The Mermaid’s Tale: Halle Bailey makes a splash in the groundbreaking role of Ariel – under the sea and above it

Halle Bailey never anticipated that she would be called for the main role in Disney’s live-action musical adaptation of The Little Mermaid. She believed, Ariel, the Disney princess who gives up her voice and mermaid tail to be with a “spineless, savage, harpooning fish- eater” human – would not be played by an actress who looked like her, despite her obvious credentials. The 23-year-old popstar has been writing music since the age of eight, opened for Beyoncé in Europe at 16, and has five Grammy nominations.

“I love that there’s so much Black diversity on screen now,” she says. “There was a time when we’d barely see locs – and now we have a Disney princess with them. It was super important for me to have my natural hair in this film. I’ve had my locs since I was five, so they’re a huge part of who I am. We need to be able to see ourselves, we need to be able to see our hair on big screens like this so that we know that it’s beautiful and more than acceptable.”

Beyoncé protégé

Before her successful Disney big-screen debut, Bailey was best known as one-half of the sisterly pop duo Chloe x Halle, whose first claim to fame was their YouTube cover of Beyoncé’s Pretty Hurts grabbing the attention of the music legend herself. The song changed the teenagers’ lives, propelling them to overnight prominence. They became the opening acts for both Beyoncé’s The Formation World Tour and Andra Day’s Cheers to the Fall Tour in 2016 and released popular EPs and albums including Uncovered, Sugar Symphony and The Kids Are Alright.

Their musical style, which transcends genres, distinguishes Chloe x Halle, two years her senior, from other artists. “My sister and I would always play mermaid in the pool,” she recalls. “Our first mixtape was called The Two of Us – I think weput it out when I was 15–and on the cover,I’m wearing my favourite mermaid blanket; it’s like a mermaid tail. Looking back, I’m like, that’s so weird. In a way, it was a coincidence. But really, it was the universe or God [giving me] a hint.”

Musical youth

Born in Mableton, Georgia, Halle picked up the cello and violin at a very young age, and like her sister learned how to play the guitar by studying YouTube tutorials. Noticing their musical development, their father, Doug Bailey, became their full-time manager, arranging for the girls – the middle pair of four siblings – to perform in the Atlanta area.

The family relocated to Los Angeles in late 2012 when Halle was 12. Two years later, Chloe x Halle signed with Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment management company and record label. By 2021, the sisters had released two albums and earned a slew of industry accolades.

“One major high would definitely be when my sister and I were nominated for Grammys,” she says. “We sang Where Is the Love by Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack, and that was actually the performance that got me noticed by Little Mermaid director Rob Marshall. It was confirmation for me that my own abilities and belief in myself [is enough]. I believed in myself for the first time.”

Purple patch

In addition, Bailey is a fantastic actress who made her screen debut in the 2006 romantic comedy Last Holiday. She then appeared in the 2012 films Let It Shine and Joyful Noise, and has played Skylar in the American TV sitcom Grown-ish. Completing a hat-trick of films this year is The Line, which premiered a few months before the Disney musical, and the much anticipated The Color Purple, based on the stage musical and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker.

“I am so excited to be playing young Nettie in The Color Purple. This film has meant a lot to me for a very long time – it’s a Black family staple,” she says. “I also got a chance to write an original song for the film. It’s been really cool to incorporate my artistry into this new world of acting. I’m just so grateful to be a part of the film. I cannot wait for people to see it. I think they’ll love it.”

Breaking the mould

Early this year, when the first pictures of Bailey as Ariel appeared on social media, there was a definite shift toward a new normal that was felt all over the world. The internet was inundated with videos of young Black girls excitedly responding to an Ariel they could identify with. Disney broke the mould when choosing its lead actor, and The Little Mermaid delivered a plethora of surprises appropriate for the new decade. The movie – and Bailey – are taking the responsibility of its global impact seriously.

She says: “My main goal has always been to stay true to myself. There’s so much more to being a young woman than this fairy-tale character. I think other people have a hard time separating who Halle is and who a princess is – and that’s natural when you’re a fan of an artist. But it’s a beautiful thing to be a layered individual and not fit into one certain image.”

Bailey imagines herself working as a nurse, paediatrician or a kindergarten teacher if she had not broken into entertainment. As to whether she ever yearns for the realism seen outside the Hollywood bubble, she remarks: “It’s fun to think about, but honestly, no, because this has been my normal for so long.”

Greater purpose

Instead, she is careful not to let her work as an artist and entertainer distract from the purpose she would like to fulfil. “The awards and the accolades and the people complimenting, it’s all great, but what [am I] here for really?” she ponders. “What am I doing to give it back to God? What am I doing actively to be a better person every single day?”

Arguably, her historic role as Ariel is indeed part of her larger purpose, and something she is – and should be – remarkably proud of. Some people believe that our fate is predetermined. Some people think we can control our own future. But for Halle Bailey, both these factors may have contributed to her extraordinary rise from child prodigy to bona fide Hollywood actress.

Cillian Instinct: Despite his startling eyes and immense talent, actor Cillian Murphy shuns the limelight

Throwback is a new-century buzzword, and old-century proponent Cillian Murphy is one through and through. He has purposefully maintained his obscurity at a time when celebrities openly share their true selves on social media. He doesn’t use X (Twitter) or Instagram; he doesn’t even have a mobile phone or computer. Instead of posing for photos with fans, he approaches them and asks if he can shake their hand, converse with them, or sign something.

He aggressively rejects the notion that he should be renowned and doesn’t even want to be known for anything. And the 43-year-old aims to keep it this way regardless of the hype generated by Oppenheimer, the latest addition to his long catalogue of both artistic films and blockbuster hits. Truly, Murphy nails the quiet masculinity of a man who strikes his own path in life with the air of supreme self-assurance while inwardly dealing with his own moral quandaries.

Early aptitude

The striking Irish actor was born in Douglas, the eldest child of four; his mother was a French teacher and his father worked for the Department of Education. He attended Presentation Brothers College in Cork, and went on to study law at University College Cork but – realising the profession wasn’t for him – left after a year.

His first passion was music, singing and playing the guitar in several bands. He was then wooed by acting, taking roles in student productions and joining the Corcadorca Theatre Company in Cork. He made his professional debut on stage in 1996 in Disco Pigs, a play whose initial six-week run extended into a two-year international tour and was made into a film in 2001.

Having relocated to Dublin and then London to secure theatre work, Murphy was noticed in this first major screen performance by the casting director for Danny Boyle’s post-apocalyptic horror film, 28 Days Later (2002). He landed the star role and earned himself nominations for Best Newcomer at the Empire Awards and Breakthrough Male Performance at the MTV Movie Awards. The acclaim that he didn’t want began in earnest.

Genius revealed

Fast forward to 2023, a time of blockbusters that spotlight women, but there is still something to be said for storylines that let men be men. Particularly if they are brilliant, charismatic men. A prime example of this is Oppenheimer, the epic biopic of the American physicist who designed the atomic bomb.

