Anita Mui
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Anita Mui Yim-fong (; 10 October 1963 – 30 December 2003) was a Hong Kong singer and actress who made major contributions to the
Cantopop Cantopop (a contraction of "Cantonese pop music") or HK-pop (short for "Hong Kong pop music") is a genre of pop music written in standard Chinese and sung in Cantonese. Cantopop is also used to refer to the cultural context of its production ...
music scene and received numerous awards and honours. She remained an idol throughout her career, and is regarded as a
Cantopop Cantopop (a contraction of "Cantonese pop music") or HK-pop (short for "Hong Kong pop music") is a genre of pop music written in standard Chinese and sung in Cantonese. Cantopop is also used to refer to the cultural context of its production ...
diva. She was dubbed as the "daughter of Hong Kong" and is considered one of the most iconic Cantopop singers."Anita Mui's Mom loses court fight over $100m estate"
thestandard.com.hk; accessed 4 July 2017. , ''The Standard''; retrieved 14 June 2008.
Mui once held a sold-out concert in
Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London ...
,
London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major se ...
, where she was dubbed the "
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
of the East" (), which brought her to further international fame.UK telegraph.
Obituary
, telegraph.co.uk; retrieved 17 June 2008.
That title stayed with her throughout her career, in both Eastern and Western media.''People's Daily''

people.com.cn; retrieved 17 June 2008.
"Anita Mui, 40: Singer called Chinese Madonna"
Thestar.com; retrieved 19 June 2008.
In the 1980s, the gangtai style of music was revolutionised by Mui's wild dancing and on-stage femininity.Baranovitch, Nimrod. ''China's New Voices''. University of California press. . p. 164. She was famed for her outrageous costumes and high-powered performances in combination with
contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...
vocals, which are rare in female artists. Her fan base reached far beyond Hong Kong into many parts of Asia, including
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the no ...
,
mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the China, People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming Island, Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territorie ...
,
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
and
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
, and other countries, as well. In the Hong Kong entertainment industry, where stars often rise and fall quickly, Mui remained in the spotlight for 21 years (1982–2003). Her career came to an abrupt end in 2003 when she announced she had
cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal ...
. She died later that year at the age of 40. It was then understood that she had developed the disease due to a familial genetic disposition as her sister Ann had died of the same condition in 2000 at age 40 as well.


Life and career


1963–1978: Early years

Mui experienced much hardship in her childhood. She was born at Fa Yuen Street in Mong Kok,
Kowloon Kowloon () is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. With a population of 2,019,533 and a population density of in 2006, it is the most populous area in Hong Kong, compared with Hong Kong Island and ...
, She is the youngest daughter in a family of four children. She is the only child born in Hong Kong in her family, as her brothers and sister were born in China. Her mother Mui Tam Mei-kam was born at Xiguan in
Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, sou ...
. She was a Chinese medicine practitioner, who opened Yuet Wah Chinese Medical Clinic, Wah Geong Chinese and Western Music College, and a music brand in Hong Kong. Her siblings are Mui Kai-Ming (1952–), Mui Tak-Ming (1953–2015) and Ann Mui (1959–2000), who was also a singer. The children were raised in a single parent family. Mui's father died when she was very young. In some of her interviews, Mui mentioned that she had little memory of her father and the family were very poor. This meant that she had to help provide for her siblings at an early age, dropping out of school at the age of 13 or 14. More hardship followed the family when the bar that her mother ran was destroyed by a fire. To earn a living, Mui entered show business around the age of four with her sister Ann.Profile
SCMP.com; retrieved 17 June 2008.
She performed
Chinese opera Traditional Chinese opera (), or ''Xiqu'', is a form of musical theatre in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more tha ...
s and pop songs in theatres and on the streets. Both Mui and her elder sister Ann performed in practically any nightclub that offered them a chance to make a living. At the age of 15, due to the frequency of performances at different venues (up to six venues per day) that she had, her voice was affected due to the development of nodules on her vocal cords. Following the advice of the doctor, she took a year off and to keep herself occupied, she attended art lessons with her cousin. After a year, she started performing again despite the change in her vocal range, which lowered her voice by an octave.


