Denise Ho Wan-see a.k.a. award-winning Cantopop singer-songwriter HOCC, is one of Hong Kong's most powerful contemporary voices, taking up vital space as a queer icon as well as a pro-democracy and human rights activist. Born in British Hong Kong on May 10, 1977, Ho was schooled in Canada but returned to Hong Kong in 1996 to participate in the country's New Talent Singing Awards (NTSA). After winning the competition and crossing paths with Cantopop legend Anita Mui, Ho began laying down the foundations for her career; touring as a background vocalist with Mui, hosting various TV programs, and securing a recording contract with Capital Artists. Her debut album, First, came in 2001, with Ho setting out her stall as an indie pop-rock balladeer. She issued a steady stream of new material throughout the 2000s, including 2005's Butterfly Lovers, and picked up countless awards and accolades along the way. Involved in activism for a number of years, in 2014 Ho was blacklisted by the Government of China for her active participation in the 2014 Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong. At the fourth annual Hong Kong Pride Parade in November 2012, Ho came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She is involved in the Big Love Alliance (大愛同盟), a civil rights group striving equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community. Following her 2015 move to independence, Ho transitioned from a Canto-pop star to an activist, utilizing crowdfunding to overcome industry blacklisting. She gained international attention through her advocacy for Hong Kong, appearing before the United Nations and being named one of the BBC's "100 Women" before her arrest in 2021. While doing so, her music career remains active, releasing several singles including "威廉" (2023), "本世紀最怪" (2024) and in April 2026, she released the album Rive-Sud, Montréal, featuring songs like "Allô! Marie-Claude!" and "小房間".
