Shi Fu Miz Music Festival Founder on Hong Kong’s Music Scene

Florian Melinette is one of the men behind Shi Fu Miz, a Hong Kong art and music festival that brings local and international DJs together for a weekend on Cheung Chau Island.

Shi Fu Miz is a two-day festival that offers everything from yoga, bike-powered stages and beach cleanups to deep house music and soul sounds. Launched in 2016, it brings local and international artists together for a weekend of fun at Saiyuen Camping Adventure Park, striving to make big waves in small ways by collaborating with DJs from all over the world – as well as Boiler Room, a London-born music platform and clubbing culture giant. With the next Shi Fu Miz Festival set to take place this month, Co-Founder Florian Melinette talked to Hive Life about his plans for the Hong Kong music scene.

Ever since he founded his Hong Kong music label and events agency FuFu Records in 2014, Florian has been working to spur growth in Hong Kong’s music scene by highlighting local talent, and now, with his own festival Shi Fu Miz, he has the perfect platform. “When I started the company, I knew it would become an event agency. We use the festivals to find the right people to collaborate with.” Co-founded with La Mamie’s, a French music label and events agency, the event aims to shine a light on HK talent. “La Mamie’s already had a lot of connections and great experience with festivals in Europe, and that combined with my knowledge of the Hong Kong market, made the perfect partnership.”

You might also like Down the Rabbit Hole With Experimental Visual Artist Crazy Monkey

For Florian, a life working in the music world was always the plan. “Many years ago, I told my dad that I wanted to launch a record label. I just wanted to be involved in the music industry, even though I knew almost nothing about it,” he recalls. After completing his Master’s degree in Business & Marketing in Shanghai, his move to Hong Kong provided the opportunity he’d been waiting for. “After three days, I met so many people in music,” he explains. “When I started FuFu Records, my point was education. People in Hong Kong don’t have much knowledge about disco, house and techno – it’s not that they don’t like it. They just don’t know, because they’re not exposed to it.”

Recognising Hong Kong’s potential, the ex-music journalist worked on developing a network of artists who play in clubs around Hong Kong. “There are lots of DJs in Hong Kong. There are also a lot of French DJs,” laughs Florian, acknowledging the extent of the French-expat community in the city he now calls home. “I like it because they have an open mind. A DJ’s goal is to always discover and share the music they love.” Having personally booked artists from Europe and the States for the two-day event on October 26 & 27, he says the key to taking Hong Kong’s music scene to the next level is participation. “We need people involved for the music to evolve. I would love to have so many competitors in Hong Kong. It makes the scene bigger and bigger.”

Visitors to Florian’s festival can expect more than music. “During the day, there is yoga, talks, workshops and even drum sessions. We’re even trying to bring in capoeira,” he says, hoping to feature the Afro-Brazilian martial art that incorporates elements of dance. “The point is that if you need a break from the music, you can step away, lay on the grass, or get involved in these activities that are meant to bring you closer to nature and expose you to new things.” Run as sustainably as possible, they’ve implemented some novel energy-saving ideas this year, not least a stage powered by bicycles as well as solar panels. “People bring their energy to the DJ booth and it gets people involved. People are cycling to power the stage, even if they’re drunk,” laughs Florian. “The goal with Shi Fu Miz is to bring a smile to people’s faces. And, if they discover a love for new music too, it’s good for us and it’s good for the artists.”