1982–1989; 1994–2003: Singing and Acting

In 1982, as encouraged by her sister, Mui competed in the first
New Talent Singing Awards New Talent Singing Awards (Traditional Chinese character, Traditional Chinese: 新秀歌唱大賽) or ''NTSA'' for short, later re-organised into New Talent Singing Awards International Finals (Traditional Chinese character, Traditional Chinese ...
. There, Mui got a big break by emerging champion with the song "The Windy Season" (風的季節), originally sung by
Paula Tsui Paula Tsui Siu Fung is a Cantopop singer in Hong Kong, with a career spanning over 50 years. She was affiliated with the TVB television station until the mid-1990s and has performed for Asia Television on several occasions since 1995. Persona ...
, beating over 3,000 contestants.Profile
SCMP.com; retrieved 17 June 2008.
Despite her title as "new talent" at that time, she had already been a singer for more than 10 years from street and club performances during her childhood. As a reward for winning the New Talent contest at the time, Mui's first album was released with the local record company
Capital Artists Capital Artists is a Hong Kong–based record label, owned by eSun Holdings, a subsidiary of Lai Sun Development. Founded in 1971, Capital Artists signed some of the biggest names in the Cantopop industry, including Roman Tam, Anita Mui, and ...
.HKVPradio. ''Anita Mui: Number One and Only''; retrieved 17 June 2008. Her debut album, ''Debt Heart'' (), drew a lukewarm response from the audience. However, her subsequent albums, ''Red'' () (1983) and ''Leaping in the Spotlight'' () (1984) fared much better, as she developed her personal style and image, with guidance and support from fashion designer
Eddie Lau Eddie Lau Pui-Kei (born February 24, 1951) is a fashion designer in Hong Kong. Lau has worked in the fashion industry since 1962 until his retirement in 1999, but continues working in fashion. His career peaked in the 1980s, when he designed h ...
. In 1983 and 1984, she won the RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs awards back to back. Her winning streak continued as she won another major award in 1985, her first top 10 Jade Solid Gold Best Female Singer award. Thereafter, she won the award every year until 1989. She was awarded the Gold Songs Gold Awards () in 1989 for the ballad "Song of the Sunset" (), which became one of her signature songs throughout her career. Mui released 50 albums in total."Thousands say farewell to a superstar"
" ''South China Morning Post''; retrieved 17 June 2008.
Her best-selling album was the 1985 "Bad Girl" (), which sold over 400,000 copies (platinum 8x by Hong Kong's standards). In her career, she sold 10 million albums.Star with a 'true heart' brought happiness to thousands of fans
lexisnexis.com; retrieved 23 June 2008.
In terms of live performances, in 1985, at the age of 21, her first concert was held lasting 15 nights (thus being one of the youngest singers to hold a concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum). Beginning in late 1987, a series of 28 consecutive concerts at the Coliseum was held through early 1988. This established a record at the time and dubbed Mui the title of "Ever Changing Anita Mui" (), which had become her trademark.
cnn.com, 29 December 2003.
Her popularity was also gaining prominence outside of Hong Kong, as she was invited to sing at the
1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...
opening ceremony in
Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...
together with
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
as well as also performing her own solo with one of her hit songs of that year, "Blazing Red Lips (烈燄紅唇)".Profile
, Anitamuinet.com; retrieved 21 June 2008.
She performed in 300 concerts in her career. In 1995, Mui performed the song "Bad Girl" (a Cantonese cover of Sheena Easton's "
Strut A strut is a structural component commonly found in engineering, aeronautics, architecture and anatomy. Struts generally work by resisting longitudinal compression, but they may also serve in tension. Human anatomy Part of the functionality o ...
") in
Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, sou ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
, where it was banned,"Did China over-react with A-mei ban?"
asiaone.com; retrieved 6 July 2008.
as it was considered pornographic in nature. The government authorities in Guangzhou were infuriated when she chose to sing the song on the last day of her concert. In 1990, during her birthday celebration with her fan club, Mui announced that she would put an end to receiving music awards to give a chance to newcomers. She held farewell concerts for 33 consecutive nights before retiring from the stage. At the age of 28, she stepped down from the industry, only to return from retirement in 1994.SCMP.
"Actresses hit wrong note in a year of off-key performances"
scmp.com; retrieved 17 June 2008.
Mui mentored several Hong Kong newcomer singers who have since become successful, most notably
Andy Hui Andy Hui Chi-on (born 12 August 1967) is a Hong Kong singer and actor. Hui is considered one of the most successful Hong Kong singers, with an extensive list of Cantonese and Mandarin hits to his credit. Early life Hui's mother is Vietnamese ...
,
Denise Ho Denise Ho Wan-see (born 10 May 1977) is a Hong Kong-based Cantopop singer and actress. She is also a pro-democracy and Hong Kong human rights activist. In 2012, Ho came out as lesbian, the first mainstream Cantonese singer to do so. In 2014, H ...
,
Edmond Leung Edmond Leung Hon-man (; born 5 November 1971) is a Hong Kong singer-songwriter, record producer, actor and television host. Background Born in British Hong Kong on 5 November 1971, he was a youth development footballer and coach until 17. At ag ...
, the band
Grasshopper Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are among what is possibly the most ancient living group of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grasshopp ...
, and Patrick Tam. In 1998, aged 35, she was awarded the
RTHK Golden Needle Award Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Awards () is one of the main C-pop music award in Hong Kong. The award is sponsored by RTHK. Beginning in 1978, it is the oldest major award in Hong Kong, even earlier than the Jade Solid Gold Top 10 Awards. The cerem ...
, being one of the youngest recipients to receive the award as a lifetime achievement.


