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Denise Ho Wan-see (born 10 May 1977) is a Hong Kong-born Canadian
Cantopop Cantopop (a contraction of "Cantonese pop music") is a genre of pop music sung in Cantonese. Cantopop is also used to refer to the cultural context of its production and consumption. The genre began in the 1970s and became associated with Hon ...
singer and actress. She is also a pro-democracy and Hong Kong human rights activist. In 2012, Ho came out as
lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...
, the first mainstream
Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...
singer to do so. In 2014, Ho was blacklisted by the
Chinese government The government of the People's Republic of China is based on a system of people's congress within the parameters of a Unitary state, unitary communist state, in which the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) enacts its policies through people's ...
and dropped by the luxury brand
Lancôme Lancôme () is a French perfume and cosmetics house that distributes products internationally. A subsidiary of L'Oréal, Lancôme offers skin care, fragrances, and makeup. History Founded in 1935 by Guillaume d'Ornano and his business partn ...
for her participation in the
Umbrella Movement The Umbrella Movement () was a political movement that emerged during the 2014 Hong Kong protests. Its name arose from the use of umbrellas as a tool for nonviolent resistance, passive resistance to the Hong Kong Police Force's use of pepper ...
in Hong Kong. On 28 December 2021, Ho was arrested by the Hong Kong police under the joint charges of both production and distribution of seditious materials.


Early life and education

Ho was born in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
. Both of her parents were teachers. She began her primary school education at the Diocesan Girls' Junior School. In 1988, she moved with her parents to
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, Canada. Ho first attended
Collège Jean de la Mennais In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 14. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for students between ...
, an elementary and middle school in La Prairie, on the South Shore of Montreal, then attended
Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf () is a subsidized private, previously Jesuit French-language educational institution offering secondary school and college-level instruction in Quebec. It was originally a boys' school, became partially mixed in 1968 a ...
, a
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
college preparatory secondary school and private college. There, she received a
Quebec Diploma of College Studies A College Diploma in Quebec for pre-university studies and technical studies (officially titled: Diploma of College Studies, often abbreviated DCS, French: ''Diplôme d'études collégiales'' or ''DEC'') is a degree issued by the Ministry of Ed ...
in Arts and Communications. In 1996, she returned to Hong Kong to take part in the New Talent Singing Awards (NTSA). Afterwards, she began her studies at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) in graphic design. She was enrolled for only one semester before returning to Hong Kong to kickstart her career.


Career


1996–1999: Career begins

At age 19, Ho enrolled in the 1996
New Talent Singing Awards New Talent Singing Awards ( zh, t=新秀歌唱大賽) or ''NTSA'' for short, later re-organised into New Talent Singing Awards International Finals ( zh, t=全球華人新秀歌唱大賽 or ''NTSA International Finals'' for short), and most curr ...
and to her stated surprise, won the competition. This gave her the opportunity to meet
Anita Mui Anita Mui Yim-fong (; 10 October 1963 – 30 December 2003) was a Hong Kong singer and actress who made major contributions to the Cantopop music scene and received numerous awards and honours. She remained an idol throughout her career, and i ...
, a renowned singer of
Cantopop Cantopop (a contraction of "Cantonese pop music") is a genre of pop music sung in Cantonese. Cantopop is also used to refer to the cultural context of its production and consumption. The genre began in the 1970s and became associated with Hon ...
—"queen of Hong Kong movies and…renowned in the… world of Cantonese pop music"—of whom she had been a fan since childhood, and who would become her mentor following her win. This launched her career, and at this time she took on the stage name, "HoCC"; this gave her the opportunity to record an album, and gave her a recording contract with
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 Le ...
. In the intervening period between the contents win and her first album, Ho toured as a background vocalist with Mui, and hosted various television programs produced by
TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB; zh, t=電視廣播有限公司) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong. The company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Canton ...
.


