Cui Jian
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Cui Jian ( zh, c=崔健, p=Cuī Jiàn, ; born 2 August 1961) is a Beijing-based Chinese singer-songwriter, trumpeter and guitarist. Affectionately called "Old Cui" (), he pioneered
Chinese rock Chinese rock (; also , lit. "Chinese rock and roll music") is a wide variety of rock and roll music made by rock bands and solo artists from Mainland China (other regions such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau are considered separate scenes). Typical ...
music. For this distinction Cui Jian is often labeled "The Father of Chinese Rock".Gunde, Richard.
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(2002) Culture and Customs of China. Greenwood Press.


Early career

Cui Jian grew up in a musical family in Beijing—his father was
ethnic Korean Koreans ( South Korean: , , North Korean: , ; see names of Korea) are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Korean Peninsula. Koreans mainly live in the two Korean nation states: North Korea and South Korea (collectively and simply refer ...
and a professional trumpet player, and his mother was a member of a Korean dance troupe. Cui Jian followed his father to start playing the trumpet at the age of fourteen. He joined the
Beijing Symphony Orchestra Beijing Symphony Orchestra (Simplified Chinese: 北京交响乐团), founded in 1977, is a symphony orchestra in based in Beijing, China. One of its best-known performances was an unfolding of Chinese history and culture performed at Badaling in t ...
in 1981, at the age of twenty. He was first introduced to rock during this period when friends smuggled in illicit recordings from Hong Kong and
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
. Inspired by the likes of
Simon and Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, and their biggest hits—including the electric remix of " ...
and
John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, activist, and humanitarian whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singe ...
, Cui began learning to play the guitar. In 1984 he formed his first band, Qi He Ban (七合板, literally "Seven-Ply Board," but notably called "Seven-Player band") with six other classically trained musicians, including the saxophonist/
suona ''Suona'' (IPA: /swoʊˈnɑː/, ), also called ''dida'' (from Cantonese / '' īdá'), ''laba'' or ''haidi'', is a traditional Chinese music instrument with double-reed horn. The suona's basic design originated in ancient Iran, then called "Sur ...
player Liu Yuan. The seminal band was heavily influenced by
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
,
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
, and
Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talkin ...
. They performed their own works—mostly soft rock and love songs—in local hotels and bars. With his band, Cui released his first cassette '' Return of the Prodigal'' that same year. The album contained mellow, pop-oriented love songs, but also showcased songs with progressive and folk rock influences, which were fresh and innovative in China at the time. In 1985, the band released another album, titled ''Cui Jian with Seven-Player band''. The album featured a combination of Western pop rock, as well as new originals. It also featured more prominent use of the electric guitar, which was seldom used in Chinese popular music. Cui's departure from the band and subsequent solo career led him to become the most successful and influential musician in Chinese rock history. Cui Jian first shot to stardom in 1986, when he performed his song " Nothing to My Name" on the 100-Singer Concert of Year of International Peace at Beijing's
Workers' Stadium The Workers' Stadium (), often called Gongti, Gong Ti or Kung T'i, is a multi-purpose stadium in the Chaoyang District of north-eastern Beijing, China. It was mostly used for association football matches. The stadium was built in 1959 and was l ...
. The following year, he left his permanent job with the orchestra. His band, now renamed ADO, included two foreign embassy employees: Hungarian bassist Kassai Balazs and Madagascan/French guitarist Eddie Randriamampionona. His first real album, '' Rock and Roll on the New Long March'', was released in 1989. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Cui created a hybrid and experimental music mix that cut across divisions between pop, reggae, funk, hard rock and punk music genres. Cui's songs drew on folk and traditional music types, such as the
Northwest Wind Northwest Wind () is a style of music which emerged on the popular music scene in mainland China from the northwestern or xibei portion of China specifically from the Shanxi, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces.Garofalo, Reebee. 992(1992). Rockin' the ...
(''Xibeifeng'') peasant songs of the
Loess Plateau The Chinese Loess Plateau, or simply the Loess Plateau, is a plateau in north-central China formed of loess, a clastic silt-like sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. It is located southeast of the Gobi Desert and is surroun ...
of
Shaanxi Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see #Name, § Name) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichu ...
. At times they knowingly parodied old
Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...
sayings and proverbs. In 1991, for example, he set the old revolutionary song "
Nanniwan "Nanniwan" () is a revolutionary song written in 1943 with lyrics by communist playwright and poet He Jingzhi and music by Ma Ke. It was made popular by the Chinese Communist Party and continues to be one of the most recognisable songs in the Peo ...
" to rock music. In 1988 he performed at a concert broadcast worldwide in conjunction with the Seoul Summer Olympic Games. Cui Jian was the first-ever winner of the MTV International Viewer's Choice Award for his song/music video "Wild in the Snow" in 1991. His earliest works had influence from Western popular music styles, such as
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
, dance and
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
; these songs also became his best known works. With tensions rising among the students of China and the government, Cui's work was very influential among the youth.