1983–2002: Acting

Mui was also well known as an actress across Asia, as she starred in more than 40 films over a 20-year period. Her films were mainly of the action-
thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...
and
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preser ...
variety, but she had also taken comedic and dramatic roles. Her first acting award as a supporting actress was won at the
Hong Kong Film Awards The Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA; ), founded in 1982, is an annual film awards ceremony in Hong Kong. The ceremonies are typically in April. The awards recognise achievement in various aspects of filmmaking, such as directing, screenwriting, ...
for her performance in '' Behind the Yellow Line'' (1984) alongside fellow Cantopop icon
Leslie Cheung Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing (12 September 1956 – 1 April 2003) was a Hong Kong singer and actor. Throughout a 26-year career from 1977 until his death, Cheung released over 40 music albums and acted in 56 films. He was one of the most prominent ...
. Three years later in 1987, her performance in Stanley Kwan's '' Rouge'', which also starred Cheung, won her the Best Actress Award at the Golden Horse Awards., as well as at the
Hong Kong Film Awards The Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA; ), founded in 1982, is an annual film awards ceremony in Hong Kong. The ceremonies are typically in April. The awards recognise achievement in various aspects of filmmaking, such as directing, screenwriting, ...
in 1989. In the same year, she starred alongside
Chow Yun-fat Chow Yun-fat (born 18 May 1955), previously known as Donald Chow, is a Hong Kong actor. He is perhaps best known for his collaborations with filmmaker John Woo in the five Hong Kong action heroic bloodshed films: '' A Better Tomorrow'', '' A ...
in
Tsui Hark Tsui Hark (, vi, Từ Khắc, born 15 February 1950), born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong film director, producer and screenwriter. Tsui has directed several influential Hong Kong films such as '' Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain'' (1983), the ...
's A Better Tomorrow III: Love & Death in Saigon, which features her iconic ballad "Song of the Sunset". She also co-starred with Chow Yun-fat in the 1988 romantic comedy '' The Greatest Lover''. In 1990, she was cast in the titular role for '' Kawashima Yoshiko'', a biopic of the flamboyant cross-dressing spy Yoshiko Kawashima based on the novel by
Lilian Lee Lillian or Lilian can refer to: People * Lillian (name) or Lilian, a given name Places * Lilian, Iran, a village in Markazi Province, Iran In the United States * Lillian, Alabama * Lillian, West Virginia * Lillian Township, Custer County, Ne ...
, who also authored the original novel and screenplay for '' Rouge''. In 1992, she starred alongside comedy icon
Stephen Chow Stephen Chow Sing-chi (, born 22 June 1962), known professionally as Stephen Chow, is a Hong Kong filmmaker, former actor and comedian, known for '' Shaolin Soccer'' and '' Kung Fu Hustle''. Early life and education Stephen Chow was born in Hong K ...
in Justice, My Foot!, proving her calibre in the comedy genre. She also paired up with Stephen Chow in 1993 in
Fight Back to School III ''Fight Back to School 3'' (逃學威龍3之龍過雞年) is a Hong Kong comedy film produced in 1993 starring Stephen Chow, Anita Mui and Anthony Wong Chau-sang. The film was written and directed by Wong Jing, who replaced Gordon Chan as the d ...
. In the same year, she starred in '' The Heroic Trio'' with Michelle Yeoh and
Maggie Cheung Maggie Cheung Man-yuk (; born 20 September 1964) is a Hong Kong former actress. Raised in Hong Kong and Britain, she started her career after placing second in 1983's Miss Hong Kong Pageant. She achieved critical success in the late 1980s and i ...
, and it proved to be one of her most popular action films. In 1994 and 1995, she found some international recognition by starring opposite
Jackie Chan Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...
in ''
The Legend of Drunken Master ''Drunken Master II'' () is a 1994 Hong Kong action- comedy kung fu film directed by Lau Kar-leung and starring Jackie Chan as Chinese martial arts master and a Cantonese folk hero, Wong Fei-hung. It was Chan's first traditional style martial a ...
'' and '' Rumble in the Bronx''. In 1996, she starred in
Who's the Woman, Who's the Man ''Who's the Woman, Who's the Man?'' (金枝玉葉 2) is a 1996 Hong Kong romantic comedy film directed by Peter Chan and starring Leslie Cheung, Anita Yuen, Anita Mui, Jordan Chan, Theresa Lee, Eric Tsang. It is a sequel to the 1994 film ''He's ...
with Leslie Cheung and
Anita Yuen Anita Yuen Wing Yee (born 4 September 1971) is a Hong Kong film and television actress. Pageant career At the age of 18, Yuen entered the Miss Hong Kong 1990 pageant. She was a heavy favorite to win the crown from the semifinal to final. During t ...
in a gender-bending love triangle story. Later, in 1997, she also won another best supporting actress at the
Hong Kong Film Awards The Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA; ), founded in 1982, is an annual film awards ceremony in Hong Kong. The ceremonies are typically in April. The awards recognise achievement in various aspects of filmmaking, such as directing, screenwriting, ...
for her role in ''Eighteen Springs''. In 2001, she starred in yet another
Johnnie To Johnnie To Kei-fung (born 22 April 1955) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter and film producer. Popular in his native Hong Kong, To has also found acclaim overseas. Intensely prolific, To has made films in a variety of genres, though in ...
comedy Wu Yen alongside Sammi Cheng and
Cecilia Cheung Cecilia Cheung Pak-chi (in Chinese 張栢芝, born 24 May 1980) is a Hong Kong actress and cantopop singer. Cheung is considered a " Sing girl"—an actress who first received media attention through starring alongside Stephen Chow, and late ...
as the lewd yet charming Emperor Qi. In 2002, she won Best Actress at the Changchun Film Festival
Golden Deer Awards The Changchun Film Festival (中国长春电影节) is a biennial international film festival held in the Chinese city of Changchun. Ostensibly international, its award for best film, the Golden Deer has nevertheless primarily been awarded to Chi ...
for Best Actress with her performance in ''
July Rhapsody ''July Rhapsody'' () is a 2002 Hong Kong drama film directed by Ann Hui and produced by Ann Hui and Derek Yee. Overview The film's Chinese title literally translates to Man, 40. Its alternative title is Laam yan sei sap. The film explores ...
'', which she starred alongside Jackie Cheung. Mui was originally cast in
Zhang Yimou Zhang Yimou (; born 2 April 1950) is a Chinese film director, producer, writer, actor and former cinematographer.Tasker, Yvonne (2002). "Zhang Yimou" i''Fifty Contemporary Filmmakers'' Routledge Publishing, p. 412. . Google Book Search. Retriev ...
's ''
House of Flying Daggers ''House of Flying Daggers'' (Chinese: 十面埋伏) is a 2004 ''wuxia'' romance film directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Andy Lau, Zhang Ziyi and Takeshi Kaneshiro. Unlike other ''wuxia'' films, it is more of a love story than purely a mar ...
'' (2004), but she resigned only two weeks before her death. Zhang had reserved her scenes to be shot last due to her poor health.Profile
'' House of Flying Daggers'' review], Lovehkfilm.com; retrieved 19 June 2008.
Out of respect for Mui, Zhang did not cast another actress in the role and the character was removed from the screenplay. She received a dedication titled "In Memory of Anita Mui" () during the closing credits. Throughout her career, the Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid magazines were unforgiving. Rumours relentlessly plagued Mui, who was accused of having tattoos on her arms and plastic surgery, and being addicted to drugs, suicidal and linked to the death of a
triad Triad or triade may refer to: * a group of three Businesses and organisations * Triad (American fraternities), certain historic groupings of seminal college fraternities in North America * Triad (organized crime), a Chinese transnational orga ...
leader in the 1980s and 1990s. Rumours of affairs with leading actors also circulated.