2000–2004: Breakthrough

Ho released her first album "First" in 2001, in her fourth year of the contract with Capital Artists. Produced by Choy Yat Chi of Grasshopper (band), this EP, containing her first single "Thousands More of Me" (千千萬萬個我) and "Home of Glory" (光榮之家), defined with success Ho's style as the rock pop independent female she is up till recent years. She earned the award of “Best New Singer” in various prize presentation ceremonies that year. In October, Capital Artists announced bankruptcy, resulting in the end of Ho's first record label era. After Capital Artists closed, Ho joined
EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...
in 2002. Although she was only with the company for a brief 2-year period, it was during this time that her musical talents flourished. She teamed up with Ying C Foo (英師傅) for her first
EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...
label release, Hocc². The song "Angel Blues" (天使藍), composed by Ho herself, not only reached top spots on music charts, but according to Ho, it is also her "growing up" song. Another single in the EP, "Rosemary" (露絲瑪莉), written by
Wyman Wong Wyman Wong (born 21 May 1969) is a Cantopop lyricist from Hong Kong.The Style Issue
''Tim ...
, created considerable controversies at the time, as it touched on the topic of lesbianism. This song also marked the beginning of Ho's series of songs containing gay themes. Following the success of "Rosemary" (露絲瑪莉), Ho continued the story of the two lovers in "Goodbye... Rosemary" (再見...露絲瑪莉) in her first full-length album, ''free ''. In 2002, Ho's two singles "Angel Blues" (天使藍) and "Goodbye... Rosemary" (再見...露絲瑪莉) won multiple music awards in Hong Kong, including CASH Golden Sail Music Awards (CASH金帆音樂獎) – "Best Vocal Performance by a Female Artist" for the song "Angel Blues". In the same year, Ho won the renowned "Female Singer Bronze Award" in the Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation (叱吒樂壇流行榜頒獎典禮). In 2003, Ho held a " Music is Live" concert with
Andy Hui Andrew Hui Chi On (born 12 August 1967) is a Hong Kong people , 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' ...
, who is also an apprentice of
Anita Mui Anita Mui Yim-fong (; 10 October 1963 – 30 December 2003) was a Hong Kong singer and actress who made major contributions to the Cantopop music scene and received numerous awards and honours. She remained an idol throughout her career, and i ...
. Their performance won praise from the critics, and Ho proved to the audience her abilities to perform live as a musician. Later that year, Ho released her second full-length album " Dress Me Up!". She was the credited as the producer of the album, indicating that Ho has finally gained full control over her music. In September 2003, Ho's longtime mentor,
Anita Mui Anita Mui Yim-fong (; 10 October 1963 – 30 December 2003) was a Hong Kong singer and actress who made major contributions to the Cantopop music scene and received numerous awards and honours. She remained an idol throughout her career, and i ...
announced she was diagnosed with
cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix or in any layer of the wall of the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that can invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later sympt ...
. Shortly after the announcement, Anita lost her battle against cervical cancer and died on 30 December 2003. Between 2003 and 2004, Ho took on the role of hosting
TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB; zh, t=電視廣播有限公司) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong. The company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Canton ...
's weekly live music show,
Jade Solid Gold Jade Solid Gold ( Chinese: 勁歌金曲, literally ''"powerful song golden melody"'') is a music show on the TVB Jade television channel in Hong Kong. It has been running since October 10, 1981. Broadcasting time TVB Jade *Sunday at 11:00 p.m. to ...
. In 2004, she appeared in
Sammi Cheng Sammi Cheng Sau-man (; born 19 August 1972) is a Hong Kong singer and actress. She is considered one of the most prominent female singers in Hong Kong, with album sales of over 25 million copies throughout the Asia-pacific. Most notably in the 199 ...
's 2004 "Sammi vs. Sammi" concert as a cross-dressing cigarette-smoking admirer of Sammi Cheng. Ho's critically acclaimed performance in the short musical segment not only brought attention to the role she played, but also further established herself as a tremendous live performer. In September 2004, Ho signed a contract with
East Asia Music Amusic is the record label of East Asia Record Production Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Paciwood Music & Entertainment Ltd. It was founded by businessman Peter Lam and singer Leon Lai on 28 July 2004. Its purpose is developing artists with pote ...
.