Ten years earlier, a BBC series headlined by Murphy changed television forever. Peaky Blinders combined the intriguing genres of historical fiction, gangster drama and psychological thriller to create an irresistible hybrid. Much like in Oppenheimer, a brilliant man finds himself thrust into a position of power while on his own (dubiously moral) mission, and whether that’s pushing the boundaries of science to develop a weapon of mass destruction or taking out his enemies one by one, you can’t help but root for him.

Piercing eye

Murphy’s signature looks, most notably his piercing blue eyes, have drawn in audiences around the world. It appears that his Oppenheimer co-stars were also affected by this mesmerising gaze. “It’s a real problem when you’re doing scene work with Cillian,” said Matt Damon. “Sometimes you find yourself just swimming in his eyes.” Emily Blunt added: “It’s like that Ocean Eyes song by Billie Eilish. We just hum it all day.”

The choice to cast Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer was a straightforward one, according to the film’s director Christopher Nolan. “I’d been staring at the cover of the book American Prometheus [Oppenheimer’s biography] for so many months, and there’s this photograph, black and white, a light blue-eyed stare, very intense, of this guy,” says Nolan. “And I thought, ‘Well, I know who could do that.’”

Murphy has appeared in six of Nolan’s films, but this is the first in which he plays the lead. The filmmaker reportedly admitted to being originally captivated by Murphy’s “crazy eyes” when casting him as the evil Scarecrow in Batman Begins (2005), beginning an 18-plus year collaboration. He portrayed the petulant heir of a business magnate in Inception (2010) and appeared as a traumatised soldier in Dunkirk (2017).

Consequently, the public perception of the actor is that because he is usually a little spooky onscreen, and we almost never see him off- screen, he must be kind of a creepy guy. But there’s really more than meets the eye.

Oscar buzz

The actor delivers a powerhouse performance in Oppenheimer. It’s a complex role and Murphy soars in it. It will surely result in Murphy’s first- ever Oscar bid, but unlike the Golden Globe Best Actor nod he received for playing a transgender woman in Breakfast on Pluto (2005), many critics think that it will go one better than the nomination and he will win on his first try.

His Oppenheimer silhouette is one of the most striking cinematic images of the year. Blunt has said he ate only one almond a day in preparation for the role. While he hasn’t revealed his exact diet, Murphy did say: “I love acting with my body, and Oppenheimer had a very distinct physicality and silhouette, which I wanted to get right. I had to lose quite a bit of weight, and we worked with the costume and tailoring; he was very slim, almost emaciated, existed on martinis and cigarettes.”

His dedication to the role also extended to learning 3,000 words of Dutch over one weekend. He shares: “I used to set aside, ‘I’ll work on this for a week and I’ll work on that for a week.’”

Cult of obscurity

He has rigorously assembled a creative body of work on his own admirable terms. One consequence of those choices is that his career has been spent further from the white-hot centre of show business than his talent would suggest; he’s remained purposefully guarded against the notoriety that he finds antithetical to creative success (not to mention personal happiness).

Oppenheimer, though, as a box-office giant has changed all that. It displays the full breadth of his gifts – and has earned him a level of fame he finds completely mortifying.

Out Of Money: We stand on the cusp of a cashless society but will it be welcomed by all?

Cash was once king, but talk of a cashless society has been doing the rounds for decades. Recent global developments have brought that state of play even closer, casting a heavier pall on the usefulness of cash – banknotes and coins – in daily commercial activities.

Among its lesser known consequences, the Covid-19 pandemic affected consumers’ payment habits– for some it instilled a fear of handling cash. Research into the impact of Covid on European payment habits by Cranfield University suggests the virus had a dual effect: not only did it push people to use cashless payments in shops, but it also increased online cashless transactions.

Covid cash crash

Andrea Moro, Professor of Entrepreneurial Finance at the Cranfield School of Management, who was part of the research team, believes the global pandemic accelerated pre-existing trends. “Concerns about Covid transmission via touching banknotes or coins that can be infected and the desire to reduce physical contact with others to the bare minimum reinforced and amplified a previous trend towards cashless transactions by increasing the use of cashless payment methods,” he says.

Moro, who previously worked as a senior financial advisor at a consulting firm owned by a group of Italian banks, adds their research suggests the change away from cash payment is longterm or permanent. For many, there came a realisation that concerns about personal information being misappropriated or that “money can be stolen from their bank” were not grounded in fact. “In some way people discovered an alternative way for paying for their shopping and they liked it,” he says.

Intriguingly, it was mainly members of the older generation whose payment habits shifted. Prior to Covid, this age group had demonstrated an affinity for traditional cash-based transactions; they were less prone to credit card usage and quite resistant to innovative payment services such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. As Moro points out, younger people were already using cashless payments before the outbreak.

In essence, reveals Moro, the pandemic consolidated the growing trend of cashless payments, which had begun in the ’80s and ’90s with the increased use of debit and credit cards and exploded with the introduction of mobile payment services. Recent data suggests 21 per cent of global retail purchases this year will take place online.

Cashless drivers

The arrival of technology allowing for the implementation of transactions that are perceived to be secure is a key driver towards a cashless future, notes Moro. “The fact that even if someone steals my phone, they will not be able to use the payment system set up on the phone because of the password/finger protection, has reassured users who nowadays find this approach even more secure than cash,” he says.

Moro favours the move to a cashless society: “It reduces costs, simplifies our life, speeds up transactions and makes them more secure and can also have a positive environmental effect.” He cites the risks of losing cash or receiving fake banknotes, and warns that cash has historically been used for illegal transactions where buyer and seller do not want the exchange to be trackable.

He links the desire to cling onto cash to those who struggle with technology or work jobs that are traditionally paid in cash.

China e-payment push

In many places including China, which has been quicker than most to embrace electronic payment, digital platforms will undoubtedly continue to erode the percentage of cash-based transactions. According to Professor Jack Poon of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), a fintech expert who advises artificial intelligence and blockchain startups, the prerequisites of a cashless society are smartphone penetration, availability of wireless broadband networks (4G, 5G), and the inadequacy of existing payment infrastructure within the country.

The demographic of the population also plays an important role. Younger generations, higher income groups and well-educated segments are more receptive to technology adoption than older generations, lower income groups and less educated segments, respectively.

Developing economies like India are also showing a huge uptake in mobile cash payments to the benefit of many marginalised communities with platforms like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) allowing for fast account-to-account transfer using fintech apps such as PhonePe or Google Pay. China’s Alipay and WeChat Pay models, where the consumer scans a QR Code and payment is debited directly from the balance or through an affiliated bank account or another form of payment (like a credit card), have proved extremely popular.

Digital wallets are pervasive in China. “From a business standpoint, digital wallet providers are incentivised to acquire more customers because a larger customer base enables other forms of business models for additional revenue streams,” says Poon. Though by law, cash must be accepted as a legal tender in mainland China, he points out e-payment lowers the cost and risk of cash management, increases transaction efficiency and scales a business across multiple geographies (within a country) faster.

Kent Matthews, professor of banking and finance at Cardiff University, says so much of officialdom in China leans on technology that is only natural that this would eventually extend down to transactions at street markets as well as shops.