1989–2003: Politics, activism, philanthropy

Mui attended a local Hong Kong rally publicly calling for democracy during the
1989 Tiananmen Square protests The Tiananmen Square protests, known in Chinese as the June Fourth Incident (), were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square, Beijing during 1989. In what is known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, or in Chinese the June Fourth ...
that reportedly drew in 1 million people, which led to the founding of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. She also performed in the 1989 Hong Kong concert for Chinese Democracy and vowed never to perform again in Mainland China. According to the posthumous memoirs of democracy activist Szeto Wah, Mui lent significant financial and material support to Operation Yellowbird, to help activists flee from China after the Tiananmen protests.Lee, Diana and Wong, Natalie (12 July 2011
"Stars who played their part"
, thestandard.com.hk; access 4 July 2017.
Mui was also actively involved in charitable projects throughout her career to give back to the community. After the
Eastern China flood of 1991 In the summer of 1991, continuous, heavy rainfall in Eastern China caused rivers and water loggings to overflow and flood the area, leading to the Chinese government requesting international aid. Background Large amounts of rainfall beginning on ...
, she changed her political mind and took part with other Hong Kong stars in a Beijing concert to raise funds for victims of the catastrophe. The
Tibetan Tibetan may mean: * of, from, or related to Tibet * Tibetan people, an ethnic group * Tibetan language: ** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard ** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken diale ...
red-crown Shamarpa (Of Kagyudpa Lineage) once said "She had a true heart. She was an unconventional woman and brought happiness to lots of people during her life." Her establishment of a nursing home in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
, prompted the mayor of the city in 1992 to name 18 April as "Anita Mui Day". In 1993, she established the "Anita Mui True Heart Charity Foundation" (). That same year, she was also one of the founders of the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild.Hong Kong performing artistes guild
Profile; retrieved 23 June 2008.
The Canadian city of
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
declared 23 October 1993 to be "Anita Mui Day". During the
severe acute respiratory syndrome Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-1), the first identified strain of the SARS coronavirus species, ''sev ...
(SARS) outbreak, she initiated a fundraising concert titled the 1:99 Concert to raise money for SARS-affected families, which attracted famous fellow celebrities such as
Andy Lau Andy Lau Tak-wah (; born 27 September 1961) is a Hong Kong actor, singer-songwriter and film producer. He has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maint ...
and
Jacky Cheung Jacky Cheung Hok-yau (born 10 July 1961) is a Hong Kong singer and actor. Dubbed the " God of Songs", he is regarded as one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Hong Kong pop music. Cheung is known for his technically skilled vocals, lengthy tours, and ...
. She was also awarded the "Fighting Against SARS Award" from
RTHK Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) is the public broadcasting service in Hong Kong. GOW, the predecessor to RTHK, was established in 1928 as the first broadcasting service in Hong Kong. As a government department under the Commerce and Econo ...
and the newspaper ''
Ming Pao ''Ming Pao'' () is a Chinese-language newspaper published by Media Chinese International in Hong Kong. In the 1990s, ''Ming Pao'' established four overseas branches in North America; each provides independent reporting on local news and colle ...
''. In 2003, she wrote and published the book ''The Heart of the Modern Woman'' (). Profits from the book went to the Children's Cancer Foundation.


Personal life

In 1990, Mui began dating Benjamin Lam Kwok-bun, who was a member of the
Jackie Chan Stunt Team The Jackie Chan Stunt Team (), also known as Jackie Chan's Stuntmen Association, is a group of stuntmen and martial artists who work alongside Jackie Chan. Founded in the 1970s, it initially included Hong Kong action stuntmen and martial artist ...
. The relationship ended three years later. Despite rumours of her dating several men, Mui remained single for the rest of her life.


