Hong Kong’s Swedish son Anders Nelsson turns 70

Anders Nelsson had been vocal long before he turned 70 on Friday and thus officially became “a grumpy old man”. From road signs to recycling bins, the US-born Swedish music veteran always has an opinion to offer.

With 65 years in Hong Kong, Nelsson’s mastery of Cantonese and the subtle culture and tradition ­behind it often enables him to think inside and outside the box. His depth in the local culture was best demonstrated on the day of ATV’s closure last April when he was the only person to bow three times, a traditional Chinese ritual for the dead, at the front gate of the deceased TV station.

Like his music as a performer or composer, Nelsson is articulate in ideas based not on academic credentials but as an active participant in various fields throughout his long career – at one time as a journalist – since he recorded his first single in 1963 with his band.

In many instances he wore several hats at the same time, such as playing guitar for Bruce Lee while starring in a kung fu movie. Without saying it, he is a true descendant of the bygone “can-do spirit” of Hong Kong from the 1970s.

His versatility has carried him through the changing times. He could be a colonial villain or play the role of a George Soros-like stock manipulator in ­acclaimed TV soap operas. He staged Celebrate Hong Kong in mid-1997 to mark the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty.

Of late he has been a consultant on the licensing of music and books on the mainland. To put his suspicious Chinese clients at ease over Elvis Presley’s hit song Hound Dog, a term they associated with “running dog”, a Cultural Revolution catchphrase for anti-socialist enemies, “I told them it’s about a guy calling his wife a bitch. Instantly they were relieved,” Nelsson laughed.