The Great Pretender

Since I just talked about Live Aid, I feel like I cannot hold it any longer … I have to talk about Freddie Mercury. I have always liked Freddie and Queen. I like that they are one of the longest running Rock n Roll bands, I like their songs, I like that sometimes they would dress in drag, I like that each member of the band actually has a college/master’s degree.

Farrokh  Bulsara aka Freddie Mercury , was born in 1946 at the British Colony of Zanzibar. Freddie’s parents were Indian Parses; therefore they practiced the Zoroastrian religion. At around six years old, his parents moved to Bombay and sent him to an all-boys British boarding school.  

After moving to England, later into his life, Freddie attended London’s Polytechnic school of arts. There is where he met band members Brian May and Roger Taylor.

Freddie fascinated me from early on. He was a show man, bringing life to every concert. His life seemed to be anything but boring.

I do not believe that even with our generation of Lady Gagas that a new artist, nowadays, can put a show like Freddie. His voice had ranges of a lyrical singer, his songs had meaning, and there was a love of entertaining that was shown that, to me, did not seem mechanic. He was there for the audience and he knew that they were there for him.

My first conscientious memory of Freddie and Queen was in 1985 during Rock in Rio. I remember staying up really late just to watch the concert. I was only 9 at the time but it was a huge impact for me. The songs had feelings; the show was energetic and magnetic. I did not quite understand the songs, my English was not great but I got them. As a child, I did not care about or noticed Freddie’s sexuality. There was something about that guy that hypnotized me.

Unfortunately, Freddy was a victim of HIV. His solo work, especially after the consequences of AIDS got the best of him, turned to be more delicate, more personal.  It bothers me that he had to leave this planet the way he did. He still had a lot to create and I, as a fan, miss him.

We Will Rock You, a Queen musical, is still going strong in Europe. I guess it is a great way to leave Freddie’s legacy alive. I often talk to my husband about how many Queen songs could turn into a movie (Killer Queen), my kids are always amused by my rendition of Bohemian Rapsody. No, I cannot sing even if my life depended on it!!!!  But when I talk about Freddie, listen to a song, share a song, I feel like Freddie is happy. Mercury or even Bulsara is looking at his fans smiling and proud that we never forgot his own words: The Show Must Go On!!!!

 By Márcia Schwarz Peril  BlaPost  BlaGirls  We.Are.Bla