Chinese rock
[1][2] Typically, Chinese rock is described as an anti-traditional instrument, a music that defies mainstream ideology, commercial establishment, and cultural hegemony.
[5][6] 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 (now Beijing Foreign Studies University), playing Western classic rock.
[7] Chinese rock had its origins in Northwest Wind style of music, which emerged as a main genre in Mainland China.
Songs such as "Sister Go Boldly Forward" (《妹妹你大胆的往前走》) came to represent an earthy, virile masculine (Yang) image of Mainland China, as opposed to the soft (Yin), civilized, polished urban gangtai Hong Kong style.
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.
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.
[12] Additionally, in May and July of that year, three of China's famous rock bands were established: Breathing (Huxi, 呼吸), Cobra (眼镜蛇), and Zang Tianshuo's (臧天朔) 1989.
Earlier rock music groups include "Infallible" (Budaoweng 不倒翁), formed by Zang Tianshuo and Tang Dynasty (Tang Chao, 唐朝) lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Ding Wu (丁武), and probably the most famous of all Chinese rock bands: "Black Panther" (Hei Bao 黑豹), originally fronted by China's alternative music pioneer Dou Wei (窦唯).
The fad was initiated by Chi Zhiqiang (迟志强), who wrote lyrics about his time in jail and set them to folk melodies from northeast China.
At the same time, the central authorities of the CCP immediately adopted a crackdown, banning the performance and dissemination of rock music.
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".
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.
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.
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.
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."
In December 1994, Dou Wei, Zhang Chu, He Yong and Tang Dynasty participated in the concert held at Hung Hom Stadium in Hong Kong.
[18][19] From 2000 to 2004 post punk and extreme metal entered the underground scene and gained popularity among fans.China made tremendous efforts during a brief and extraordinary period to make its "rock history" possible: this can be attributed to the great prosperity of the local heavy metal industry in the early 2000s, when many new brands such as Areadeath emerged, Mort Production and later Polywater, Stress Hormones et al., along with the integration of foreigners, have brought some research techniques to Chinese rock.
It's very unwanted in that society and is shown in its citizens' apathetic response to itPresently, Chinese rock enjoys a new media forum in the popular Chinese television program, the "Pepsi Battle of the Bands" (百事群音) [4] a weekly live program featuring top 10 Rock bands from all over China who compete for weekly survival.
Each Episode features guest Celebrities such as, Cui Jian, Paul Wong, Richie Jen, Wang Feng, Van Fan, Jolin Tsai, Mayday, and Show Lo to name a few.
Despite facing opposition from mainstream culture, Chinese rock has successfully survived and continues to attract loyal audiences today.
Although its exposure is not as high as pop music, in the past two decades, it has begun to move away from the margins of society and has made reasonable progress in gaining more and more organized followers.
[24] In addition to the Midi school, the Painkiller heavy music magazine started efforts to bring bands such as Edguy, Lacrimosa and Hatesphere to China and organized tours of the country for them.
A major drawback for the music scene in general was the cancellation of several events leading up to the 2008 Olympic Games, as well as the 2008 Sichuan earthquake[clarification needed].
The unofficial home of the local jazz scene is JZ club while DJs and Electronic Producers frequently play The Shelter.
The 2010 World Expo and auxiliary events brought legal limitations to live performances and dried up venues temporarily, even censoring Shanghainese indie rock band Top Floor Circus.
[34] Chinese rock shows a complete rebellious spirit and fearless courage, whether in terms of lyrics and music creation, performance forms, or the audience's love for it.
It not only breaks away from the traditional etiquette and morality that has consumed our flesh and thoughts for thousands of years, but also from the hypocrisy and weakness that we have accumulated ourselves.
