Chinese rock
Chinese rock is a wide variety of rock and roll music made by rock bands and solo artists from Mainland China. Rock music as an independent music genre first appeared in China in the 1980s, during the age of New Enlightenment. Typically, Chinese rock is described as an anti-traditional instrument, a music that defies mainstream ideology, commercial establishment, and cultural hegemony. Chinese rock is a fusion of forms integrating Western popular music and traditional Chinese music.
History
The Northwest Wind (1980s)
Rock music did not take hold in Mainland China until the end of the Cultural Revolution and the onset of the Reform and Opening. Peking All-Stars were a rock band formed in Beijing in 1979, by foreigners then resident in the Chinese capital. While the first rock band in China, they were not Chinese. The following year, Wan Xing, Li Shichao, Ma Xiaoyi, and Wang Xinbo formed their first rock band, Wanli Ma Wang, at Beijing Second Foreign Languages College, playing Western classic rock.Chinese rock had its origins in Northwest Wind style of music, which emerged as a main genre in Mainland China. The new style was triggered by two new songs, "Xintianyou" and "Nothing To My Name", both of which drew heavily on the folk song traditions of northern Shaanxi. They combined this with a western-style fast tempo, strong beat and aggressive bass lines. In contrast to the contemporary mellow cantopop style, Northwest Wind songs were sung loudly and forcefully. It represented the musical branch of the large-scale root-seeking cultural movement that also manifested itself in literature and in film. Cui Jian's Northwest Wind album Rock 'N' Roll on the New Long March, which included "Nothing To My Name", has been called "China's first rock album".
Many Northwest Wind songs were highly idealistic and heavily political, parodying or alluding to the revolutionary songs of the Chinese Communist Party, such as "Nanniwan" and "The Internationale". It is associated with a non-Communist national music perspective instead of CCP revolutionary fervor. The music reflected disillusionment among Chinese youth, as well as the growing influence of Western concepts such as individuality and self-empowerment. Both the music and lyrics articulated a sense of pride in the independence and power of the northwest's peasantry. Songs such as "Sister Go Boldly Forward" came to represent an earthy, virile masculine image of Mainland China, as opposed to the soft, civilized, polished urban gangtai Hong Kong style.
Birth of Chinese rock and roll (1984)
The birthplace of Chinese rock was the city of Beijing. In the nation's capital, rock music was highly politicized and open to a wide range of foreign influences. For most of the 1980s, rock music existed on the margins, represented by live performances in small bars and hotels. The music was almost exclusively the domain of university students and "underground" bohemian intelligentsia circles. By the late 1989 and early 1990 Chinese rock partially emerged into mainstream music as a combination of the growing popularity of Northwest Wind and prison song fads.The first Chinese rock song was arguably the Northwest Wind anthem "Nothing To My Name", first performed in 1984 by Cui Jian, widely recognized as the father of Chinese rock. The song introduced into post-revolutionary China a whole new ethos that combined individualism, direct and bold expression. It soon came to symbolize the frustration harbored by a disillusioned generation of young intellectuals who had grown cynical about Communism and critical of China's the sterility and hypocrisy in traditional and contemporary culture. It also expressed, even for older Chinese, a dissatisfaction with unrealized promises of the CCP.At that time, the media introduced and evaluated Cui Jian in such a voice: "Rock music precisely meets the emotional needs of a generation of young people like him, and rock music has become another form of" social criticism ".".
In the spring of 1989, "Nothing To My Name" became the de facto anthem of the student protestors at Tiananmen Square. Additionally, in May and July of that year, three of China's famous rock bands were established: Breathing, Cobra, and Zang Tianshuo's 1989. Earlier rock music groups include "Infallible", formed by Zang Tianshuo and Tang Dynasty lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Ding Wu, and probably the most famous of all Chinese rock bands: "Black Panther", originally fronted by China's alternative music pioneer Dou Wei.