Hong Kong digital delay

Here in Hong Kong, the recent adoption of different forms of cashless payments is widely perceived to have been driven by their widespread implementation across the border. Certainly, the consumption voucher scheme has accelerated the use of digital payments by WeChat Pay, Alipay and Octopus.

But according to one local banking professional, the territory still lags far behind other places in terms of becoming a cashless society. “There are a lot of limitations and regulations regarding the implementation and promotion of developing cashless transactions in Hong Kong,” he says.

From his perspective as a banker, he believes the financial regulators in Hong Kong are conservative in implementing cashless methods because there is a lot of risk inherited, especially fraud and data leakage. “For most people in Hong Kong, cashless transactions are just for minor transactions like transportation, buying daily supplies and paying bills,” he says.

There is an apparent unwillingness to change consumption behaviour, particularly among the older generation, fuelled in part by numerous recent fraud cases. Ada Chung Lai-ling, Hong Kong’s Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, recently voiced fears about online shopping platforms, citing evidence of data security incidents and phishing attacks.

Despite the many challenges in Hong Kong, a fintech adoption survey conducted by PolyU revealed that 91% of the 2,000-plus respondents had adopted e-payment in Hong Kong.

Disruptive fintech

The credit card model of payment in the West is strongly built, according to Poon, and is unlikely to be dismantled. He does suggest there are multiple fintech companies trying to break into this ecosystem and fill the gaps “like payments among friends when you share a lunch meal, or the buy- now-pay-later (BNPL) disruption to the traditional card model”.

He believes crypto is only an alternative to cash or e-payment in countries where the sovereign currency is experiencing significant devaluation.

Bavaria Euphoria: Visitors come here for the beer – but also a countryside of fairy-tale castles and folksy festivals

The southern German state of Bavaria is so full of charm and beguiling beauty that it has been known to stimulate feelings of envy in the enchanted visitor. There are castles galore and the amazing Alps to behold, as well as the cultural melting pot of Munich and a host of medieval towns and villages that flaunt their folksy credentials in this prosperous region of Europe’s richest country. Time and tradition seem to have stood still at the plethora of festivals running from spring to autumn, where the men wear leather breeches and the women parade around in intricately embroidered dresses and aprons.

Bavaria, the largest of the states within the Federal Republic of Germany, has always had a distinct identity. The capital, Munich, is famous for its Oktoberfest, which runs from late September to early October and lures hordes of hedonists eager to indulge in the pleasures contained within raucous beer tents run by traditional breweries. Held in Theresienwiese in the centre of the city and dating back more than 200 years, this is the largest beer festival in the world and attracts millions of visitors – many joining in the hearty German spirit by donning the aforementioned lederhosen and dirndl.

Brewing pleasure

Indeed, beer gardens and beer halls are commonplace throughout Bavaria and the many local breweries are said to produce some of the world’s finest beers. These brews must adhere to strict quality and purity standards and be composed of water, hops and barley – the so-called Reinheitsgebot formula.

Munich itself houses some outstanding historic beer halls and taverns, and a visit to Hofbräuhaus is a must. Considered the most famous beer hall in the world, it has a darker side as the stage for the first Nazi Party event in 1920, but today it remains the definitive Munich pub for swaying tourists soaking up the atmosphere; the resident oompah band keeps the joyous and convivial mood flowing along with the beers.

The expansive beer gardens are marginally less crowded than the beer halls. Chinesischer Turm located within the English Garden has about 7,000 seats and an international clientele gathering for drinks in sight of the Chinese pagoda that counts as one of the city’s most notable landmarks. In Munich’s largest beer garden, Hirschgarten, Augustiner Edelstoff – first brewed by Augustinian monks in 1328 and regarded as the champagne of Bavarian beers – is served on tap from a huge wooden barrel. Other notable Bavarian beers are Lowenbräu, which dates to the 14th century and is made in Munich’s largest brewery, and Hacker- Pschorr, first mentioned in 1417.

Pigging out

As for culinary delights, the most famous of the Bavarian dishes is undoubtedly the wurst, or the sausage. They are popular across the state, but locals differ on the best time of day to enjoy them. Munich prefers its veal sausages (or weisswurst) for breakfast; Nuremberg to the north likes miniature bratwurst at lunch; and Regensburg, in between the two on the Danube river, loves the simple sausage for dinner.

Much Bavarian cuisine has its roots in Bohemian Austrian cuisine, such as knödel (dumplings), mehlspeisen (pastries) and schnitzel. Roast pork (the succulent schweinebraten) is also a popular dish and often the meat is continuously basted with dark beer while it is roasting, so the rind develops into crispy crackling. A beer-garden favourite is “Considered the most famous beer hall in the world, Hofbräuhaus … remains the definitive Munich pub for swaying tourists soaking up the atmosphere” obatzda, a spreadable cheese made from Camembert, butter, quark, paprika and onion. Of course, Bavaria is also noted for its gorgeous desserts, most notably the delightful apfelstrudel (apple strudel); others include elderflower pancakes and steamed dumplings.

Munich boasts a plethora of cafes, bars and bistros and some outstanding restaurants. The Landersdorfer & Innerhofer has a delightful Austrian-inspired menu, while Matsuhisa Munich, sitting inside the Mandarin Oriental, offers fine dining in a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian cuisines. Aside from the Mandarin Oriental, the city has a slew of fantastic luxury hotels.

City of culture

Central Munich also embraces an outstanding museum quarter hosting Bavaria’s top art museums and other world-class attractions. There are superb science exhibits and some outstanding private collections – plenty to keep the enthusiast occupied. Like some historic areas of the city, many of the museums that were bombed during the Second World War have been painstakingly reconstructed or redeveloped. Further afield, in the north of the city lies the bowl-shaped BMW Museum, a delight for car and motorbike fans. The city is also a shopper’s haven; Residenzstraße is where the leading luxury brands are situated.

There is also magnificent theatre, concert and opera in Munich. The famed Munich Philharmonic will delight classical music lovers, while the Bavarian State Opera draws half a million visitors a year for more than 400 performances annually. An intimate and recently reconstructed historic theatre – the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz – hosts operas, operettas and musicals.

Land of tradition

Munich is ideally situated to explore wider Bavaria. The land is full of traditions which are played out throughout the year and the calendar is filled with picturesque rituals and spectacles. For instance, on the first Sunday in November there are processions on horseback or in painted carts throughout Bavaria in honour of St Leonard, the patron saint of horses.

The German National Tourist Board recently revealed the Top 100 tourist destinations and many Bavarian destinations figure prominently, including Rothenburg, which achieved fourth spot and is renowned for its fantastic medieval architecture. Situated in northern Bavaria, this magical town is worth visiting.

King of the castles

Another must-see is Neuschwanstein Castle (sixth on the above list) in the foothills of the Alps, and a day trip from Munich to Füssen – which is about six kilometres from the castle – is recommended. Visits are only possible as part of a guided tour. Commissioned by oddball king Ludwig II as a homage to composer Richard Wagner, this fairy-tale castle is one of the most popular in Europe and has a mystical, romantic air nestled in a forest of fir and pine; it is breathtaking in the early morning sunrise. Ludwig himself kept an eye on construction from nearby Hohenschwangau, a neo-Gothic building where he grew up. Not far away, the Museum of Bavarian Kings on the shores of the scenic Alpsee Lake tells the story of the Wittelsbach family dynasty and their 700-year tenancy of the long-abolished Bavarian throne.