Tiananmen and aftermath

Cui Jian reached the apex of his popularity during the
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 The Tiananmen Square protests, known in Chinese as the June Fourth Incident (), were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square, Beijing during 1989. In what is known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, or in Chinese the June Fourth ...
, when " Nothing to My Name" became an anthem to student protestors. Before the protests were violently broken up on 4–5 June, Cui frequently appeared with the students and was affirmed by
Wu'er Kaixi Örkesh Dölet ( ug, ئۆركەش دۆلەت, zh, 吾尔开希·多莱特; commonly known by his pinyin name Wu'erkaixi) is a political commentator known for his leading role during the Tiananmen protests of 1989. Of Uyghur heritage, he was bo ...
, one of the prominent leaders of the movement, as highly influential among young Chinese of the time. The following government crackdown forced many rock musicians, Cui Jian included, into hiding in the other provinces. Sanctions proved relatively temporary and Cui was able to return to Beijing shortly afterward. In early 1990, the Chinese government would permit him to embark his first rock tour entitled the "New Long March", to raise money for the
1990 Asian Games The 1990 Asian Games also known as the XI Asiad and the 11th Asian Games ( zh, c=第十一届亚洲运动会, p=Dì shíyī jiè yàzhōu yùndònghuì), were held from September 22 to October 7, 1990, in Beijing, China. This was the first Asian Ga ...
. Ten concerts were scheduled in
Zhengzhou Zhengzhou (; ), also spelt Zheng Zhou and alternatively romanized as Chengchow, is the capital and largest city of Henan Province in the central part of the People's Republic of China. Located in north-central Henan, it is one of the National ...
,
Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei, Hubei Province in the China, People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the List of cities in China ...
,
Xi'an Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by #Name, other names, is the list of capitals in China, capital of Shaanxi, Shaanxi Province. A Sub-provincial division#Sub-provincial municipalities, sub-provincial city o ...
,
Chengdu Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively Romanization of Chi ...
and others. Midway through the tour, Cui Jian gained notoriety for appearing on stage wearing a red blindfold across his eyes before performing his well-known political anthem, "A Piece of Red Cloth", prompting the government to terminate the performance and cancel the remainder of the tour. The tour was still able to raise 1 million ''yuan'' for the 1990 Asian Games.


Later career

Through the 1990s Cui Jian was banned from playing major venues in Beijing, although he was able to stage a number of one-set, word-of-mouth concerts at newly flourishing venues like The Sunflower Club. Elsewhere in China he was permitted to play to sell-out crowds in both large and small venues, only on occasion facing government interference. Soon, Cui's music was banned from all state-controlled broadcasting stations. Cui toured all over the world including the United States and Europe four times each, and has played numerous shows in East and Southeast Asia. Cui's ability to fuse western styles of music and introduce local influences on it, made him a very prominent figure internationally to this day. In 2000 Cui was awarded the prestigious Dutch
Prince Claus Award The Prince Claus Fund was established in 1996, named in honor of Prince Claus of the Netherlands. It receives an annual subsidy from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Fund has presented the international Prince Claus Awards annually si ...
for positive artistic and intellectual influences on the broader culture and society. In 2002 Cui and his manager Paul Fry co-organized the Lijiang Snow Mountain Music Festival (China's Woodstock) in Lijiang, China. Cui followed this with a 10-city tour in Germany and performances with
Udo Lindenberg Udo Lindenberg (born 17 May 1946) is a German singer, drummer, and composer. Career Lindenberg started his musical career as a drummer. In 1969, he founded his first band Free Orbit, and also appeared as a studio and guest musician (with Micha ...
(Godfather of German Rock & Roll), performances with
Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...
in China and a 13-city sold-out tour of the United States. Bai Qiang produced a 3D concert film and documentary on Cui. The film, '' Transcendence'', which evokes memories of
Tiananmen Square Tiananmen Square or Tian'anmen Square (; 天安门广场; Pinyin: ''Tiān'ānmén Guǎngchǎng''; Wade–Giles: ''Tʻien1-an1-mên2 Kuang3-chʻang3'') is a city square in the city center of Beijing, China, named after the eponymous Tiananmen (" ...
, was screened in Beijing in May 2012 to an enthusiastic fan audience, but its prospects for mainstream release in China are doubtful.


