Hong Kong’s buskers find an unlikely home at the Cordis hotel in Mong Kok
A partnership between the hotel and start-up The Other Busker will provide a stage for Hong Kong’s young street performers
An upscale hotel bar might seem an unusual choice of venue for buskers, but the Cordis, in Mong Kok, is shaking things up by partnering with a street-music start-up for a series of afternoon live shows at its outdoor Garage Bar.
With a Facebook group and an app in development, The Other Busker was launched by a trio of music graduates seeking a way to connect the city’s busking musicians, who make up 90 per cent of an estimated 300 street entertainers, according to a 2015 survey by Chinese University.
“By offering a venue for local young performers, we hope to encourage them to express their talent while at the same time providing a social gathering hub to youngsters,” says Shane Pateman, managing director of Cordis, Hong Kong.
Despite the events being planned and advertised in advance, the initiative is aimed at retaining the spontaneity and low-key feel of busking, with a changing roster of acts and a mostly acoustic set-up.
“The essence of busking is the chemistry of people coming and going. We don’t know who we will be performing for,” says an unexpectedly shy spokesman for The Other Busker, who prefers not to be named. “Even though it’s a fixed event, people staying in the hotel change all the time. And there will be new performers every week, so guests won’t know what to expect.
“Interacting with the audience and embracing that uncertainty are the greatest things about busking: at Cordis, it will be an organised event that still feels surprising and casual.”
The events will also feature a food truck serving a range of Mexican burritos, as well as craft beers and an ice cream bar.
Open to the public, the Sunday Afternoon Music Show will take place at The Garage Bar at Cordis, 555 Shanghai Street, Mong Kok. Shows are scheduled every second Sunday from April 14 until May 19, from 3pm-6pm.