There are numerous ancient monasteries and world-famous churches within easy reach of Munich, including Wieskirche, a Unesco World Heritage Site, which is noted for its magnificent rococo interior.

See sights

The many lakes in southern Bavaria, formed by huge glaciers that melted countless centuries ago, attract water sports enthusiasts, swimmers and other outdoor activities. Chiemsee, also known as the Bavarian Sea, offers fantastic yachting opportunities.

Well worth a visit is Starnberger See, a magnificent lake surrounded by several palaces, including Berg, the summer house of the Wittelbachs. It was near here that Ludwig II died in mysterious circumstances – a cross a few metres from the shore marks the tragic scene.

Alpine heaven

Bavaria may only contain a small slither of the Alps, but the landscapes are dramatic, and Germany’s highest mountain, Zugspitze, can be easily reached by mountain railway and cable car.

The observation platform on the top of the mountain has wonderful vistas that reach out as far as the Italian Dolomites on a clear day. The terrain is perfect for skiing in the winter, and there are countless cable cars offering access to superb ski runs.

Heritage Pilgrimage: Restored and ordinarily repurposed, Hong Kong’s remaining old buildings prompt trips down memory lane

In Hong Kong, it is not uncommon to demolish buildings that are only 30 years old (or younger) in order to make room for dazzling new office towers or public housing blocks. However, a new trend has evolved – turning grand buildings constructed during the 150 years of British colonial rule into hip places to dine, stay, and oddly enough, take in some culture. Escaping the fate of countless others that were destroyed, some historic buildings have survived to the present day and are prospering with a new life and purpose. While Hong Kong is famous for its contemporary skyscrapers, the city has more to offer.

Privately owned old buildings, on the other hand, might be difficult to preserve since owners may be able to request their demolition or redevelopment regardless of their historical legacy. Unless the property is declared a monument, the owner has the right to demolish it even if it is a graded building or demonstrates exceptional value. The government typically stays out of legal disputes between conservationists who want to preserve Hong Kong’s heritage and owners who can make money by replacing old with new. As a result, protecting these structures requires the help of the public who must stand up to stop heritage buildings from coming down.

Successful preservation projects are those that match the neighbourhood, do not cause an undue disturbance, and help society learn more about the past. The onus is on the government, the courts and the community to act more responsibly, recognise historic structures as a form of publicly owned treasure and take steps to prevent them from being hijacked by developers. We stop by seven restored buildings whose legacies can still be appreciated today.

1881 Heritage

The former Marine Police Headquarters that stood atop a hillock in the centre of Tsim Sha Tsui from 1884 to 1996 has been revitalised and reincorporated into the modern urban fabric of the neighbourhood. After considerable restoration and conservation work, a cultural and shopping landmark called 1881 Heritage, was created. Opened in 2019, it is home to upscale stores and restaurants, trendy bars, a heritage hotel and an exhibition hall where visitors can learn about the site’s history.

Blue House

A historic group of structures distinguished by their vivid colour has withstood the test of time. One cannot miss the Blue House, a four-house, four-storey balcony-type tenement block with a blend of Chinese and Western architectural elements situated in Stone Nullah Lane in the city’s Wan Chai neighbourhood. Built in 1922, this grade-one historic structure is an eye-catching example of a tong lau, or tenement building, commonly constructed in southern China and Southeast Asia in the late 19th century. The stunning blue exterior inspiring its moniker, the Blue House has come to represent a relatively uncommon Hong Kong success story in urban conservation. It received a Unesco Asia-Pacific Award of Excellence for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2017.

Court of Final Appeal

One of Central’s most recognisable structures provides a neo-classical visual contrast amid a sea of high-rises. Constructed in 1912, the Court of Final Appeal Building – also known as the Old Supreme Court Building – has been designated as a monument. The two-storey granite structure supported by ionic columns is also noted for the 2.7-metre-tall, blindfolded statue of Themis, the Greek goddess of justice and law, that surmounts its central pediment; below is a semi-circular window topped by a carving of the British Royal Coat of Arms. One may take a tour of the premises and watch court proceedings.

Lui Seng Chun

This magnificent corner tong lau shophouse, designed by architect W.H. Bourne, once housed a bone-setting business and the Lui family’s private dwelling. It is now a Declared Monument. Its architecture is characteristic of the period’s hybrid Chinese-Western design, with large verandahs that made it possible to live indoors and outside in the absence of air conditioning. Even though all of its neighboring structures were renovated, the home managed to endure. In 2012, it underwent restoration and was turned into a Chinese medical center. Don’t overlook the exhibition and herbal tea shop on the ground floor.

Tai Kwun

As one of the most expensive real-estate markets in the world, Hong Kong doesn’t waste any space – which is why finding a location like the Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts is so refreshing. This historic heritage regeneration project, which officially opened in 2018 along Hollywood Road in Central, boasts a sizable courtyard encircled by 16 buildings from the colonial era and lush trees set over six acres. The following year it won the Unesco Award of Excellence for Cultural Heritage Conservation. A unicorn in Hong Kong, it is a free, open and laid-back area that more than lives up to its promise of offering engaging artistic, cultural, culinary and shopping experiences. Arriving at Tai Kwun on any given day, one will find a calendar of events that includes changing exhibitions, art installations, performances, films, concerts and storytelling spaces as well as regular tours.

The Clock Tower

Standing 44 metres high, the Clock Tower was built as part of the Kowloon-Canton Railway terminus in Tsim Sha Tsui in 1915. The once-bustling station is now gone, but this red brick and granite tower is still standing as a graceful relic of the Steam Age. It was declared a monument in 1990, and certainly, the millions of Chinese immigrants who passed through the terminus on their way to start a new life in Hong Kong or another part of the globe would have found it a memorable landmark. The bronze bell that had chimed from 1921 to 1976 was restored to its rightful place in the tower in 2021 in honour of its centennial.

Western Market

The oldest market building still standing in Hong Kong, Western Market occupies a whole block between Connaught Road Central and Des Voeux Road Central in Sheung Wan. The red-brick Edwardian-style structure has a granite entrance and prominent corner towers; it was completed in 1906 and sold produce until 1988. Today, it is home to cafés, restaurants, curio shops and fabric merchants who were relocated from stalls in adjacent lanes after it was refurbished and reopened in 1991. Visitors to this historic site may want to travel here by another still thriving vestige of Hong Kong heritage – Western Market is one of Hong Kong Tramways’ seven terminuses.

Living the life: Vienna stays top, but Asian cities are rising in the ranks of the best places to be

Famed for its magnificent imperial palaces and love of opera and classical music, Vienna has retained its crown as the world’s most liveable city. That is according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) latest Global Liveability Index, which ranks Vienna in the top spot owing to its “winning combination of stability, good culture and entertainment, reliable infrastructure, and exemplary education and health services”.