Political rehabilitation

On 8 September 2000, Cui and his band performed the song "Flying" at the Anti-Piracy Concert held at Worker's Stadium in Beijing. It was his first large-venue performance in the capital in 7 years. He wore a hat with a red star to show support for the
Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victoriou ...
. In 2002, Cui initiated, produced, and played at a major rock festival in the mountains of
Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...
. The "Snow Mountain Music Festival" was a major media attraction and was reported by the international press as "China's
Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...
". This experience started a trend of outdoor music festivals in China. In early 2003, Cui was authorized to open for the
Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
' concert in Beijing. In a 2003 interview, Cui claimed that in the 1980s he had learned Rolling Stones and Beatles songs to improve his guitar skills. He was also quoted as having three dreams: to perform in his home city of Beijing again, to see the Rolling Stones perform live, and to perform together with the Rolling Stones. Due to the
SARS Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-1), the first identified strain of the SARS coronavirus species, ''sever ...
outbreak, however, the concert was cancelled. Not until March 2004, when Cui opened for
Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...
on their mainland tour, was he finally able to perform a full set at a major venue in Beijing. On 24 September 2005, Cui was finally granted permission to headline his own show at the Beijing Capital Stadium, which signified the end of the unofficial ban on his performances in China's capital. It also confirmed a major turn-around in government attitude towards rock music in general. Cui did finally play with
the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
at the Shanghai Grand Stage on 8 April 2006, singing and playing "
Wild Horses Wild horse (''Equus ferus'') is a species of the genus ''Equus'' that includes domesticated and undomesticated subspecies. * Przewalski's wild horse (''Equus ferus przewalskii'' or ''Equus przewalskii''), a rare and endangered subspecies of wild ...
". Following the performance, Cui was quoted as saying, "This is the 20th anniversary of Chinese rock 'n' roll... We have an appointment. In the near future, they will be back, and we'll rock again in Beijing." Cui performed in
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
on 8 July 2007 after numerous attempts in previous years to perform there had been derailed by governments on both sides of the
Taiwan Strait The Taiwan Strait is a -wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is wide. The Taiwan Strait is itself a s ...
. Cui's entourage to the island comprised 18 people including his 75-year-old mother. Headlining on the last day of the Hohaiyan Rock Festival at
Fulong Beach Fulong Beach, also known as Fulong Bathing Beach (), is located at Fulong Village, Gongliao District, New Taipei, Taiwan. It is the outlet of the Shuang River. History The beach was opened to the public on 22 June 1975. The resort at the beach w ...
, Cui's participation was promoted on the festival's website with the slogan: "He's really coming!" In September 2007, he performed at the
Beijing Pop Festival The Beijing Pop Festival () is a rock music festival held in Beijing, China's Chaoyang Park each September since 2005. It features rock bands from China as well as from overseas. It is a pioneer music event in China since it was the first inter ...
, including a guest appearance rapping with the American rap group
Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe p ...
. On 4 December 2009, Cui returned to
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
for his second concert there in three years, for the grand opening of the Legacy Taipei.