Death and legacy

On 5 September 2003, Mui publicly announced that she had cervical cancer, from which her sister had also died. She held a series of eight shows at the Hong Kong Coliseum from 6–11 November and 14–15 November 2003, which were to be her last concerts before her death. Her symbolic act was to "marry the stage", which was accompanied by her hit song "Sunset Melody" () as she exited the stage. The last song she performed on stage was "Cherish When We Meet Again" (), a rendition of The Manhattans' "Let's Just Kiss And Say Goodbye" on 15 November 2003, where she was accompanied by her friends on stage. She eventually succumbed to cervical cancer and died of respiratory complications leading to lung failure at Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital on 30 December 2003 at 2:50 am
Hong Kong Time Hong Kong Time (abbreviation: HKT; ) is the time in Hong Kong, observed at UTC+08:00 all year round. The Hong Kong Observatory is the official timekeeper of the Hong Kong Time. It is indicated as Asia/Hong_Kong in the IANA time zone database. ...
. She was 40 years old. Thousands of fans turned out for her funeral at North Point in January 2004. Mui was cremated and her ashes are interred at the
Po Lin Monastery Po Lin Monastery is a Buddhist monastery, located on Ngong Ping Plateau, on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. The monastery was founded in 1906 by three monks visiting from Jiangsu Province on the Chinese mainland and was initially known simply as "The ...
's mausoleum on
Lantau Island Lantau Island (also Lantao Island, Lan Tao) is the largest island in Hong Kong, located West of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, and is part of the New Territories. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands ...
. In 1998, an ATV-produced television series ''
Forever Love Song ''Forever Love Song'' () is a 1998 ATV drama series produced in Hong Kong.HKATV.com.HKATV.com." ''Kong To page.'' Retrieved on 2010-01-02. The story behind the main character Monica Mui is loosely based on that of Anita Mui. Names were changed a ...
'' told a story of a character which was loosely based on that of Mui, but the character names were purposely changed. In 2007, a television series was produced in China titled ''Anita Mui Fei'' () to tell the story of her life. The 42-episode series was broadcast by
China Education Television China Education Television (CETV) ( and IPA pronunciation ) is an educational TV station in the People's Republic of China. Its first broadcast was on October 1, 1986. Its function is to provide Chinese people with educational programs, similar ...
. Some subjects, such as her suffering from cancer,
Leslie Cheung Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing (12 September 1956 – 1 April 2003) was a Hong Kong singer and actor. Throughout a 26-year career from 1977 until his death, Cheung released over 40 music albums and acted in 56 films. He was one of the most prominent ...
's suicide and her mother's real estate dilemma, were avoided.
Alice Chan Alice Chan Wai (born 21 November 1973) is a Hong Kong actress currently contracted to TVB. Early life Alice Chan was born in Beijing, with ancestry in the county-level city of Puning in Guangdong. She settled in Hong Kong with her parents and ...
portrayed Mui in the series. On 23 September 2004, the Anita Mui True Heart Digital Multimedia Studio was opened at the
University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hon ...
. It included state-of-the-art equipment for digital audio and video editing. In
Causeway Bay Causeway Bay is an area and a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern and the Wan Chai districts. It is a major shopping, leisure and cultural centre in Hong Kong, with a number of major shopping centres. Th ...
, an Anita Mui-themed cafe called Happiness Moon () is also dedicated to her legacy. On 11 October 2008, a show on TVB, titled ''Our Anita Mui'' (), was dedicated to Mui. Many fans and off-stage personnel who worked with her had a chance to talk about their personal experiences with Mui. Singers who participated in the show included Andy Hui,
Edmond Leung Edmond Leung Hon-man (; born 5 November 1971) is a Hong Kong singer-songwriter, record producer, actor and television host. Background Born in British Hong Kong on 5 November 1971, he was a youth development footballer and coach until 17. At ag ...
, and Stephanie Cheng. On 18 July 2014, a statue of Anita Mui was unveiled on Hong Kong's Avenue of Stars. In 2019, she was the subject of the film ''Dearest Anita''. The film centered around individuals whose lives had been shaped by her work, including her fans and beneficiaries of her philanthropic work. In 2021, she was portrayed in the biopic '' Anita'' (), directed by Longman Leung. She was played by the Hong Kong model Louise Wong.


Will

In her will, Mui bequeathed two properties to her fashion designer,
Eddie Lau Eddie Lau Pui-Kei (born February 24, 1951) is a fashion designer in Hong Kong. Lau has worked in the fashion industry since 1962 until his retirement in 1999, but continues working in fashion. His career peaked in the 1980s, when he designed h ...
, and the remainder to the Karen Trust – a trust she had set up and looked after by HSBC International Trustees. Its beneficiaries included her mother, , and four nieces and nephews. The Karen Trust provided Tam with a life tenancy of HK$70,000 per month; upon Tam's death, the estate would go to the New Horizon Buddhist Association ().Man, Joyce (10 May 2011). "Anita Mui's mother loses battle over will", ''South China Morning Post''; accessed 4 July 2017. In 2005, Tam received a HK$705,000 lump-sum payment from the trust in May. She applied for and obtained a hardship grant to pay for medical expenditure of $50,000 in December; her application for funds from the estate to challenge the will was denied. In 2008, Mui's estate was estimated to be worth HK$100 million. Tam Mei-kam contested the will, arguing that Mui was mentally unfit when she executed her will in 2003, weeks before her death. The High Court ruled that Mui was of sound mind when she signed the will, and that she simply did not trust her mother with money. Over the years, Tam mounted several legal challenges to the will, and succeeded in having the life tenancy varied to HK$120,000."Diva’s mum denied cash"
TaipeiTimes.com, 3 April 2009.
Tam was reportedly owing $2 million in legal costs in 2011. A fresh appeal by Tam and Mui's elder brother Peter Mui Kai-ming failed at the Court of Final Appeal in May 2011.
ChannelNewsAsia.com, 10 May 2011.
After that challenge, the Court of First Instance of Hong Kong declared Tam
bankrupt Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...
on 25 April 2012 for failing to pay legal fees, whilst allowing her to continue receiving her monthly allowance. In January 2013, the court ruled that the monthly tenancy of HK$120,000 to Tam, suspended since the previous July, would continue to be frozen due to mounting debts of the estate. Her brother was declared bankrupt on 17 January 2013 for failing to pay legal fees relating to the appeals. In May 2013, the court ordered the estate to pay Tam HK$20,000 a month for her living costs, as well as $240,000 to settle her overdue rent.Chan, Thomas (15 May 2013).
"Pop diva Anita Mui's mother to get allowance from trust"
''South China Morning Post''; accessed 11 June 2017.