Another European city, Copenhagen, takes second place, while third and fourth positions go to Melbourne and Sydney respectively. This represents a return to form for Australian cities which were particularly badly affected by the restrictions imposed as a result of the pandemic. Three cities in Canada, two in Switzerland, and two in Asia (Auckland and Osaka are joint tenths) comprise the rest of the top 10. The rise of Asian cities among a total of 173 ranked this year is particularly striking.

The EIU is the research and analysis division of The Economist Group and provides forecasting and consulting services on an international level. The first survey was conducted in 2004 and Vienna, in 2018, was the first European city to win the coveted ranking.

This year’s edition of EIU’s Global Liveability Index has notched up the highest average score in 15 years for the original comparable list of 140 cities. The ranking process is determined by a number of criteria: stability (25%), healthcare (20%), culture and entertainment (25%), education (10%) and infrastructure (20%). Assessment is based on a mixture of quantitative and qualitative performance measures.

Viennese waltz

The authorities in Vienna were naturally cock-a-hoop about the results of the latest survey. “We are delighted to have been named the most liveable city twice this year, by Monocle and the Economic Intelligence Unit,” said a spokesperson for the Vienna Tourist Board, also referring to a separate survey.

This city certainly has a lot going for it in terms of arts and cultural experiences, catering to traditional and contemporary tastes alike. In the luxury sector, it has it all – five-star hotels, fantastic dining experiences, superb coffee houses that made the Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage list, and marvellous shopping with top – brand retailers – while private concerts and tours of magnificent museums are available.

Aside from low crime and efficient trams, living within the splendour of this beautiful cultural cocktail is also enhanced by more simple pleasures: the quality of its drinking water. Fresh water flows into the city’s homes from 30 natural sources emanating from the nearby Alps. Water fountains are dotted around the city to top-up supplies free of charge.

Despite these undoubted attractions, the typical Viennese is characterised as being grumpy with a dark sense of humour. It is thought about a quarter of Austria’s residents hail from outside the country, making for a cosmopolitan mix.

Melbourne reemergence

Melbourne is also another famously cosmopolitan city, with people noted for their sense of irony. The capital of Victoria has traditionally been a strong performer in the Global Liveability Index, with this year’s third-ranked city previously winning the top spot seven times.

Melbourne’s climb back up the rankings comes as no surprise to journalist Robert Blain, whose family migrated to the city from Scotland when he was three years old. Blain, who has lived and worked between Melbourne and Hong Kong for more than 30 years, notes how it is such a safe and stable city, mirroring broader Australia.

“There is an excellent subsidised and affordable healthcare through the Medicare scheme,” he says. “Primary and high-school education is practically free for all, and there are excellent private schools. Tertiary education is also of a high standard with the University of Melbourne regularly featuring highly in global university rankings, and Monash University has one of the world’s top medical faculties.”

Though Melbourne is a relatively high-taxing jurisdiction with a high cost of living, Blain believes this delivers certain advantages – outstanding infrastructure, including roads, public facilities and hospitals. He also considers the city’s culture and environment to be among its strengths; it offers thriving live-music and arts scenes and is one of the world’s great sporting cities.

“Restaurants and cafés are also varied and of the highest quality due to Melbourne’s cosmopolitan makeup,” he says. “For example, yum cha in the city rivals anywhere in the world due to the number of Hong Kong-trained chefs, combined with high-quality and fresh ingredients.”

He blames “one of the longest lockdowns in the world” for the city’s 2022 ranking when it attained 10th position. “Melburnians are indeed proud of the city’s high ranking – especially if it finishes above Sydney, with which there is a keen rivalry!”

A spokesperson for the EIU said that Australian cities are traditionally high performers and the transition away from the pandemic has been the biggest factor in restoring their status. They also noted that all cities in Canada received perfect scores for healthcare and education.

Asian risers

Interestingly, the Europeans dominate the list of top 10 fallers in this year’s rankings. Though their overall index scores did not necessarily drop sharply, other cities particularly in Asia made great strides in their scores and rose up the table. Indeed, eight of the top 10 risers are from the Asia-Pacific region, with Hanoi in Vietnam and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia climbing impressively.

The EIU spokesperson said the liveability of a city is often connected to its economic success and vice-versa and it was this that helped explain the incremental structural improvements in cities across developing economies of Asia. “Economic growth has enabled many of the cities to push forward structural improvements in areas such as education and healthcare,” they noted. “As the world’s political and economic axis continues to shift eastwards, we expect the cities in these regions to move slowly up our liveability rankings.”

Tenth-place Osaka got a perfect score in three out of the five categories covered by EIU’s liveability index – stability, culture and environment, and education. According to the spokesperson, the city’s slight uptick in culture and environment ratings in this edition was due to the removal of pandemic restrictions.

The survey has added 33 cities since last year, many of them in China. These cities dominate the middle of the rankings, with healthcare reforms having aided their liveability scores.

Stability slips

Further to this, the spokesperson revealed global average healthcare scores had improved the most, with smaller gains for education, culture and entertainment, and infrastructure. “However, scores for stability have slipped backwards, amid several instances of civil unrest around the world.”

Inflation fuelled by high petrol and food prices and shortages of goods have sparked unrest and dissatisfaction in many cities. High-ranking Melbourne was not immune from the turmoil with supply chain issues caused by the pandemic and war in Ukraine.

Blain cites manpower shortages, especially in the retail sector, the escalating cost of living and high property prices as areas of concern. “It will be interesting to see how these challenges affect Melbourne’s ranking in the future,” he notes.

Best Games Ever: While covering themselves in glory, Hong Kong’s medal heroes also spread sporting joy throughout society

The FISU World University Games in Chengdu, China, were ones to remember for Hong Kong and its athletes. Astonishingly, their medal haul – 12 including 4 golds – matched Hong Kong’s combined total at all previous games. While friendships were forged and great individual and team battles played out, this summer’s edition of the biennial world student games will undoubtedly leave a lasting sporting legacy for the city. There were moments of supreme personal achievement and performances representing the pinnacle of sporting excellence.

Most impressive was the achievement of Hong Kong fencing superstar Edgar Cheung Ka-long, who notched up double gold, in the Men’s Individual Foil and the Team Foil. The 26-year-old, who is studying for a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Recreation Management at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), is no stranger to the winner’s podium, having bagged the gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in the same individual event.

Professor Alexander Wai, President and Vice- Chancellor of HKBU, expressed immense pride in his student’s unwavering perseverance and determination, further stating: “His exceptional performance has solidified his position as one of the world’s top fencers, and we are all expecting him to reach new heights in the field.” Cheung’s achievement in winning two gold medals at a single World University Games was last matched by Hong Kong swimmer Siobhan Haughey at the 2017 edition in Taipei.

Win win for Hong Kong

In total, Hong Kong won four gold, one silver and seven bronze medals in Chengdu. Dr. Hon Sze-Sze of the HKBU’s Department of Sport, Physical Education & Health believes the success of Hong Kong athletes at the 31st University Games will enhance the perception of sports and boost participation in a city where traditionally it has ranked low in the public consciousness. “It is important for people to see that Hong Kong athletes could compete in high-level sports competitions and find success there, proving that it is not just a wild dream for young kids wanting to reach the Olympics one day,” she says.

