the time. Between his stage costumes in those people yrs, for case in point, were being seashell culottes and pink high heels.
“It advised individuals art has no boundaries,” he mentioned.
Cheung also broke by means of the city’s cultural position quo by boldly revealing his gay connection in a conservative regional society at that time— a final decision that could have ruined his job but has gained him a good deal of regard from the homosexual group, Fung said. The breakthrough was about the plurality of society that he celebrated, he explained.
“He actually crossed via the boundary, make a noise and impact on the tradition of Hong Kong,” Fung reported.
Cheung’s get the job done not only impressed older generations of admirers but also those who were just toddlers when he died.
College pupil Justin Jiang explained he was only 3 many years outdated when Cheung died, but he later on turned a lover in superior school immediately after discovering extra about Cheung’s temperament and charisma from his legacy of is effective. This week, the 22-12 months-previous, who lives in neighboring Guangzhou, visited Hong Kong with a buddy to spend tribute to his idol.
He praised Cheung’s boldness in expressing his views and breaking via a modern society strongly motivated by gender stereotypes many years in the past.
“Gor Gor is extremely brave and this is worthy of mastering for us,” he reported.