Movements for Mercury

To mark the 30th death anniversary of Freddie Mercury on November 20, 2021, different organizations in the UK planned meaningful gestures. Freddie Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara, continues to be a popular name in the UK. BBC Radio 4 presented a documentary on the legendary singer by award winning author and journalist Sathnam Sanghera. The documentary explores the little known aspects of Mercury’s life including his Zoroastrian Parsi heritage and his childhood in India and Zanzibar, noted a communiqué from Malcolm Deboo, president of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe.
Included in this documentary is a 20-minute interview with Lord Karan Bilimoria who was asked to talk about his own background, the success of his firm Cobra beer, the Parsi Zoroastrian history and culture and the British Parsi community. Since Mercury’s family worked for the British Colonial Service, and Bilimoria’s family with the British Indian Army, some fascinating aspects of that period are revealed. The Radio 4 documentary that was to be available via BBC Sounds has already been picked up by The Sunday Times, Radio Times and Mail on Sunday.

Another remembrance function in Mercury’s memory was conjointly organized by The World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO) on November 27. The event started at the World Zoroastrian House (WZH) and ended at the Freddie Mercury memorial in Feltham Green, Middlessex. Prayers for Mercury and his parents Jer and Bomi were recited by the WZO resident priest Ervad Fali Madon, accompanied by his brother Ervad Jimmy and their father Ervad Khushroo. After the prayers Jimmy gave a brief introduction to the Zoroastrian religion and an explanation of the prayers recited. WZO’s religious coordinator Shahin Bekhradnia summarized the Zoroastrian concept of death and after-life. The Worship Room at the WZH in Feltham being unable to accommodate the assembled gathering, a video link was provided in the conference room for the guests to witness the Zoroastrian prayers.
Thereafter guests proceeded to the Freddie Mercury Memorial which is a five-minute walk from WZH where several wreaths and flower bouquets were laid by family members, friends and dignitaries present on the occasion. They included the mayor of the London borough of Hounslow councillor Bishnu Gurung, the immediate past mayor, councillor Tony Louki, the local Member of Parliament Seema Malhotra, Freddie’s sister Kashmira Bulsara, the chair of the Friends of Feltham Green, Angela Parton among others.
WZO chose not to lay a wreath but to make a donation to the Mercury Phoenix Trust, a charity set up in memory of the lead singer of the rock band Queen by Brian May, Roger Taylor and their manager Jim Beach. Mercury had succumbed to AIDS related complications in 1991. Further collections made at the event were sent to the Trust directly. Parton commented that Freddie would have smiled at how he was remembered in Feltham while long-standing committee member of WZO Darayus Motivala stated that WZO was proud of their connection with Mercury and would participate in future events in Feltham to remember the iconic singer.
Last year a street was renamed as Freddie Mercury Close in the London borough of Hounslow. In the spring of 2022, work will start on the Freddie Mercury Gardens in Feltham, noted a press release from WZO.