Discography

Usually, English translations of Chinese titles from AnitaMuiNet.com are used.
, anitamuinet.com; retrieved 17 June 2008.
However, some English titles are different from the website, and some other albums are romanised in case accurate translation may not be possible.


Studio albums


Cantonese

;
Capital Artists Capital Artists is a Hong Kong–based record label, owned by eSun Holdings, a subsidiary of Lai Sun Development. Founded in 1971, Capital Artists signed some of the biggest names in the Cantopop industry, including Roman Tam, Anita Mui, and ...
Ltd. * ''Sum chai'' (Debts of the Heart) (1982) *: Also includes solo recordings by members of the Hong Kong pop band, Siu Foo Deui (The Tigers) * ''Red Anita Mui'' (''Chek sik Mui Yim-fong'') (1983) *: Sometimes referred as ''Red'' (''Chek sik'') * ''Leaping in the Spotlight'' (''Fei yeok mou toi'') (1984) * ''Chi seoi lau nin'' (The Years Flow Like Water) (1985) * ''Bad Girl'' (''Waai neoi haai'') (1985) * ''Yiu neoi'' (Temptress) (1986) * ''Burning Tango'' (''Tsi fo taam gwo'') (1987) * ''Flaming Red Lips'' (''Leet yim hung seon'') (1987) * ''Mung leoi gung tzeoi'' (Drunk in Dreams Together) (1988) * ''Mellow'' (''Zeoi yun tsing waai'') (1988) * ''We'll Be Together'' — EP (1988) * ''Lady'' (''Sook neoi'') Artists Ltd. (1989) * ''In Brasil'' (sometimes referred as ''In Brazil'') (1989) * ''Say It If You Love Me'' (''Ngoi ngo been soot ngoi ngo ba'') (1989) * ''Cover Girl'' (''Fung meen neoi long'') (1990) * ''Anita Mui'' () (1991) *: Sometimes it is called ''Yook mong ye sau gaai'' (Jungle of Desire) * ''It's Like This'' (''Si tze yeung dik'') (1994) *: Sometimes, it is referred to as ''This Is Anita Mui'' (''Mui Yim Fong si tze yeung dik'') * ''The Woman of Songs'' 歌之女 (''Goh tzi neoi'') (1995) * ''Illusions'' (''Geng faa seoi yu'') (1997) * ''Variations'' (''Been tzau'') (1998) * ''Larger Than Life'' (1999) * ''I'm So Happy'' (2000) ;Go East Entertainment Co. Ltd. * ''With'' (2002)


Japanese

English titles are official English titles used by record labels for below releases:
Express Express or EXPRESS may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * '' Express: Aisle to Glory'', a 1998 comedy short film featuring Kal Penn * '' The Express: The Ernie Davis Story'', a 2008 film starring Dennis Quaid Music * ''Express'' ...
(part of EMI Japan) * ''Fantasy of Love'' / ''Debt of Love'' (''kuchibiru woubau mae ni'' / ''inochi hate rumade'') — EP (1983) *: "Fantasy of Love" is the Japanese version of the Cantonese song "Gau cheut ngo dik sum" (). "Debt of Love" is the Japanese version of the Cantonese song "Sum chai" (). * ''Marry Me Merry Me'' / ''nantonaku shiawase'' (''nichii hanayome'' / ''nantonaku shiawase'') — EP (1983) *: ''Marry Me Merry Me'' is sometimes referred as ''Marry Me Marry Me''.


Mandarin

; Rock Records * ''Manjusaka'' (Man zhu sha hua) (1986) * ''Ever-changing Anita Mui: Flaming Red Lips'' (Bai bian Mei Yan-fang: lieyan hong chun) (1988) * ''Intimate Lover'' (''Qinmi airen'') (1991) ;Other record labels * ''Caution'' (''Xiaoxin'') — Capital Artists Ltd. (1994) *: Hong Kong edition of this album consists of Cantonese versions of some Mandarin songs. * ''Flower Woman'' (''Nüren hua'') — Music Impact Ltd. (1997) ;Anita Music Collection Ltd. * ''Moonlight on My Bed'' (or simply "Moonlight") (''Chuang qian ming yueguang'') (1998) * ''Nothing to Say'' (''Mei huashuo'') (1999)


Concert albums

;Capital Artists Ltd. * ''Anita Mui in Concert 87–88'' – Cantonese (1988) * ''Anita in Concert '90'' – Cantonese (1990) * ''Anita Mui Live in Concert 1995'' – Cantonese/Mandarin (1995) * ''Anita Mui Final Concert 1992'' – Cantonese/Mandarin (2006) ;Music Impact Ltd. * ''Anita Mui 1997 Live in Taipei'' – Mandarin (1997) ;Music Nation Records Company Ltd. * ''Anita Mui Fantasy Gig 2002'' – Cantonese/Mandarin (2002)


