Busking in Hong Kong blooms
The struggles of a busker are the same worldwide.
No matter which city and for what purpose, the busker has to battle against a government that wants to control where and what they perform, and the apathy of the general public.
In Hong Kong in particular, there are some fundamental misunderstandings.
The Busking Project is a team of documentary makers who are currently capturing the global busking culture on a nine-month, 40-city tour. While in Hong Kong in June, they found that busking is perceived differently here than it is in other cities.
If we’re looking to improve quality, then Hong Kong needs a licensing system like Taiwan — street performer Andrew So on the state of busking in Hong Kong
“After explaining what we were doing to passersby, they would say, ‘Oh, the disabled people,' without realizing the difference between disabled beggars and street performers,” says Chris Smith, The Busking Project's manager.
Confusing buskers for beggars is a misconception, but The Busking Project did notice that street performers in Asian cities perform out of necessity more frequently.
“That is compared to people in Europe who are busking," says Belle Crawford, The Busking Project's artistic director. "[Buskers in Europe] may be relatively well-off and made a conscious decision that they’re dissatisfied with the mainstream lifestyle that they’ve been living, so they make a decision to pursue something less secure but more artistic."
Busking in Hong Kong is often about finding a public stage for hidden talent.
Performers seldom rely solely on busking for their living.
Busking is a passion pursued outside regular work for artistic expression, as well as for making a political statement against over-management of public space.
Also on CNNGo: War in Mongkok: Street art fights for shopper attention
Busking is legal
Hong Kong buskers are scarce compared to London, Paris or other major cities, though local interest is growing, with performers covering a wide range of styles and locales.
At the base of Soho’s escalator, a man croons pop songs in Cantonese and English. On bridges near Hung Hom and IFC, gnarled seniors play the erhu or flute. Outside Times Square in Causeway Bay, break dancers boogie every weekend.
Other major pedestrian thoroughfares similarly attract buskers. None more than Sai Yeung Choi Street, the pedestrian street in Mongkok.
On a recent Saturday night, 10 different acts performed between 7 and 11 p.m., including jugglers, musicians and dancers.
Police officers watched from a distance. If shop owners or residents complain about a “noise nuisance,” performers could be arrested.
“Sai Yeung Choi Street is a continual effort to reclaim our public space,” said Mirana May Szeto, Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong’s Department of Comparative Literature.
“Public space is increasingly important for raising issues in a public forum and to allow the public to react. If you restrict that, then the whole space for freedom of speech and democracy will be restricted.”
The government does not have a licensing procedure for street performers and no data is available for the number of street performers in Hong Kong.
Magdalene Chow, a senior manager with the Leisure Culture and Services Department says: “Our law does not prohibit street performances. In general however, the public (including street performers) must observe the laws of Hong Kong, including the prohibitions on noise nuisance, and the prohibitions on objectionable performances of an indecent, obscene, revolting or offensive nature.”
A veteran busker, Merci has performed in the United States, Australia and Europe. He says street performers face harassment all over the world.
Four police officers stopped him five minutes after he arrived at Mongkok’s pedestrian street.
“But this is happening everywhere, even in New York, they want to arrest you. In Times Square (in New York City) you can usually do one show, then you have to move," he says.
“It’s a lot of fun. You meet a lot of people and create opportunities. But I can’t survive just on busking. I have to do other things, too.”
Merci is currently trying to launch a dance business in Hong Kong.
Also on CNNGo: Hong Kong government to host street performances
Not so funny
Andrew So's alter ego is Mr. Funny, a crowd-pleasing clown who likes to perform on the streets. He was also the first street performer prosecuted in Hong Kong.
So began performing on streets in 2005 on Sai Yeung Choi Street and Times Square.
The following year, he was ticketed for blocking traffic.
After two trips to court, police dropped the charges.
Then in 2010, he was taken back to court for a second offense.
Five witnesses (including four police officers) testified against him. After a prolonged court battle, he was cleared of the charges.
Since the case, So said the mood for busking in Hong Kong has improved dramatically.
“Now performers are more willing to come out onto the streets, but the quality is not always so good," he says. "I believe the audience will choose by themselves who is quality. If we’re looking to improve quality, then Hong Kong needs a licensing system like the United Kingdom or Taiwan.”
So runs Funny Clown Theatre and is regularly booked at various carnivals and parties. Still he finds time to perform in Mongkok and Causeway Bay in the evenings from Friday through Sunday.
“I want to fight for street performance. The money is minor, but the goal is important. In Hong Kong, busking is just starting.”
The Hong Kong government shows its support for a burgeoning culture of busking in Hong Kong by hosting its own street performances.
These shows are curated by a panel of judges who deem whether a performer is worthy of stage time. Ironically, the program is called "Open Stage."
Although the government-sanctioned performances were originally held at three locations, Open Stage relaunched this year in Sha Tin Town Hall only.
“In view of the drop in performance sessions in recent months at some venues partly due to performers' preference to perform in other areas like streets in Mongkok, the Department would continue the Scheme only at Sha Tin Town Hall,” says Magdalene Chow.
Some buskers see Open Stage as an effort to corral their art in an area of Hong Kong less popular with tourists.
Mr. Funny thinks Open Stage is a good idea, but said it doesn’t offer the experience he wants to cultivate in Hong Kong. He would prefer the government to invest in Sai Yeung Choi Street as a busking tourism hot spot where spectators can view a variety of acts performed simultaneously.
The program is scheduled to continue until further notice. Interested performers can still apply at the Sha Tin Town Hall website.
