Anita Mui, Hong Kong singer and pop diva beloved by fans

Actor Jackie Chan eulogized the veteran entertainer, whom many affectionately called ``Sister Mui.''

``She didn't belong to the entertainment industry. She belonged to all Hong Kong people,'' said Chan in footage shown on Cable TV. Ms. Mui appeared with Chan in the Hong Kong movie ``Rumble in the Bronx.''

Ms. Mui launched her career by winning a local singing contest in 1982. Her unusually deep voice caught further notice with a soulful delivery of the acclaimed song ``Homecoming.'' Canto-pop refers to hits sung in Cantonese, a Chinese dialect widely spoken in Hong Kong.

Ms. Mui's frequent makeovers drew comparisons to Madonna. In 1987, she held 28 concerts in Hong Kong, titled ``Ever-changing Anita.''

She proved equally impressive on screen, winning Taiwan's Golden Horse award for best actress in 1987 for her role as a tormented ghost in the movie ``Rouge.''

In September, Ms. Mui confirmed media reports that she had cervical cancer but told a news conference: ``I am not a weak person ... I can tell you that I have never had any fears and I will win this fight.''

Although physically frail, Ms. Mui completed another concert series in November after her cancer announcement.

Her death comes eight months after the suicide of Hong Kong star Leslie Cheung, who rose to fame along with Ms. Mui in the 1980s. The two were reportedly close friends.

Ms. Mui, who was not married, also actively took part in charity work. She established the Anita Mui Charity Foundation in the early 1990s. Her elder sister, Mui Oi-fong, died in 2000, also from cancer.