Discography

*1984: '' Return of the Prodigal'' (浪子归; Làngzǐ guī) *1989: '' Rock 'N' Roll on the New Long March'' (新长征路上的摇滚; Xīn chángzhēng lùshàng de yáogǔn) *1991: ''
Solution Solution may refer to: * Solution (chemistry), a mixture where one substance is dissolved in another * Solution (equation), in mathematics ** Numerical solution, in numerical analysis, approximate solutions within specified error bounds * Soluti ...
'' (解决; Jiějué) *1994: ''
Balls Under the Red Flag ''Hongqi xia de dan'' (红旗下的蛋 literally ''"eggs" under the red flag''), English title on CD cover ''Balls Under The Red Flag'', is a 1994 Mandarin rock album by Cui Jian Cui Jian ( zh, c=崔健, p=Cuī Jiàn, ; born 2 August 1961) ...
'' (红旗下的蛋; Hóngqí xià de dàn) *1998: ''
The Power of the Powerless ''The Power of the Powerless'' ( cs, Moc bezmocných) is an expansive political essay written in October 1978 by the Czech dramatist, political dissident, and later statesman, Václav Havel. The essay dissects the nature of communist regimes ...
'' (无能的力量; Wúnéng de lìliàng) *2005: '' Show You Colour'' (给你一点颜色; Gěi nǐ yīdiǎn yánsè) *2015: '' Frozen Light'' (光冻; Guāng dòng) *2021: '' A Flying Dog'' (飞狗; Féi gǒu)


Filmography

*1993 – ''
Beijing Bastards ''Beijing Bastards'' () is a 1993 drama film by Sixth Generation director Zhang Yuan, and is one of the first independently produced Chinese films. Cast * Karzi "a rock promoter" - played by Li Wei 李委 * Cui Jian as himself * Wu Lala (武啦 ...
'' (北京杂种; Beijing Zazhong), directed by Zhang Yuan, as himself *2003 – '' Roots and Branches'' (我的兄弟姐妹; Wo de xiongdi jiemei), directed by Yu Chung, as the father/music teacher *2007 – ''
The Sun Also Rises ''The Sun Also Rises'' is a 1926 novel by American writer Ernest Hemingway, his first, that portrays American and British expatriates who travel from Paris to the Festival of San Fermín in Pamplona to watch the running of the bulls and the bu ...
'' (太阳照常升起; Taiyang zhaochang shengqi), directed by
Jiang Wen Jiang Wen (born 5 January 1963) is a Chinese actor, screenwriter, and director. As a director, he is sometimes grouped with the "Sixth Generation" that emerged in the 1990s. Jiang is also well known internationally as an actor, having starred wit ...
, as Tang's friend in Beijing *2010 – ''
Dooman River Eugene Hoffman Dooman (March 25, 1890 – February 2, 1969) was a counselor at the United States Embassy in Tokyo during the critical negotiations between the two countries before World War II. Background Born in Osaka to Grace and Isaac Dooman, t ...
'' (두만강), directed by Zhang Lu, as Chang-ho *2012 – '' Transcendence'' 3-D concert, directed by Bai Qiang *2013 – ''Promise'', directed and written by himself *2013 – '' Blue Sky Bones''


See also

*
Chinese rock Chinese rock (; also , lit. "Chinese rock and roll music") is a wide variety of rock and roll music made by rock bands and solo artists from Mainland China (other regions such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau are considered separate scenes). Typical ...
*
Tang Dynasty (band) Tang Dynasty () is a Chinese rock band formed in 1989. They are often credited as being the first Chinese heavy metal band. Biography Singer and rhythm guitarist Ding Wu, bassist Zhang Ju, and Chinese-American guitarist Kaiser Kuo co-founde ...
*
Viktor Tsoi Viktor Robertovich Tsoi (russian: Виктор Робертович Цой; ; 21 June 1962 – 15 August 1990) was a Soviet singer and songwriter who co-founded Kino, one of the most popular and musically influential bands in the history of ...
, Russian rock singer of Korean descent


References

*Wei, S. Louisa (2006).
Cui Jian: Rocking China
(DV). Music documentary.


External links


Cui Jian's Official Website

"Birth Of A Beijing Music Scene"
by Matthew Corbin Clark – companion article to PBS Frontline's "China in the Red".
Cui Jian on Rockinchina.com


Interviews


Cui Jian interview
from ''Global Rhythm'' magazine, August 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Cui, Jian 1961 births Living people Chinese guitarists Chinese male singer-songwriters Chinese people of Korean descent Chinese rock singers Musicians from Beijing Singers from Beijing