WHO says pop and politics don't mix? Certainly not Peter Gabriel, for whom the term politically correct could have been invented. But for the man who was promoting world music before it became fashionable, it seems it is attitude, not affectation.
Talking from Tokyo about his appearance at the Hong Kong Stadium on Monday - a highlight of the arena's gala opening and just one performance for Gabriel in his gruelling 14-month Secret World Tour - the conversation quickly turned to Hong Kong's favourite topic, 1997.
''What do you think of Chris Patten?'' he asked, and the rock star showed he is not only informed but deeply interested in democracy around the world.
But this should come as no surprise. As spokesman for the concerned rockers coalition - Human Rights Now! - and a leader of the Amnesty world tour, Gabriel has been at the forefront of the artists-with-a-conscience movement since the mid-1980s.
Since 1982 - when he staged the first Womad concert, now an annual event - he has promoted individuals and encouraged the incorporation of ethnic music into mainstream melodies, giving it a record-release avenue through the Real World label.
''I'm a supporter of Patten,'' Gabriel said. ''There's plenty of time to compromise before 1997, but I think it is very important to establish a way of doing things and to make a firm stand. It will be a damn sight easier to address democracy now than after 1997.
