If one says “Amid much fanfare”, what does he mean? [closed]

Question

Just complete an article about Yao Ming, who is a great basketball star in NBA. The only thing I fail to understand is the phrase "Amid much fanfare" in this sentence:

Amid much fanfare, Yao Ming, 31, announced his retirement on July 20 from the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets, the US team who made him a global star, and the Chinese national team five days later.

After turning to Google and a dictionary for help, it seems still not so clear to me.

Answer 1

It's this second meaning:

fanfare NOUN
ˈfænfeə(r) ˈfænfer

1 [countable]
a short loud piece of music that is played to celebrate somebody/something important arriving
- A fanfare of trumpets will sound for the Queen.

2 [uncountable, countable]
a large amount of activity and discussion on television, in newspapers, etc. to celebrate somebody/something
- The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide.
- Despite the fanfare of publicity that accompanied its launch, his latest novel sold only a few hundred copies.

Answer 2

The phrase

Amid much fanfare

is composed of

Amid

(prep.) In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among.

fanfare

a large amount of activity and discussion on television, in newspapers, etc. to celebrate somebody/something

So the combined meaning is:

In the middle of a lot of celebration

(celebration might not be the right word here, depending on the context - fanfare could stand also for a situation where there is no literal celebration, but there is a lot of talk, speculation and/or praise directed at someone; a lot of audible activity directed at someone)

Answer 3

In the words of the OED, a fanfare is:

A flourish, call, or short tune, sounded by trumpets, bugles, or hunting-horns.

By extension, it can be used figuratively and, as in your example, rather loosely, to describe the extravagant and colourful way in which any outstanding event is marked.