Freddie Mercury’s celebratory approach to life was probably one of the reasons which made him such a magnetic persona. He dared to dream and live on his own terms, even when the journey wasn’t exactly a bed of roses. Raging through the social and cultural stigmas, he pushed boundaries, broke barriers and emerged to be a God-like figure who assured millions of fans that they too can be the “Champions” if they want.
Though born in a Parsi-Indian family in Zanzibar, Farrokh Bulsara aka Freddie, found himself hooked to English pop music from a very young age. He blurred the East-West cultural divide by simultaneously crossing over and incorporating ethnic elements. A flamboyant stage personality, which was a complete contrast to his shy and reserved self, Freddie once said: “That’s something inbred, it’s a part of me. I will always walk around like a Persian popinjay.” He never imposed his differences as an individual be it religious beliefs or sexual orientation, instead, he blended his personas effortlessly making himself more relatable and relevant universally to his audience. Brian May, Queen’s guitarist, once said that Mercury could make “the last person at the back of the furthest stand in a stadium feel that he was connected.”