2005–2009: Continued success

The album "Glamorous", which pays tribute to the superstars of the 1980s, was released in January 2005. It also marked the start of a close collaboration between Ho and the
Green Mountain Orchestra Green Mountain Orchestra (GMO, Traditional Chinese, TC: 青山大樂隊) is a band / music group from Hong Kong that is formed by 4 music writers, performers, and producers. Members include: * Carl Wong (王雙駿), * Veronica Lee (Music Producer), ...
band. She was named the Orbis Student Ambassador 2005, and visited Hainan in July. In September 2005, Ho performed in the musical ''
Butterfly Lovers The Butterfly Lovers is a Chinese legend centered around the tragic romance between Liang Shanbo () and Zhu Yingtai (), whose names form the Chinese title of the story. The title is often abbreviated as Liang Zhu (). The story was selected a ...
'' (梁祝下世傳奇) as the leading actress, producer and musical director. Her album of the same name gave her three Number 1 singles – "Becoming a Butterfly" (化蝶), "Lawrence and Lewis" (勞斯.萊斯) and "Coffee in a Soda Bottle" (汽水樽裡的咖啡), which are all based on the story of the ''
Butterfly Lovers The Butterfly Lovers is a Chinese legend centered around the tragic romance between Liang Shanbo () and Zhu Yingtai (), whose names form the Chinese title of the story. The title is often abbreviated as Liang Zhu (). The story was selected a ...
'', with possible homosexual themes. These singles helped her to receive the "Female Singer Silver Award" at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation 2005 (叱吒樂壇流行榜頒獎典禮). Ho held her first
Hong Kong Coliseum Hong Kong Coliseum (), commonly and informally known as the Hung Hom Coliseum (, ) is a multi-purpose indoor arena, in Hung Hom Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong near Hung Hom station. It is in Yau Tsim Mong District. It was built by the Urban Council ...
concert " Live in Unity 2006" on 26–28 October 2006. The concert was a great success and was positively received by the public. She decided to stage a second concert, " Live in Unity 2007", on 19–20 January 2007 following the original concert's success. Her single, " We Stand As One", named after the slogan for the "
Live in Unity ''Live in Unity'' is a series of concerts held by a Hong Kong female singer, Denise Ho (HOCC). It started on 26–28 October 2006 called "Hocc Live in Unity 2006" at Hong Kong Coliseum. Due to the great feedback from the audience, Ho continued th ...
" concerts, was released on 11 January 2007. Recordings of the concert were later released in February 2007. She went on a worldwide tour, performing in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Canada and
Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...
. The significant public attention and positive reception to her music helped her garner the "Female Singer Gold Award" at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation 2006 (叱吒樂壇流行榜頒獎典禮). She sang the
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
version of
Ayumi Hamasaki is a Japanese singer-songwriter and producer. Nicknamed the "Empress of Pop" on account of her influence throughout Asia, she is widely recognized for her versatile music production, songwriting, and live performances. Hamasaki is the List of ...
's song "
Secret Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controver ...
", known as "Wounded City Secret" (傷城秘密), for the 2006 movie ''
Confession of Pain ''Confession of Pain'' is a 2006 Hong Kong crime drama film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, starring Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Shu Qi and Xu Jinglei. Plot summary Police inspectors Lau Ching-hei and Yau Kin-bong arrest a rapist ...
''. She continued as the Orbis Student Ambassador 2006 and visited Vietnam, and later started her own charitable fund. In 2008, a new album " ''Ten Days in the Madhouse''" was released. She produced this album from the viewpoint of society's outcasts and to raise awareness of mental health issues. She encouraged people to understand and find out more about people with mental illnesses and those who formerly suffered from mental illnesses, and care about their needs and situations. Ho encouraged communication between them and the public, ultimately, to achieve social harmony. "Ten Days in the Madhouse" was Ho's most ambitious project. Yet, with the release of a documentary by Hong Kong director
Yan Yan Mak Yan Yan Mak (Man Yuen-Yan) is a Hong Kong–based female award-winning director. Biography She graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts; as a student, Yan Yan worked for the film industry as an assistant director, production mana ...
(Butterfly) and an exhibition for charity, Ho showed that a multimedia project by a musician can be about something more important than clothing tie-ins. In 2009, she followed up her plan from the previous year and organised a free concert called "Happiness is Free" in the outdoor courtyard of
Diocesan Boys' School The Diocesan Boys' School (DBS) is a day and boarding Anglican boys' school in Hong Kong, located at 131 Argyle Street, Hong Kong, Argyle Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon. The school's mission is "to provide a liberal education based on Christianity ...
. She managed to book the place because her father was a teacher there. In June, she began shooting a new TVB sitcom titled '' O.L. Supreme'' with
Liza Wang Elizabeth "Liza" Wang Ming-chun Gold Bauhinia Star, GBS Silver Bauhinia Star, SBS (born 28 August 1947), is a Hong Kong diva, actress and Master of Ceremonies, MC. She is a personality in Chinese-speaking communities. She has been nicknamed "The ...
. In July, she released her new song "The Old Testament" (舊約) and announced that she would hold her "SUPERGOO" themed concerts from 9–12 October that year. Following the concerts, Ho took on a role in the new stage comedy "Man and Woman, War and Peace" (男人與女人之戰爭與和平) directed by Edward Lam. The stage comedy was presented on 13–16 November at
Kwai Tsing Theatre Kwai Tsing Theatre () is a major performance venue in Kwai Chung, New Territories, Hong Kong. It is located in Kwai Fong, near Kwai Fong MTR station. It was built by the Regional Council and opened on 18 November 1999 to provide a medium-size ven ...
in Hong Kong.


