As he prepares to celebrate his 80th birthday on June 10, it is fair to say that Anders Nelsson has witnessed more of Hong Kong’s evolution than most.

Since arriving in the city in 1950 aged four, the California-born son of Swedish missionaries has found fame as a musician, singer-songwriter, composer, concert promoter, record producer and actor, all against the backdrop of a city emerging from post-World War II gloom to become a vibrant global metropolis.

Along the way, he has helped shape Hong Kong’s musical tastes across multiple eras, rubbed shoulders with pop megastars, and even fought kung fu legend Bruce Lee on the big screen.

But more than just living through Hong Kong’s golden age, Nelsson – who is fluent in Cantonese – embodies the qualities that have driven the city’s success: a relentlessly can-do attitude, resilience, a flair for reinvention in the face of change, and a knack for being in the right place at the right time when opportunity comes knocking.

We meet in an industrial building in Fo Tan, in Hong Kong’s New Territories, at what he describes as his “man cave” – a space he uses as an office and to store some of the many souvenirs he has accumulated over the years.

Surrounded by shelves packed with a motley collection of books, DVDs and ceramic cats, as well as an assortment of music and martial arts memorabilia, guitars and awards, it is the perfect setting to begin a journey through both the city’s musical history and Nelsson’s remarkable life.