Latest news with #LettertoYu
South China Morning Post
01-03-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
How Belgian musician Bolis Pupul reconnected with his mother's Hong Kong home
Seven years ago, following a long-haul flight from his home country of Belgium, Bolis Pupul landed in Hong Kong alone. Still adjusting to the humidity and time difference, he headed to To Kwa Wan, the historically low-income Kowloon neighbourhood an unlikely choice for a first-time visitor. Advertisement Despite having been part of a synth-pop band called the Hong Kong Dong for more than a decade, it was his first visit to the city. His destination: Ma Tau Wai Road, mentioned twice on his late mother's birth certificate as the location of the maternity ward in which she was born, and her subsequent address. Now 39, Pupul – real name Boris Kor Tom Zeebroek – had spent most of his 20s imagining the moment he would finally see where his mother had spent the first few years of her life. As he got closer, he began to notice more and more people resembling his mother, and to recognise smells he could not name. This formerly industrial enclave, once a popular landing place for mainland migrants, felt somehow familiar. Bolis Pupul in a music video still from the song 'Completely Half' from his album Letter to Yu. Photo: Bieke Depoorter/Magnum Photos Arriving at Ma Tau Wai Road that January, he stopped at a traffic island, surrounded by high-rise buildings that muffled the sounds around him, and in an instant became a child again, longing for his mother to be by his side. It's a moment captured in 'Letter to Yu', the opening track of Pupul's debut solo album of the same name, which featured last year in Pitchfork magazine's 50 Most Anticipated Albums of the Year and Best Music of 2024 So Far. On the track, with a vocoder distorting his voice, Pupul reads out part of a letter he wrote to his mother that day in To Kwa Wan: 'This is where you were born / 59 years ago / And I'm finally here / Why did it take me so long?' Advertisement The question foreshadows the emotional richness on the rest of this intimate album, 11 tracks heavily influenced by Belgian New Beat and German electro-legends Kraftwerk , a record as nostalgic as it is forward-looking, as much about embracing grief as reeling from it.
South China Morning Post
01-03-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
This week in PostMag: Hong Kong's art month, Ningxia's wineries and more
Art month is officially here. As a newcomer to the city, it's my first go-around on this hamster wheel of event madness. They weren't wrong – it's a lot. We've barely begun and already I feel like there's art coming out of our collective ears. Advertisement Even if you think art isn't your 'thing', I entreat you to momentarily suspend your disbelief and embrace a new persona. Stop by a gallery, see a show. Hong Kong makes it easy. Last weekend, I finally sauntered over to a gallery in Central and was surprised at how effortless it was to see world-class artists. This is likely not a revelation to you but indulge my fresh-face, wide-eyed self and let it serve as a reminder. I was kicking myself for not doing it sooner. The work – intricate wire sculptures by Ruth Asawa – was even more stunning in person than in the images. To that end – helping you tackle all the art Hong Kong has on offer – we're including a selection of shows to visit in each of our March issues, starting today. I'm particularly excited to see Michele Fletcher's evocative paintings and the group show 'Unsold ≠ Worthless: Shifting Perspectives'. In our cover feature, Belgian musician Bolis Pupul tells Vincent Chow how his family's roots in Hong Kong and Wenzhou were the springboard for his latest album Letter to Yu. It's a story that resonated for me, as someone whose own family emigrated from China and who later found a connection with my ancestral homeland. Regardless of your own history, I think you'll find it a powerful piece. Also compelling are the tremendous efforts expended by anyone participating in Hong Kong's Four Peaks Race, discovers Martin Williams. The race celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, and reading it, I was impressed that anyone has committed themselves to 170km of sailing and running – at times, in pitch darkness no less. But it turns out, over the past four decades, there have been many souls braver than me. One is our photo editor, Alexander Mak, who accompanied the racers to document their journey. Advertisement Now a wine tour? Certainly more my speed than hoisting a sail in inclement weather. Marco Ferrarese heads to Ningxia to explore the region's wineries. It's China's most established area for grape growing and I'd hazard a guess that you've heard of it – or even had a sip of a Ningxia wine. But post-pandemic, it's also evolving into a destination for wine tourism, with tours to lead the way and estates opening tasting rooms. I'll raise a glass to that.