Hon is convinced successful role models are much needed for aspiring young athletes and children alike. Regarding its value for sporting exposure, she places the games organised by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) just second to the Olympics in terms of the number of participants and the level of sporting excellence. “In terms of spectatorship, it is undoubtedly very successful in drawing a good audience,” she stresses, adding: “The World University Games is seen as a platform where young student-athletes can learn from peers of diverse culture and background; it is not merely a gathering to demonstrate athletic prowess.”

Beyond sporting excellence

The stated aim of HKBU’s Physical Education and Recreation Management degree is to provide students with sufficient depth and breadth of knowledge, skills and practical experience in the discipline. While the course is not focused on training elite athletes in technical sports skills per se, it would certainly support student-athletes in pursuing their sporting goals while studying. “In addition, under the ethos of ‘whole person education’ of HKBU, our students will receive a strong liberal arts education to prepare them for a variety of careers,” says Hon.

Other notable student-athletes studying at HKBU have competed in major games. Recently retired top track cyclist Sarah Lee Wai-sze, who won two bronze medals at separate Olympics, graduated from its Creative and Professional Writing programme. The university also had other athletes at the World University Games who performed well, such as wushu star Lau Chi-lung, who won a silver medal in the Men’s nanquan. His achievement represents triumph over adversity as he suffered a serious knee injury a couple of years previously. Hon says Lau’s example will inspire others to overcome setbacks through hard work and self-discipline.

University support

She points out that HKBU and other local universities offer different categories of scholarships to encourage current and retiring athletes to engage in academic programs which help to expand their future career prospects. Cheung, for instance, was one of the scholarship awardees under HKBU’s Talented Athletes Direct Admission Scheme last year.

According to HKBU’s website, the scheme provides funding for eligible applicants who have sport talent and achieved outstanding results in sport at admission. Funding is renewable for the normal duration of the course, subject to the student’s academic results, good progress in sport training and performance, as well as contributions to the Sport Leadership Programme.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) also provided medal winners at the Games and encourages students with exceptional athletic abilities to enrol through various admission programmes. A spokesperson indicated that as part of this commitment, HKUST has enhanced its Student Athletes Admissions Scheme to offer special admissions consideration based on sport achievements, as well as flexible study arrangements, scholarships, living allowances, academic accommodation and other relevant assistance, allowing student-athletes to pursue their sporting and academic goals simultaneously.

Citywide, the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong, which embraces eight universities, paves the way for sports stars to gain tertiary education. It maintains the Student-Athlete Learning Support and Admission Scheme to promote sport achievement-based university admissions for local athletes.

Power of sport

HKUST says it recognises the wider personal and developmental benefits of sports and its ability to foster a sense of belonging, dedication and enjoyment among students. To this end, there are more than 30 sports clubs at the university and over 50 HKUST sports teams participating in intercollegiate, local and international competitions. All new undergraduates are required to take the sports skill class within its Behavioral Foundations of University Education: Habits, Mindsets and Wellness course in their first year of study to learn how to maintain a well- balanced and healthy lifestyle.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme rewarded those athletes who achieved success at the World University Games. Monetary bonuses provide extra incentives for top- level performance, according to Hon, who points out that many athletes devote a great deal of time to training and competitions. “However, I do not think many athletes are aiming to earn big money through their sports endeavours,” she says. “Most of them do it because of the pure love of the sport itself.”

Hon also notes many are driven by a continual desire to improve their performance levels. Hong Kong’s world-class fencer is a classic example of a person driven to succeed. Soon after his latest gold medal triumph, Cheung told the assembled media: “I don’t think about anything. My mind is just ‘be a warrior, just fight’.”

The Asian Games in Hangzhou, which begin on 23 September, is the next opportunity for the city’s sports warriors to shine.

Taylor to Perfection: Beyond the guitar strum, blonde locks and sold-out concerts, there is plenty of substance to Taylor Swift’s striking silhouette

It was music for Taylor Swift and Taylor Swift for music at the get-go. The country star turned pop star royalty showed a passion for music at a young age and quickly advanced from parts in children’s theatre to performing in front of a large audience. Before a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game at age 11, she sang The Star-Spangled Banner and the following year she picked up the guitar and started writing songs.

Swift created original music that expressed her experiences of tween alienation by drawing inspiration from country-music performers like Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks. Her parents, supportive of her ambition for a musical career, sold their farm in Pennsylvania when she was 13 and relocated to Hendersonville, Tennessee, so she could attract the attention of country labels in nearby Nashville.

Swift met recording-industry veterans through a development arrangement with RCA Records, and in 2004, when she was 14 years old, she signed with Sony/ ATV as a songwriter. She frequently played her own songs at venues in the Nashville region, and it was during one of these performances that record executive Scott Borchetta took note.

Swift was recruited by Borchetta to his budding Big Machine label, and in the summer of 2006, she released her debut single, Tim McGraw, which was heavily influenced by the teenager’s favourite country musician. And the rest, including her chart-topping discographies, as they say, is history (her story in that case).

Voice for feminism

When the Grammy Award-winning music video – full of strong women kicking ass – for her iconic hit Bad Blood came back to back with her topping Maxim’s 2015 Hot 100 list, she took a moment to speak out about feminism and equality: “A man writing about his feelings from a vulnerable place is brave; a woman writing about her feelings from a vulnerable place is oversharing or whining. Misogyny is ingrained in people from the time they are born. So, to me, feminism is probably the most important movement that you could embrace, because it’s just basically another word for equality.”

At the same time, Swift faced criticism for penning too many songs in the past about her ex-boyfriends and other intimate relationships. She finds this critique anti-feminist and no longer has time for it. “When I was a teenager, I would hear people talk about sexism in the music industry, and I’d be like, I don’t see it. I don’t understand. Then I realised that was because I was a kid,” she explains.

“I didn’t see myself being held back until I was a woman. Or the double standards in headlines, the double standards in the way stories are told, the double standards in the way things are perceived.” She used her 2019 song The Man to emphasise how women and men are treated differently in the industry.

Political pride

Taylor also wants people to know that she supports the LGBTQ community, having received criticism of inaction in this regard. She claims she has consistently supported the movement through her work and charitable contributions. Clarifying her viewpoint, she says: “I didn’t realise until recently that I could advocate for a community that I’m not a part of. It’s hard to know how to do that without being so fearful of making a mistake that you just freeze.”

You Need To Calm Down, the smash-hit single from her 2019 album Lover, highlights her support of the LGBTQ community. The music video features Katy Perry, Ellen DeGeneres and iconic drag queens. The whole Lover catalogue was released at midnight on June 1, the beginning of Pride Month, when Swift introduced a petition in support of the US federal Equality Act. This legislation would amend the Civil Rights Act to outlaw discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

Swift also posted a letter to the Republican Lamar Alexander, then the US Senator from Tennessee, asking him to vote yes. The request, on her personal letterhead, denounced President Donald Trump for not supporting the Equality Act. “I personally reject the president’s stance,” Swift wrote. Need she say more?