2010–2015: Political awakening

In 2010, Ho appeared in the film '' Life Without Principle'' directed by
Johnnie To Johnnie To Kei-fung (born 22 April 1955) is a Hong Kong filmmaker. 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 the West he is best known for his H ...
. In September 2010, her first Mandarin album "''Nameless Poem"'' (無名.詩) was released in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and she held "Homecoming" concerts in Hong Kong in December 2010. In 2011, Ho received her first nomination in the 22nd Golden Melody Awards as “Best Mandarin Female Singer”. In 2012, she was nominated in the 49th Golden Horse Award for “Best Actress” for her performance in the movie “Life Without Principle”. In the same year, she came out as gay at the fourth annual Hong Kong Pride Parade, becoming the first "mainstream female singer in Hong Kong to come out of the closet". Since then, Ho has been actively involved in striving for LGBT rights. In 2013, Ho continued the tour of her play, “Awakening”, in Singapore and in many cities in China. She released her second Mandarin album, “Coexistence”, which touches upon the theme of loving others despite differences. Ho received her second nomination in the 25th Golden Melody Awards as “Best Mandarin Female Singer” in 2014. At the end of 2014, the
Umbrella Movement The Umbrella Movement () was a political movement that emerged during the 2014 Hong Kong protests. Its name arose from the use of umbrellas as a tool for nonviolent resistance, passive resistance to the Hong Kong Police Force's use of pepper ...
emerged in Hong Kong. Ho was a staunch supporter of the movement, and was later arrested when the police cleared the protest camps. Her active participation in Hong Kong's large-scale social movement led her to be blacklisted and banned from performing in China.


2015–present: Independent artist

In March 2015, Ho's contract with (previously named as
East Asia Music Amusic is the record label of East Asia Record Production Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Paciwood Music & Entertainment Ltd. It was founded by businessman Peter Lam and singer Leon Lai on 28 July 2004. Its purpose is developing artists with pote ...
) expired. She announced in her Facebook and newspaper column in Apple Daily that she would become an independent artist. Afterwards, she organized multiple events on her own: “Reimagine Live”, a self-funded concert in Taiwan, and a local charity market co-organized with Nomad Nomad. On 19–24 August 2015, she also held a self-funded concert “Reimagine HK18” in Hong Kong Queen Elizabeth Stadium. On 7–10 October 2016, Ho returned to the Hong Kong Coliseum for her first crowdfunded concert “Dear Friend,”. As she was banned and blacklisted by China, Ho could not find any powerful sponsor that would support her shows. So she came up with a crowdfunding alternative she called “Togetherly Exclusive.” She invited individuals and small and medium enterprises to pledge sponsorship for the event. Eventually, sponsored by over 300 small enterprises and individuals, the four-day concert was successfully held and revisited 24 of the singer's greatest hits. Approaching the end of 2016, Ho was selected by the BBC as one of the “100 Women 2016”. From the end of 2017 to 2018, she went on a worldwide tour called “Dear Self, Dear World”, performing in Britain, Taiwan and the United States and Canada. She originally planned to continue the tour in Malaysia, but was forced to cancel as her visa application was rejected by the Immigration Department of Malaysia. In May 2018, Ho published a new song “Polar”, marking her first attempt to write lyrics for a song. In September, Ho collaborated with Taiwanese band
Chthonic In Greek mythology, deities referred to as chthonic () or chthonian () were gods or spirits who inhabited the underworld or existed in or under the earth, and were typically associated with death or fertility. The terms "chthonic" and "chthonian" ...
on their song Millennia's Faith Undone, which required her to sing in Taiwanese Hokkien. Later, an acoustic version of the song was also released. At the end of 2018, she successfully organized a 6-day event called “On The Pulse Of” Festival in Hong Kong Science Park. The event is a combination of local market, music festival and Ho's concert. She tried to invite Chthonic to perform together in the festival, but the band's work visa application was denied. Eventually, Ho managed to make a joint performance on stage with Chthonic in her concert through video chat. In 2019, Ho started to become an active speaker in international human rights forum. In May 2019, Ho was invited to participate in
Oslo Freedom Forum Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) is a series of global conferences run by the New York–based non-profit Human Rights Foundation under the slogan "Challenging Power". OFF was founded in 2009 as a one-time event and has taken place annually ever since. ...
. She made a speech on the topic “Under the umbrella : Creative dissent in Hong Kong” and performed “Polar” to the audience. Followed by that is Hong Kong's anti-extradition law amendment bill protests. Ho, as a Canto-pop star turned activist, got worldwide media coverage due to her active participation in the movement. On 8 July, she attended the
United Nations Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a United Nations Regional Gro ...
's meeting in Geneva. During he
short speech
she called on the council to remove China from the body and convene an urgent session to protect Hongkongers, sparking two interruptions by Chinese delegate Dai Demao. On 20 August, Ho participated in
Singularity University Singularity Education Group (using the public names Singularity Group, Singularity University or SingularityU) is an American company that offers executive educational programs, a business incubator, and business consultancy services. Although t ...
's (SU) annual Global Summit and did a keynote speech about how Hong Kong people utilize technology in their social movements. On 29 December 2021, Ho and five other people linked to ''
Stand News ''Stand News'' ( zh, t=立場新聞) was a free non-profit online news website based in Hong Kong from 2014 to 2021. Founded in December 2014, it was the successor of ''House News''. It primarily focused on social and Politics of Hong Kong, po ...
'', including barrister
Margaret Ng Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee (; born 25 January 1948) is a politician, barrister, writer and columnist in Hong Kong. She was a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong from 1995 to 2012. Biography Before entering the legal profession, Margaret ...
, were
arrested An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be Interroga ...
by Hong Kong Police on suspicion of breaching the colonial-era law covering conspiracy to print or distribute seditious materials. Ho is a Canadian citizen who partly grew up in
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
; a Canadian government spokesman expressed concern about the arrests and stated that Canada and its allies would issue a statement.