Prison songs (1988–1989)
"Prison songs" became popular in 1988 and early 1989, parallel to the Northwest Wind style. The fad was initiated by Chi Zhiqiang, who wrote lyrics about his time in jail and set them to folk melodies from northeast China. In contrast to Northwest Wind songs, prison songs were slow, "weepy" and invoked negative role models, often using vulgar language and expressing despair and cynicism. Their non-conformist values are apparent in such songs as "Mother Is Very Muddle-Headed" and "There Is Not a Drop of Oil in the Dish". The popularity of these songs reflected the fact that many Chinese during the 1980s became tired of official artistic representations and discourse. The patrons of prison songs were the urban youth, and private entrepreneurs, who at that time were mostly from marginal backgrounds.Popular Chinese rock (1990–1993)
After the Tiananmen Square protests, rock became part of general urban youth Chinese culture. At the same time, the central authorities of the CCP immediately adopted a crackdown, banning the performance and dissemination of rock music. Its rise from the margins was celebrated on 17 and 18 February 1990, when Beijing's largest ever all-rock concert was held in the Capital Gymnasium, one of the city's largest halls. The concert featured six rock bands, among them are Cui Jian's ADO and Tang Dynasty. The criterion that the organizers set as qualification to participate was "originality".Chinese rock reached a peak of creativity and popularity between 1990 and 1993. In 1991, the glam metal band Black Panther released their self-titled debut album. With glossy production and hard rock melodies backing the sincere voice of lead singer Dou Wei, it featured hit singles such as "Don't Break My Heart and "Ashamed". A year later, the album went on to sell more than 1,000,000 copies nationwide, a standard never before achieved in Chinese rock history. Another band, Tang Dynasty, whose style was comparable to British heavy metal, successfully broke another barrier. Their singles "9/4 ", "The Sun", and "Choice" climbed the charts. Once again, it was not until 1992, that their debut A Dream Return to Tang Dynasty sold over 2,000,000 copies throughout Asia, including Japan, Korea, and the Southeast. From there, other previously formed rock bands, such as the first all female band, Cobra, and hard rockers The Face, achieved greater success than ever. In addition, dozens of newer bands formed during the peak of their success, and rock music was performed on a regular basis. Big name artists and bands were featured in media such as CCTV and MTV, while other lesser known acts made a presence in small-scale, underground rock parties such as band leader Fa Zi who was perhaps the most well-known musician at art colony Yuan Ming Yuan near Bei Da in Beijing before it was closed down. The core participants in rock subculture adopted characteristic nonconformist appearance and behaviour. These included glam rock styles: pretty face, long hair, jeans, silver metal ornaments, black leather coats, as well as emerging grunge styles: flannel shirts, and do it yourself ethics, coupled with a carefree, hippie-style behaviour. The decline of Northwest Wind and simultaneous rise of rock music represented a shift in the attitude of many of China's intellectuals. Nostalgia changed into an unequivocally fierce negation, a sense of alienation from China's traditional and rural culture.In 1993, the Southern Music Group organized the "Music Commune" in Guangzhou to hold a concert "Remembrance of the Year Like Water".This is the first time Southern rock music has surfaced on a large scale.In the same year, a large-scale rock concert "Olympics - China Dream" was held at the Capital Gymnasium.
Rock goes underground, earns newfound respect (1994-1998)
By 1994, mainstream popularity of Chinese rock slowly began to ebb, due in no small part to strict censorship by the CCP, such as the banning of rock from television and restrictions on performances. Moreover, the decline of rock reflected a decline of public interest in politicised cultural products, thoughts, or behaviors. People became increasingly motivated to engage with the market economy, to make money and improve their living standard. Cross-border cultural exchange facilitated by increased economic openness, and the radical commercialization of the music industry in the mid-1990s led to importing overseas music, particularly from Taiwan and Hong Kong. Cantopop singers such as Andy Lau were sponsored by well-resourced record companies and derived revenues from film-making and advertising, two sources generally rejected by Chinese rock musicians. Moreover, the level of censorship imposed on c-pop was less strict, since gangtai culture is historically separate from mainland culture.With the tragedy of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's death in 1994, a new underground movement emerged in popular music. That year, former Black Panther frontman Dou Wei released Dark Dreams. This album marked a complete departure from his "glam metal" days. Instead, this album emphasized thicker and more jangly guitars. Dou sang in a thin, almost apathetic drone-like voice and began experimenting with gothic and electronic sounds. This innovative direction earned him a whole new kind of reputation, as well as credibility in the alternative culture movement. Another unlikely figure in the scene was the father of Chinese rock himself, Cui Jian. A rare compilation album, titled "Rock Pioneers" was also released. The album showcased raw, rather unorthodox playing styles, as well as a rejection of mainstream rock music. With the exception of Dream, the only band on the compilation to achieve mainstream success was Thin Man, who went on to revitalize the popularity of rock back for "the masses." Self-styled punk He Yong fiercely resisted cantopop imitators on the mainland. His only album, Garbage Dump, was embraced by alienated Chinese youth, and earned him an enormous cult following. In 1995, a handful of younger punk bands produced an album called "Wuliao Contingent," representing the boredom and frustration collectively felt within the urban landscape. Chinese punks resist the mainstream by adhering to their own cultural lifestyle and being willing to challenge state power directly on stage or organizing performances focused on sensitive topics to oppose the Chinese government. At the forefront was Brain Failure, the most successful of these bands, who continue to tour internationally with their ska/punk sound. English is used to both express what Chinese lyrics cannot, and also to crossover to the Western music market. In 1998 Hang on the Box were formed, the first all-girl Chinese punk band. One of the significant turning points for rock was Cui Jian's performance with The Rolling Stones in 2003 at the age of 42. It opened the genre to the rest of the world for the first time.
In December 1994, Dou Wei, Zhang Chu, He Yong and Tang Dynasty participated in the concert held at Hung Hom Stadium in Hong Kong. This is an extremely important concert in the history of Chinese rock music, filled with media from all over the world and nearly 10,000 Hong Kong audiences, Hong Kong people were shocked by the music brought by mainland Chinese rock bands.It condensed a thunderous cry and a passionate release. It is the crimson mist in the Hung Hom Coliseum, igniting the unforgettable winter night of December 17, 1994 like flames.To this day, many people still miss the scorching, clean, and unforgettable moment 25 years ago, the youthful, talented, and fearless faces and voices.
In November 1994, the band "43 Baojia Street" was established at the Central Conservatory of Music, with Wang Feng as the lead vocalist. No. 43 Baojia Street was a famous academic band, with many members being highly talented students from the Central Conservatory of Music, each with their own understanding and persistence in music. In 1995, Wang Feng formed "43 Baojia Street" as the soul vocalist. His first album, 43 Baojia Street, was released in 1997. In 1998, he released his second album, Storm Comes. In 2000, the band disbanded, and that same year Wang Feng released the album "Flower Fire". In 2002, he released his album Love is a Bullet for Happiness. In 2004, he released the album "Smiling and Crying". In 2005, the album "Raging Life" was released.