Compilation albums

Compilations released after 2004 are not included here: Capital Artists Ltd. (Cantonese) * ''The Legend of the Pop Queen: Part I'' and ''Part II'' (1992) * ''Lifetime of Fantasies'' (''Ching waan yat sang'') (1993) * ''Change'' (''Been'') (1993) * ''Wong tze tzi fung'' (Majestic) (1993) * ''Dramatic Life'' (''Hei kek yan sang'') (1993) * ''Love Songs'' (''Ching goh'') (1997) * ''Love Songs II'' II (''Ching goh II'') (1998) * ''Anita's 45 Songs'' (2001) * ''Tribute to Anita Mui'' (2004) * ''Faithfully'' (2008) * ''In the Memories of Anita Mui'' (2013) ;Other record labels * ''Anita Classic Moment Live'' – Mui Music Ltd. (Cantonese/Mandarin) (2004) * ''Anita Mui Forever'' – BMG Taiwan Inc. (Mandarin) (2004)


Singles


1980s


1990s


2000s


Tour setlists

#留住你今晚 #點起你欲望 #魅力的散發 #心債 #赤的疑惑 #交出我的心 #信 #24小時之吻 (梅艷芳、草蜢 合唱) #祝你好運 (梅艷芳、草蜢 合唱) #小虎子闖世界 (梅艷芳、小虎隊 合唱) #歌衫淚影 #殘月碎春風 #Medley: ##再共舞 ##紗籠女郎 ##再共舞 Reprise #滾滾紅塵 #IQ博士 #風的季節 (梅艷芳、梅愛芳 合唱) #中國戲曲 #The Way We Were #待嫁女兒心 #日本演歌 (梅艷芳、黎小田 合唱) #合唱歌 (梅艷芳、Guest 合唱) #夢伴 #別離的無奈 #冰山大火 #幻影 #蔓珠莎華 #夢幻的擁抱 #抱你十個世紀 #孤身走我路 #壞女孩 #顛多一千晚 #似水流年 #不了情 #逝去的愛 #Medley: ##冰山大火 ##征服他 ##心魔 ##冰山大火 Reprise #痴痴愛一次 #緋聞中的女人 #妖女 #將冰山劈開 #愛將 (梅艷芳、草蜢 合唱) #飛躍千個夢 (草蜢 主唱) #戀之火 #殘月醉春風 #夢 #紗籠女郎 #Medley: ##嘆息 ##歌衫淚影 ##千枝針刺在心 #胭脂扣 #夢伴 #壞女孩 #放鬆 #暫時厭倦 #蔓珠莎華 #她的前半生 #烈燄紅唇 #尋愛 #Oh No! Oh Yes! #裝飾的眼淚 #無淚之女 #似火探戈 #魅力的天橋 #最後一次 #傷心教堂 #似水流年 #珍惜再會時 #愛我便說愛我吧 #正歌 #第四十夜 #夏日戀人 #一舞傾情 #難得有情人 #愛情基本法 #心窩已瘋 #心仍是冷 (梅艷芳、倫永亮 合唱) #明天你是否依然愛我 (梅艷芳、倫永亮 合唱) #你知道我在等你嗎 (倫永亮獨唱) #Stand By Me #Dancing Boy #玫瑰、玫瑰、我愛你 #不如不見 #最愛是誰 #倦 #夢裡共醉 (音樂/舞蹈) #焚心以火 #脂胭扣 #黑夜的豹 #Medley: ##壞女孩 ##妖女 ##烈燄紅唇 ##淑女 #封面女郎 #她的前半生 #孤身走我路 #龍的傳人 #血染的風采 #蔓珠莎華 #夕陽之歌 #耶利亞 #Encore: ##似水流年 ##心債 ##夢伴 ##冰山大火 ##我未失方向 ##赤的疑惑 ##再共舞 ##珍惜再會時 #蔓珠莎華 #Faithfully #夢幻的擁抱 #夢姬 #妖女 #緋聞中的女人 #假如我是男人 #Touch #似火探戈 #不信愛有罪 #這一個夜 #Jungle Medley: ##黑夜的豹 ##慾望野獸街 ##夜貓夫人 ##慾望野獸街 Reprise #教父的女人 #壞女孩 #胭脂扣 #啼笑因緣 #每當變幻時 #似是故人來 #幾多 #逝去的愛 #赤的疑惑 #夕陽之歌 #親密愛人 #IQ博士 #似水流年 #心肝寶貝 #孤身走我路 #夢伴 #Stand By Me #珍惜再會時 #回頭已是百年身 #封面女郎 Introduction #Medley: ##淑女 ##壞女孩 ##夢伴 ##妖女 #親密愛人 #Medley: ##新鴛鴦蝴蝶夢 ##只羡鴛鴦不羡仙 #女人心 #激光中 #黑夜的豹 #放開你的頭腦 #感激 #珍惜再會時 #Overture #夢伴 #We'll Be Together #Faithfully #愛是沒餘地 #傳說 Interlude #莫問一生 #烈女 #耶利亞 #夢姬 #等著你回來 Interlude #得不到的愛情 #Medley: ##何日 ##李香蘭 ##何日 Reprise #願今宵一起醉死 #Interlude #Stand By Me #是這樣的 #Medley: ##愛是個傳奇 ##粉紅色的一生 #明星 #女人心 #Medley: (梅艷芳、倫永亮 合唱) ##分分鐘需要你 ##浪子心聲 ##胭脂扣 ##情人 ##明天我要嫁給你 ##憑著愛 ##心仍是冷 ##分分鐘需要你 Reprise #情歸何處 #感激 #Interlude #Touch #疾風 #愛我便說愛我吧 #歌之女 #似水流年 #是這樣的 #艷舞台 #淑女 #抱緊眼前人 #愛上狼的羊 #女人心 #愛的感覺 #緋聞中的女人 #Touch #壞女孩 #似水流年 #Medley: ##似是故人來 ##心肝寶貝 ##胭脂扣 ##緣份 ##有心人 ##路...始終告一段 ##何日 ##夕陽之歌 #夜蛇 #烈艷紅唇 #抱你十個世紀 #眼中釘 #一生何求 #似夢迷離 #但願人長久 #不快不吐 #Medley: ##你真美麗 ##第二春 ##夢 ##戀之火 ##今宵多珍重 ##我要 ##給我一個吻 ##玫瑰、玫瑰、我愛你 #情歸何處 #你留我在此 #將冰山劈開 #床前明月光 #心窩已瘋 #Big Bad Girl #夢伴 #Opening #Stand By Me #將冰山劈開 #愛我便說愛我吧 #長藤掛銅鈴 #Medley: ##艷舞台 ##烈焰紅唇 #Medley: ##憑甚麼 ##假如我是男人 ##黑夜的豹 #蔓珠莎華 #Oh No! Oh Yes! #Wonderful Night #Faithfully #是這樣的 #夢幻的擁抱 #夢姬 #烈女 #心債 #一舞傾情 #約會 #胭脂扣 #床前明月光 #心窩已瘋 #芳華絕代 #床呀!床! #似水流年 #似是故人來 #抱緊眼前人 #親密愛人 #Medley: ##孤身走我路 ##夕陽之歌  #Medley: ##愛將 ##壞女孩 ##淑女 ##妖女 ##放開你的頭腦 ##夢伴 ##冰山大火 #Overture #夢裡共醉 #是這樣的 #抱緊眼前人 #心肝寶貝 #Medley: ##何日 ##李香蘭 ##何日 Reprise #心債 #第四十夜 #夏日戀人 # 'O Sole Mio #親密愛人 #Medley: ##愛情的代價 ##我願意 ##似夢迷離 ##今生今世 ##深愛著你 #孤身走我路 #胭脂扣 #似是故人來 #似水流年 #Sukiyaki #花月佳期 #夕陽之歌