Activism

When asked about the origins of her "passion for freedom of expression," Ho replied to reporter Frédéric Lelièvre of ''
La Presse is a French-language online newspaper published daily in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1884, it is now owned by an independent nonprofit trust. ' was formerly a broadsheet daily, considered a newspaper of record in Canada. Its Sunday edi ...
'' that it was probably from her being an adolescent in Montreal at the time of the
1995 Quebec referendum The 1995 Quebec referendum was the second referendum to ask voters in the predominantly French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec whether Quebec should proclaim sovereignty and become an independent country, with the condition precedent of ...
.


LGBT issues

Ho proudly announced herself as " tongzhi" (Cantonese: tung4 zi3), a Chinese slang term for homosexuals, at age 35, at the fourth annual
Hong Kong Pride Parade The Hong Kong Pride Parade () is an annual march in Hong Kong in support of LGBT rights. Homosexuality has been legal in Hong Kong since 1991 but there is no legal recognition of any same-sex relationships and limited protection against discrimin ...
on 10 November 2012. Sara Gates of ''
The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...
'' reports that the various Hong Kong media outlets had indicated that Ho was the first "mainstream female singer in Hong Kong to come out of the closet." Since then, Ho has been involved in the Big Love Alliance (大愛同盟), a civil rights group striving equal rights for the LGBT community. This marks the start of her involvement in striving
LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, Gay men, gay, Bisexuality, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the Capital punishmen ...
. Days later, she watched in appalled amazement as the city's parliament struck down a motion to launch a public consultation on LGBT discrimination. "It wasn't about gay marriage, nothing serious like that, just trying to do a public survey and it was blocked," she said. "I was so angry back then, and that was the first time I saw how unfair the system is, how the government controlled everything." Ho faced a visa refusal by Malaysia in February 2018, which forced her to cancel the concert in April, allegedly related to her stance on LGBT and her LGBT identity.


