Resumo de Chinese Rock ?n? Roll: It Was 20 Years Ago...(2)

According to Jiang, a new
generation of consumers with high demands and interests in
rock music has come to light in recent years. Many rock
bands now have opportunities to perform, make a living and
even fly overseas to stage shows, he said.

Wang Lei, a veteran rocker, said it?s a mistake to think
rockers are in the margins. "Rock musicians can be at a
middle-class level if they play it right." ??

Yet unlike pop music, rock music has never been the
mainstream in China. ??

The first generation of Chinese rock music was led by Cui
Jian, Tang Dynasty, Panther, ADO and Zang Tianshuo in the
late 1980s. They were original and independent rock
musicians without too many commercial factors attached to
them. ?

The second generation in the 1990s was represented by Dou
Wei, He Yong, Zhang Cu, as well as the bands of Baojiajie
43 and Zero Point. At this time the commercial side of the
business started to influence Chinese rock. And because of
this the rock somehow became more like pop music. Cui Jian
thinks the commercial steps taken by Chinese rock music
during this period were significant. ??

Among the third generation are Second-hand Rose, CMCB, Muma
and Brain Failure. With its rise today?s rock music
appears to have more variety. However, it?s too unique and
too ego driven for the general public. Therefore, its
attractions have been limited to various small groups of
fans. ??

Cui Jian said if there were to be another 20 years, "I hope
someone would be proud of being a rocker and make a living
with the right kind of music. There will be obvious changes
in terms of their social status." ???

But he admitted at the third show that Chinese musicians
were struggling. "I don?t know how long we rockers can go
on. China?s rock is like an egg. It?s very fragile but
not dead yet. We need to work it out together," Cui was
quoted by the Oriental Outlook on June 28 as saying. ??

"The environment for Chinese rock has improved," Jiang
Xiaoyu said, but he was not satisfied. "In the West rock is
mainstream. Look at the Rolling Stones, they can make
millions of bucks out of their music and concerts. But in
China some guys singing rubbish pop songs can earn far more
than real rockers can. Only from the rock music and
original songs can I discover the rockers? real soul,
knowledge and value." ??

But Yan Jun, one of the most famous music critics in China,
told China Newsweek magazine that rock ?n? roll in the
West is a natural development growing from its developed
cultural environment since the 1950s. "The day when Chinese
rock was born was not very far away from the end of the
?Cultural Revolution.? China had no teen culture and no
urban entertainment then. Rock was like something from the
middle of nowhere. So it?s not surprising to see it has
never been mainstream." ??

Hao Fang, chief editor of Rolling Stone magazine (Chinese
version, a.k.a Audiovisual World), further suggested that
Chinese rock has "never been so sacred, so underground or
so rebel. The marginal image is made by the public and rock
musicians themselves!" He said that in the present new era,
compared with the cultural value that is always supposed to
be with rock music, its technical side, concepts and genre
diversity are gaining more and more popularity. ??

The interviewees of China Newsweek including the two
critics above as well as Cui Jian and Jiang Xiaoyu all
agreed rock music will be back in mainstream someday though
it never really was! As more and more companies invest in
musicians who are gradually becoming down-to-earth
performers working in bars or touring, the rock culture
will be cultivated and the real lifestyle of rock lovers
will re-emerge. ??

So despite the Shenyang?s failure and various concerns the
rock celebration will continue. Cui Jian is now ready for
his "2006 Super Live" concerts in Beijing, which will openon July 14. ?

According to Shenzhen Daily of June 26, Cui will perform at
the Beijing Candy & Star Live Hall from July 14-15.

Advocating a "sing it live" spirit Cui?s first performance
will be "unplugged" with no accompanying electronic
instruments. This will be the singer?s first show using
acoustic instruments in his 20-year career, said a source
with Mediact Jingwen Group, the show?s organizer. ?

The "2006 Super Live" series will run until 2007. With the
slogan "Music goes back live to where it started live" all
the shows will be solo or themed concerts. Tickets will be
on sale at the end of June. ??

And there?s more good news for music fans. Musicians from
the same-aged Chinese pop music industry will hold
anniversary celebration concerts in Beijing in September as
they did 10 years ago. Cui Jian, of course, will make an
appearance in the rock genre concert to promote Chinese
rock. Two other concerts will also be performed at the
Great Hall of the People in November. Meanwhile, 800
singers, musicians, producers and media members will be
honored for their contributions to Chinese pop music. ?
?.

Resumos Relacionados