Unfashionable authenticity

Since breaking into the public eye in 2006 as a 16-year-old wunderkind, Swift has become one of the most commercially successful singers of all time. Last year, her songs received 36.6 billion streams, but her aesthetic has never attracted the same kind of attention. Unlike her contemporaries, she isn’t necessarily a fashion icon. She rarely attends Fashion Week and frequently misses the Met Gala. She favours light-blue wash denim shorts, a faded pink vest and unassuming sneakers.

Despite being quite nondescript, this style is notable for how Taylor Swift really is. Her attire suggests that she may be performing at a local talent show even though she is playing to tens of thousands of fans on a stadium tour. Lots of slogan T-shirts, sparkly bodysuits and prom dresses with meringue skirts. Her current tour, dubbed Eras, is a retrospective of the outfits from each of her 10 studio albums.

However, a lack of fashion cred is not always a terrible thing. She is a sincere and cinematic hitmaker who effortlessly navigates embarrassing confessionals on Lover and small- town stagnation on Midnight (2022). All of this is done with an unfashionable authenticity.

Swift is portrayed in pop culture as the wise best friend that her followers wish they had when they were teenagers (the Swifties actually exchange friendship bracelets). She is someone who may have covered their eyelids in glitter after being rejected by their preferred prom date, a person who would take great satisfaction in creating the ideal ‘heartbreak’ sundae with heaped piles of whipped cream, Oreos and chocolate syrup.

Swift’s songwriting, in contrast to that of so many of her peers, is more likely to make references to her pet cats and a home-for- the-holidays crush than a Hermès bag. And this ordinariness resonates with many more people than perhaps she ever imagined when she first visited Nashville as a child and dreamed of making it big.

Strokes Of Genius: 50 years after his passing, the art world muses on Picasso’s magic and missteps

The man, the myth, the misogynist – just three of the few words that best describe Pablo Picasso, one of the world’s most celebrated artists of modern times. The many sides of his life and work come under the spotlight this year as institutions around the globe mark the 50th anniversary of the Spanish artist’s death.

Given that he was originally thought to have stolen the Mona Lisa, it’s safe to assume that the co-founder of Cubism endured early troughs among the peaks of his path to fame. Improbable though it may sound, Picasso was a prime suspect when Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece vanished from the Louvre in 1911. The picture was later found to have been stolen by a former museum employee, but not before Picasso was cast in a doubtful light. It was a low point in what would become a dazzling, high-profile career.

Ever prolific, Picasso created tens of thousands of works of art, experimented with a bewildering variety of styles, and never stopped innovating. His legacy is still exciting and inspiring to artists and art enthusiasts everywhere, and tributes abound half a century after his passing.

The governments of Spain and France, where he spent most of his adult life, have partnered for Célébration Picasso 1973-2023, which embraces some 50 exhibitions and events in Europe and North America. Hong Kong joined in the remembrance by showing a glistening selection of his masterpieces in an intriguing medium.

Sotheby’s, which has championed some of the happenings in this timely retrospective of his work and life, highlights Picasso’s formidable influence as the resident artist of the 20th century – an idiosyncratic eye refracting the turbulence, traumas, dreams and visions of his times into stunning visual statements that challenged convention and still pulsate with energy today.

Naturally, the Musée National Picasso-Paris is central to the year-long salute; it has already held one tribute show masterminded by British designer Paul Smith, while another from French conceptual artist Sophie Calle begins in October. It also opens a Centre for Picasso Studies in the prestigious and newly renovated quarters of Hôtel de Rohan, a short walk from the museum’s equally storied building in the Marais district. This unique resource for the artist and his subjects combines documentation, a library and archives around a research centre and a digital gateway.

Period pieces

When Picasso passed away in 1973, at the age of 91, it was discovered that he kept pieces from all his periods in his 78-year oeuvre. It took seven years to complete an inventory of his works in all media, and many held by his family landed in the hands of the French authorities as payment for inheritance taxes. It was this initial body of work that enabled the Musée National Picasso-Paris to open its doors nearly 40 years ago.

Olivier Widmaier Picasso, the artist’s grandson, gathered exclusive testimonies, historical records and personal photos from this time to make a new documentary entitled Picasso, The Legacy. Sponsored by Sotheby’s, it is an intimate exposure of the man and the splendour of his artistry.

Bohemian romance

Another way to glean more about the artist’s life is through ‘Picasso’s Montmartre with Le Meurice, Celebrating 50 Years’, an experience that combines an overnight stay at the grand hotel in Paris with a guided walking tour that propels art enthusiasts back in time to the hedonistic, bohemian era of the Belle Époque. When Pablo Picasso married Russian ballerina and early muse Olga Khokhlova in 1918, the wedding reception was held at the hotel and it was the season’s biggest affair.

Le Meurice’s expert guide succeeds in opening minds to the romance and derring-do of the youthful non-conformist in the early 1900s. When he first arrived in Paris, Picasso was regarded with suspicion as a foreigner and watched by the French police for his supposed anarchist leanings. During the walk, anecdotes are shared and landmarks are highlighted while tracing his ootsteps through the cobblestone alleyways of Montmartre where he once lived and painted.

Changing with the ages

More than five decades later, in 1961, Picasso married Jacqueline Roque, the face that launched more than 400 portraits completed in the dozen years before his death. Museum Casa Natal Picasso in Málaga, Spain – the artist’s hometown – stages The Ages of Pablo, a chronological and stylistic overview of works from his formative years to the time spent with his second wife.

Picasso is revealed through his paintings, sketches, sculptures, ceramics and photographs, all of which have enduring value. Demonstrating his dynamic ability to convey life and emotion, the exhibition is divided into eight sections corresponding to the major phases of his art, including ‘Blue and Pink’, ‘Cubism’, ‘Classicism’, ‘Surrealism’, ‘Wartime’ and ‘The Joy of Living’.

Glass act

Here at home, Hong Kongers were able to join the momentous commemoration as a summer exhibition, Pablo Picasso: Paintings in Glass, threw light on some of his most-known painterly compositions. A collaboration between the University Museum and Art Gallery of the University of Hong Kong and the French May Arts Festival, it paid tribute not only to the iconic artist but also to the art form of gemmail.

A type of stained-glass mosaic developed by French painter Jean Crotti and perfected in the workshop of Roger Malherbe-Navarre, gemmail involves the expert assembly and melting of meticulously chosen pieces of glass. When Picasso first witnessed the gemmistes’ endeavour in 1954, he exclaimed, “A new art is born!” Enthused, he proceeded to layer shards of glass into graphical representations of more than 50 of his existing paintings.

The 50th anniversary of Picasso’s passing is, above all, a tremendous opportunity to honour his creative legacy while also challenging key events in his life, particularly his relationships with women who became his muses and lovers. “People were happy to be consumed by him,” his daughter Paloma Picasso, the jewellery designer, has said. “They thought it was a privilege. If you get too close to the Sun, it burns you. But the Sun can’t help being the Sun.” As evidenced by many of his life documentations, Picasso cared primarily for his creations, but what creations they were!