Pro-democracy activism

In 2014, Ho made her stance clear when police fired tear gas in a futile attempt to disperse thousands of mostly-young pro-democracy protesters who had taken to the streets for the "Umbrella Movement". "That was an enraging moment for me and for many other Hong Kong people," Ho said. "As a celebrity, as a public persona, as an adult, you have to speak out in support of these students and these other Hong Kong citizens." She took to the streets herself, becoming one of the movement's most outspoken supporters, and one of the last to be hauled off by the police when they cleared the protest camps. On 5 June 2016, French cosmetics brand
Lancôme Lancôme () is a French perfume and cosmetics house that distributes products internationally. A subsidiary of L'Oréal, Lancôme offers skin care, fragrances, and makeup. History Founded in 1935 by Guillaume d'Ornano and his business partn ...
cancelled a promotional concert by Denise Ho that was scheduled to be held on 19 June in
Sheung Wan Sheung Wan (Chinese: 上環) is an List of places in Hong Kong, area in Hong Kong, located in the north-west of Hong Kong Island, between Central, Hong Kong, Central and Sai Ying Pun. Administratively, it is part of the Central and Weste ...
. This action was taken in response to a boycott campaign launched by the Communist Party-controlled ''
Global Times The ''Global Times'' is a daily Chinese Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid under the auspices of the Chinese Communist Party's flagship newspaper, the ''People's Daily'', commenting on international issues from a Chinese nationalistic pers ...
'', which accused her of supporting
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
and Tibet independence, and backlash from mainland Chinese internet users. Lancôme added, in a Facebook post, that Ho is not a spokesperson for the brand. The Tibet allegation appeared to have stemmed from Ho's May 2016 meeting with the
Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama (, ; ) is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The term is part of the full title "Holiness Knowing Everything Vajradhara Dalai Lama" (圣 识一切 瓦齐尔达喇 达赖 喇嘛) given by Altan Khan, the first Shu ...
. Ho says that citizens' wish for
self-rule Self-governance, self-government, self-sovereignty or self-rule is the ability of a person or group to exercise all necessary functions of regulation without intervention from an external authority. It may refer to personal conduct or to any ...
is not a crime. Shortly after the Lancôme incident, Ho announced a crowd-sponsorship campaign named "Togetherly Exclusive Sponsorship" for her Hong Kong Coliseum concert "Dear Friend,”. It was planned to be held in October of the same year, in response to being avoided by corporates. Approaching the end of 2016, Ho was selected by the BBC as one of the “ 100 Women 2016”.BBC's 100 Women
, BBC.com; retrieved 24 November 2016.
In 2019, Ho became an active speaker in international human rights forum. In May 2019, Ho was invited to participate in
Oslo Freedom Forum Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) is a series of global conferences run by the New York–based non-profit Human Rights Foundation under the slogan "Challenging Power". OFF was founded in 2009 as a one-time event and has taken place annually ever since. ...
, a global platform for human rights defenders to share their stories. She made a speech on the topic “Under the umbrella : Creative dissent in Hong Kong” and performed “Polar” to the audience. Followed by that was her response to Hong Kong's anti-extradition law amendment bill protests. Ho got worldwide media coverage due to her supposed active participation in the movement. On 8 July, she attended the
United Nations Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a United Nations Regional Gro ...
's (UNHRC) meeting in Geneva. She asked the United Nations (UN) and the international community to protect the people of Hong Kong from infringements on their freedoms, saying that human rights were under "serious attack" in Hong Kong, and called on the UN to remove China from the Human Rights Council. According to Ho, China has engaged in kidnappings, jailed activists, disqualified pro-democracy lawmakers, and restricts universal suffrage. Her speech was interrupted twice by Chinese diplomat Dai Demao, who asserted Chinese sovereignty over Hong Kong. Dai accused Ho of " entioningHong Kong side-by-side with China", which he called an "affront" and accused her of using "abusive language." Her speech at the UNHRC was in reference to the China extradition bill protests and the ongoing freedom and democracy movement in Hong Kong. Speaking about the protests, Ho stated that police engage in excessive force, and that if the Hong Kong government continues to ignore citizen demands the opposition movement will continue. During an interview prior to the UN session, Ho called Beijing's abuses a global issue, and mentioned Tibet and Xinjiang as regions also suffering from human rights violations. On 20 August, Ho participated in Singularity University's (SU) annual Global Summit and did a keynote speech about how Hong Kong people utilize technology in their social movements. She attended the following events: Antidote 2019, a festival organized by the
Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...
; "Be Water: Hong Kong vs China", a seminar co-organized with
Badiucao Badiucao () is an Australian: "In 2009, Badiucao moved to Australia, where he has since become a citizen" political cartoonist, artist and rights activist based in Australia. He is regarded as one of China's most prolific and well-known politica ...
in Melbourne; and this year's second
Oslo Freedom Forum Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) is a series of global conferences run by the New York–based non-profit Human Rights Foundation under the slogan "Challenging Power". OFF was founded in 2009 as a one-time event and has taken place annually ever since. ...
, which will take place in Taiwan. On 17 September, Ho and other activists participated in a
Congressional-Executive Commission on China The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) is an independent agency of the U.S. government which monitors human rights and rule of law developments in the People's Republic of China. The commission was given the mandate by the U.S. C ...
(CECC) commission in the
United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...
. She emphasized that the Hong Kong police were using excessive violence on the protesters, and urged the U.S. Congress to pass the
Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act Hong may refer to: Places *Høng, a town in Denmark *Hong Kong, a city and a special administrative region in China *Hong, Nigeria *Hong River in China and Vietnam *Lake Hong in China Surnames *Hong (Chinese surname) *Hong (Korean surname) O ...
. In response,
Chinese Foreign Ministry The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China is the first-ranked executive department of the State Council of China, responsible for the country's foreign relations. It is led by the minister of foreign affairs, currently ...
spokesman
Geng Shuang Geng Shuang (; born April 1973) is a Chinese politician serving as China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He formerly served as the deputy director of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Biogr ...
called for foreign legislatures to not interfere in China's internal affairs. Ho rejected this in her testimony, saying, "This is not a plea for so-called foreign interference. This is a plea for democracy." A 90-minute documentary film produced by Sue Williams, ''Denise Ho: Becoming the Song'', released on 1 July 2020 in solidarity with the protest, marking the 23rd anniversary of Britain's handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997. On 11 May 2022, Ho was arrested under the charge of "colluding with foreign forces" by the national security police.


