POP STARS IN HONG KONG
(For Eng Book)
Interview
Anita Mui

Anita is the Cinderella of Hong Kong show business,
She is also a legend in her time. In the short span of
two  to three years,she has risen from obscurity to
become a  superstar.  She has been given various names
and called almost everything,from praise like The
Madonna of the East to abuse like" Cheap slut" Why is this?
What is it that arouses such violent and different responses?

Anita was born into a poor family.  She had a job even when
she was still studying.  Life was never easy for her.  Teamed with
her sister,she plunged into the entertainment business at the age
of five.when she had a contract to work at Lai Chi Kok
Amusement Park.  She did not make a name for herself but she
got a lot of important training and experience.

Anita was never encouraged to read much.  Her mother was
old-fashioned and rather bad-tempered.  It was the radio
 and records that mainly influenced Anita.  Music was the
one stabilising influence in her life.  The more she drew away
from her family, the more she clung to music.

In those days Taiwanese Mandarin song were popular.
Anita heard the legendary Yiu So Yung a Taiwanese vocalist
and was so excited by her singing that she bought all her
records-even though she couldn't really afford to.  This
is how Anita learnt her art from listening to records and the
radio.  A few years later,the Cantonese A-go-go caught on.
Anita and her sister loved this A-go-go and learnt to perform
it well.  They well nicknamed The little Sorceresses and
were engaged by nightclubs.  They did not attract the attention of
serious record companies however.

In 1981 when she was seventeen . Anita won first place in the
First New Talent Singing Awards Competition .Already
quite a veteran of the nightclub stage. She was now about
to become a working-class  heroine.Winning the talent
competition proved to be her first real step up the ladder
of success. Capital Aritists immediately saw Anita's potential
and talked her into a long-tern contract.From then on her
fortune was made.

Eddie Lau the designer and image-maker and Michael
lai the musical producer of Capital Artists undertook to
 transform Anita.  Her showmanship is wonderful said
Eddie but we had to do something with her image.  The
gold dress she wore for the contest was so old-fashioned
Eddie got Anita  to try out a number of costumes and
finally decided on the new image.  The proved to be a major
breakthrough.
 
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