Photos: University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong

Rock on a roll: Generating huge prices at auction, collections of pop memorabilia are hot alternative assets

At a June preview of the Freddie Mercury collection that will shortly be sold by Sotheby’s, the media forms a semicircle around a young woman holding aloft the left shoe of a pair of white high-top sneakers. “These are the shoes Freddie may have performed in at the Live Aid Concert in 1985,” says Gabriel Heaton, a Specialist in the Books and Manuscripts department of the auction house, before clarifying: “However, as there are other pairs which are similar, careful checking indicates that we cannot be certain these are ones used in the Live Aid Concert.”

The fact that these Adidas shoes were worn by the flamboyant Queen frontman during the band’s mid-80s tours is enough, though, to set the room abuzz with excitement. Of all the items on display during the media tour, it is a simple pair of shoes within touching distance that generates the most interest.

As the ritual of media photo-taking gets underway, there is an almost spiritual, slightly unworldly moment in time, when Freddie himself seems close, like he is being reincarnated in a ghostly apparition. He wore these shoes as he held the audience in the palm of his hand during his mid-80s pomp when he knew his time was short, and every time he stepped onto the stage he was determined to put on the show of his life. Mercury loved the freedom of movement and comfort the high-tops brought him as he strutted, preened and sang like an angel. These sports shoes seem to represent the physical embodiment of a force of nature and everyone in the room wants a part of it.

Mercury Rising

The Adidas footwear was among 20 highlights from the collection of the flamboyant rock idol showcased in Hong Kong before a series of dedicated auctions to be held at Sotheby’s London from 4 August (online) and during 6-8 September 2023 (live). A portion of the six ‘Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own’ sales will be donated to the Mercury Phoenix Trust – an Aids charity founded by the band after the singer’s death in 1991 – and the Elton John Aids Foundation.

Part of the fascination with Freddie Mercury is that he was a complex man with multiple personalities. Heaton talks of how reserved he was, but of how he also loved to hold lavish parties. He points to Mercury’s iconic stage crown thought to be loosely modelled on the coronation crown of St Edward; a life-size picture of the maestro wearing it in his full regal attire forms a striking backdrop. The crown is estimated to sell for £30,000-£40,000 (about HK$300,000-$400,000), and as Heaton notes, Mercury donned it for the final rendition of God Save The Queen at the end of his last performance, at Knebworth Park in Hertfordshire, UK, on 9 August 1986, in front of a crowd of more than 120,000.

Rhapsody Revelations

The collection previewed in Hong Kong included handwritten working drafts of lyrics to some of his most famous songs. An early draft for Bohemian Rhapsody, the third best-selling UK single of all time, is written in black and blue ballpoint pen and pencil on stationery from the now defunct British Midlands Airways.

This is the song that changed everything for Queen, when the “volcano erupted”, as Mercury put it, and these lyrics are estimated at £800,000-£1.2 million. The page on display (from 15 in total) indicates that he originally planned to call it ‘Mongolian Rhapsody’ – ‘Mongolian’ is crossed out and replaced with the word ‘Bohemian’ – rhythmically similar but with a different resonance, as Heaton points out. The sheets reveal detailed notes on harmonies and the painstaking drafting and redrafting by a man who was modest about his composition process.

“In these pages we see Freddie Mercury wrestling in grand operatic terms with profound themes – sin, damnation, stoic acceptance – and witness the great efforts he goes to pinpointing precisely the right words to embody these emotions, and to create the most extraordinary narrative,” says Heaton.

Songs Going for a High

According to the expert, this type of memorabilia often generates huge interest. “The highest prices tend to be for original handwritten lyrics and also musical instruments when they have a significant playing history with a great musician,” he says.

Referring to the Rhapsody lyrics, he continues, “Early drafts such as these are easily lost or discarded, so the rare survival of these manuscripts provides us with fascinating insights into how his songs were developed and put together, as well as reminding us of their musical complexity and sophistication.”

Heaton adds: “There are, of course, other valuable items: rare records, stage-worn costumes and other evocative items – I sold a pair of John Lennon’s sunglasses for £137,000 a few years ago.” An ivory-hued satin catsuit inspired by the mythic god, Mercury, which was used in Bohemian Rhapsody’s groundbreaking promotional video is estimated at £50,000–£70,000.

“In general people pay high prices for music memorabilia for the same reason that they pay high prices for art or ceramics or rare books – because they are passionate about them.” The majority of collectors will have a love for the music they buy into. “Sometimes these are people who collect in other areas, other times they are not – it is the passion for the music that unites them,” notes Heaton.

Music to Collectors’ Ears

According to Darren Julien, Founder and President of Julien’s Auctions, iconic pieces worn during a stage performance, video or red-carpet event often sell for higher amounts since that appearance is recorded by photographs or on film. There is an element of nostalgia involved. “These items represent a time or a memory in one’s life that drives the bidder at an auction in the hopes of winning and keeping that memory alive,” he says.

An 18-carat white-gold and diamond Omega wristwatch worn by the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, and seen in photographs during his extraordinary career, sold at a 2018 Phillips auction for US$1.8 million (HK$14.09 million) after frenzied bidding, smashing the world record for an Omega.

Julien’s Auctions famously sold the Beatles’ handwritten Hey Jude lyrics in 2020 for US$910,000, nine times its original estimate. The acoustic-electric guitar used by Kurt Cobain at a 1993 MTV Unplugged performance went for US$6 million in 2020, a world record for guitars sold at auction. The US auction house has also sold items from the Rolling Stones and other major stars. “The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, U2, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Cher and Barbara Streisand are all highly collectible and have a huge global audience. But contemporary artists such as BTS are also highly collectible, along with Taylor Swift, Coldplay and even Rosario,” says Julien.

Sound Investment Vehicles Pop Rock memorabilia is now regarded as an asset class. “People buy these items not only for the cool factor but also as investment vehicles. Museums also buy iconic pieces and fans are always hoping to win something representing their idols’ life and career.”

The resale value of iconic pieces is also tremendous, notes Julien: “We sold Kurt Cobain’s green cardigan from MTV Unplugged for US$120,000 in 2015 and resold it in 2019 for $340,000. In 2006 we sold an Elvis Presley belt from the Aloha tour gifted to his friend Jack Lord of Hawaii Five-O for approximately $65,000 and we resold it in 2018 for over $354,000.”

“Collectibles continue to be highly sought after by a global audience and prices continue to rise with the help of improved technology and social-media awareness. We also see NFTs as a new class of investing in all things celebrity,” adds Julien.

Ahead of Sotheby’s Freddie Mercury auction, Heaton notes that the star’s attraction remains undiminished to this day. “Queen’s songs are woven into the fabric of our culture and have an incredibly wide appeal, and Freddie himself is widely acknowledged as amongst the most powerful vocalists in rock history,” he says. In Heaton’s view, the popularity and value of pop memorabilia will not diminish in the foreseeable future. “It is now more than 60 years since the Beatles began recording, and 50 years for Queen. If people still love the music now, I am sure they will do so in another generation.”