Discography


Studio albums

*''first. (EP)'' (2001) *''hocc² (EP)'' (2002) *''free '' (2002) *''Dress Me Up'' (2003) *''Glamorous'' (2005) *''Butterfly Lovers'' (2005) *''Our Time Has Come'' (2006) *''What Really Matters'' (2007) *''Ten Days in the Madhouse'' (2008) *''Heroes'' (2009) *''Unnamed.Poem'' (2010) *''Awakening'' (2011) *''Coexistence'' (2013) *''Recollections'' (2013)


Compilation albums

*''Roundup (New + Best Selection)'' (2003) *''Goomusic Collection 2004-2008'' (2008)


Live albums

*''HOCC Live in Unity'' (2007) *''Supergoo · Live'' (2009) *''Coexistence · Legacy Taipei Live'' (2013) *''Memento Live 2013'' (2014) *''Reimagine Live 2015'' (2015) *''Dear Friend, Concert 2016 Live'' (2017) *''Dear Self, Dear World · Live in Montreal'' (2019) *''On the Pulse of HOCC 2018 Live'' (2019)


Filmography


Film

*1998 – ''Rumble Ages'' (烈火青春) *1999 - ''Anti Crime Squad'' *2000 – ''The Slayer of Demons'' (妖怪傳) – Voice only: Sakuya (聲演: 神木櫻夜) *2003 – ''1:99'' *2003 – '' Naked Ambition'' (豪情) *2003 – '' Anna in Kungfuland'' (安娜與武林) *2003 – ''Hidden Track'' (尋找周杰倫) *2006 – ''
Superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic (supernatural), magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly app ...
'' *2007 – ''
The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American Animation, animated comedy film based on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' created by Matt Groening. The film was directed by series veteran David Silverman (animator) ...
'' (阿森一族大電影) – Hong Kong Voice only: Bart Simpson *2008 – ''
Kung Fu Panda ''Kung Fu Panda'' is an American martial arts comedy media franchise that started in 2008 with the release of the animated film '' Kung Fu Panda'' produced by DreamWorks Animation. Following the adventures of the titular Po Ping (primarily v ...
'' (功夫熊貓) – Hong Kong Voice only: Tigress *2009 – '' Look for a Star'' (游龍戲鳳) *2010 – ''
72 Tenants of Prosperity ''72 Tenants of Prosperity'' (72家租客) is a 2010 Hong Kong comedy film produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, Television Broadcasts Limited, United Filmmakers Organization, Sil-Metropole Organisation and Sun Wah Media Group. It was directed ...
'' (72家租客) *2010 – ''Merry-Go-Round'' (東風破) *2011 – ''Kung Fu Panda'' (功夫熊貓) – Hong Kong Voice only: Tigress *2011 – '' Life Without Principle'' (奪命金) *2012 – ''
I Love Hong Kong 2012 ''I Love Hong Kong 2012'' is a Hong Kong comedy film produced by Eric Tsang and directed by Chung Shu Kai and Chin Kwok Wai. Film stars an ensemble cast of Tsang, Teresa Mo, Bosco Wong, Denise Ho, Stanley Fung, Siu Yam-yam, William So, Mak ...
'' (2012我愛HK 喜上加囍) *2013 – ''Young and Dangerous: Reloaded'' (古惑仔:江湖新秩序) *2020 – ''Denise Ho: Becoming the Song'' – documentary film produced by Sue Williams


TV series

*1999 – '' Anti-Crime Squad'' (反黑先鋒) as 單解心 *2004 – '' Shanghai Legend'' (上海灘之俠醫傳奇)as 江雪 *2010 – '' O.L. Supreme'' (女王辦公室) as Music Miu 繆惜之


Concerts and tours

*''
Live in Unity ''Live in Unity'' is a series of concerts held by a Hong Kong female singer, Denise Ho (HOCC). It started on 26–28 October 2006 called "Hocc Live in Unity 2006" at Hong Kong Coliseum. Due to the great feedback from the audience, Ho continued th ...
'' (2006) *Happiness is Free (2009) *''Supergoo'' (2009) *''Homecoming Live'' (2010) *''Memento Live'' (2013) * ''Reimagine Hong Kong'' (2015) *''Dear Friend,'' (2016) *''Dear Self, Dear World'' (2017-2018) *''On The Pulse Of'' (2018)