Awards

*
New Talent Singing Awards New Talent Singing Awards (Traditional Chinese character, Traditional Chinese: 新秀歌唱大賽) or ''NTSA'' for short, later re-organised into New Talent Singing Awards International Finals (Traditional Chinese character, Traditional Chinese ...
winner 1982 * Top 10 Jade Solid Gold Best Female Singer Award 1985–1989 * Top 10 Jade Solid Gold Gold Song Gold Award for Sunset Melody () 1989 *
Hong Kong Film Awards The Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA; ), founded in 1982, is an annual film awards ceremony in Hong Kong. The ceremonies are typically in April. The awards recognise achievement in various aspects of filmmaking, such as directing, screenwriting, ...
for Best Supporting Actress 1985 for '' Behind the Yellow Line'' * Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actress 1988 for '' Rouge'' *
Asia-Pacific Film Festival The Asia-Pacific Film Festival (abbreviated APFF) is an annual film festival hosted by the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia-Pacific. The festival was first held in Tokyo, Japan, in 1954. History The festival was first held in T ...
Awards for Best Actress 1989 for ''Rouge'' * Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress 1989 for ''Rouge'' * Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress 1998 for '' Eighteen Springs'' * Golden Bauhinia Awards for Best Supporting Actress 1998 for ''Eighteen Springs'' *
RTHK Golden Needle Award Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Awards () is one of the main C-pop music award in Hong Kong. The award is sponsored by RTHK. Beginning in 1978, it is the oldest major award in Hong Kong, even earlier than the Jade Solid Gold Top 10 Awards. The cerem ...
1998 *
Golden Deer Awards The Changchun Film Festival (中国长春电影节) is a biennial international film festival held in the Chinese city of Changchun. Ostensibly international, its award for best film, the Golden Deer has nevertheless primarily been awarded to Chi ...
for Best Actress 2002 for ''
July Rhapsody ''July Rhapsody'' () is a 2002 Hong Kong drama film directed by Ann Hui and produced by Ann Hui and Derek Yee. Overview The film's Chinese title literally translates to Man, 40. Its alternative title is Laam yan sei sap. The film explores ...
''


Concert tours/specials


Filmography


TV series


TVB


See also

* Asteroid 55384 Muiyimfong * Music of Hong Kong * Cinema of Hong Kong


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mui, Anita New Talent Singing Awards contestants 1963 births 2003 deaths Deaths from cervical cancer Deaths from cancer in Hong Kong 20th-century Hong Kong women singers 21st-century Hong Kong women singers 20th-century Hong Kong actresses 21st-century Hong Kong actresses Cantopop singers Hong Kong Mandopop singers Hong Kong television actresses Hong Kong film actresses Hong Kong Buddhists Hong Kong idols Hong Kong contraltos Hong Kong women comedians