International conferences and talks

* May 2019 –
Oslo Freedom Forum Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) is a series of global conferences run by the New York–based non-profit Human Rights Foundation under the slogan "Challenging Power". OFF was founded in 2009 as a one-time event and has taken place annually ever since. ...
(Oslo) * July 2019 –
United Nations Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a United Nations Regional Gro ...
's meeting (Geneva) * August 2019 –
Singularity University Singularity Education Group (using the public names Singularity Group, Singularity University or SingularityU) is an American company that offers executive educational programs, a business incubator, and business consultancy services. Although t ...
's (SU) annual Global Summit (San Francisco) * September 2019 – Antidote 2019 by
Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...
(Sydney) * September 2019 – "Be Water: Hong Kong vs China" Seminar with
Badiucao Badiucao () is an Australian: "In 2009, Badiucao moved to Australia, where he has since become a citizen" political cartoonist, artist and rights activist based in Australia. He is regarded as one of China's most prolific and well-known politica ...
(Melbourne) *September 2019 – Oslo Freedom Forum (Taipei) *October 2019 – Oslo Freedom Forum (New York) *December 2019 –
TEDWomen TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "Ideas Change Everything" (previously "Ideas Worth Sprea ...
— Brilliant and Bold *February 2020 –
Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy The Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy is an annual human rights summit sponsored by a coalition of 20 non-governmental organizations. Each year, on the eve of the United Nations Human Rights Council's main annual session, activists from a ...
— (Geneva)


Awards and nominations

Ho has received numerous awards. As a solo artist she has achieved IFPI's "Top 10 Best-selling Local Artists Award" for 9 consecutive years, making her one of the best-selling artists in Hong Kong. She had also won the title of "Best Female Singer" and "My Favourite Female Singer" in the CRHK Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation over the past years, securing her position as a leading pop diva in the city. In recent years, although she is blacklisted by China, she has started up her own record label and continued to produce music. In 2019, she has collaborated with
CHTHONIC In Greek mythology, deities referred to as chthonic () or chthonian () were gods or spirits who inhabited the underworld or existed in or under the earth, and were typically associated with death or fertility. The terms "chthonic" and "chthonian" ...
, a Taiwanese band, to make the song "Millennia's Faith Undone". The song is nominated as "Song of the Year" in the 30th
Golden Melody Awards The Golden Melody Awards (), commonly abbreviated as GMA, is an honor awarded by Taiwan's Ministry of Culture to recognize outstanding achievement in the Mandarin, Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka, and Formosan-languages popular and traditional music ...
. Despite her robust music career, she has also made numerous attempts in the area of film and drama. As one of the leading actress in
Johnnie To Johnnie To Kei-fung (born 22 April 1955) is a Hong Kong filmmaker. 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 the West he is best known for his H ...
's award-winning film, " Life Without Principles", she had received recognition for her performance by achieving nominations and awards in the
Hong Kong Film Award The Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA; ), founded in 1982, is an annual List of film awards, film awards ceremony in Hong Kong. The ceremonies typically take place in April, and have mostly been held at the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Cent ...
s,
Golden Horse Awards The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Taipei Golden Horse Awards () are a film festival and associated awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. The festival and ceremony were founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Repub ...
and
Chinese Film Media Awards Chinese Film Media Awards (华语电影传媒大奖) are presented by ''Southern Metropolis Daily'' annually to honor excellence in Chinese-language cinema. Though based in mainland China, the awards are open to Chinese-language films from Hong Kong ...
respectively.


Films


Dramas


Music


See also

*
LGBT culture in Hong Kong Despite the history of History of Hong Kong (1800s–1930s), colonisation and the resulting process of Westernization since 1842, Hong Kong still embodies many aspects of Chinese traditional values towards sexuality. It is traditionally believed ...
* 2014 Umbrella Revolution * 2019–20 Hong Kong protests


References


External links


Denise Ho's Official BlogDenise Ho's Former Official Blog
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ho, Denise 1977 births Living people Activists from Montreal Actresses from Montreal Hong Kong contraltos Hong Kong democracy activists Hong Kong emigrants to Canada Hong Kong film actresses Hong Kong lesbian actresses Hong Kong lesbian musicians Hong Kong LGBTQ rights activists Hong Kong LGBTQ singers Hong Kong television actresses Hong Kong women activists Lesbian singers Naturalized citizens of Canada New Talent Singing Awards contestants Singers from Montreal 20th-century Canadian actresses 20th-century Canadian women singers 20th-century Hong Kong women singers 20th-century Hong Kong actresses 21st-century Canadian actresses 21st-century Canadian women singers 21st-century Hong Kong actresses 21st-century Hong Kong women singers 20th-century Hong Kong LGBTQ people 21st-century Hong Kong LGBTQ people Canadian women civil rights activists