We have had these podcasts in the can for awhile and now they are ready to go. Check in every Sunday for a look into the Shanghai music scene with Theo Croker. First up is blues guitarist Greg Smith.
Here is the link to access the podcast page.
Here is to listen the podcast, and to download just right click and save it.
tags: Blues - Cotton Club - Greg Smith - Jazz - Podcast - Shanghai - Theo Croker
October was the happy anniversary of the Party. To commemorate this unforgettable date and help it be a bit more unforgettable, we created a little anthology of China’s music.
The 60 years of the party (maybe the longest party ever) caused a lot of expectations. At the end, the celebration, like everything else in life, happened faster than the wind and all the talk about it is already gone. We wanted the party to last a bit longer so we asked around for some help, and created our first list. We are happy to present you this list of 60 best/favorite Chinese albums from local music celebrities.
The criteria was totally subjective and attached to luck and the law of whatever will be, will be. The only thing that was not random here was the selection of the people we asked to do this.
We chose nine musicians and one promoter (ten to one should be the amount of musicians to promoters, at the most). Among them there are jazz, electronic, and rock musicians. There are producers, writers, teachers of music, arrangers, and fans. We hope this group is a representative selection of the population of our dear Republic.
We asked each of them to tell us six of their favorite/best Chinese albums. Among the lists you will find that some of these albums actually are not Chinese Chinese Chinese. But that’s how we roll here.
Also, to make it a better experience for obsessive music fans like me, we did a little research on every one of the albums to give you links about the bands and albums. In many cases, the links will take you to sites were you can listen to the complete album. There were some of them that were too old to find out more information, so if you can educate us better, then go on and please do it.
Of course I realized some people could repeat the album that other one mentioned, so technically there are not exactly 60 albums, but those albums that have been mentioned more than once are clearly more relevant, and if you don’t have them in your collection, maybe it is time you do.
Enough talk. Let’s go for it. Dear Sino-Melomaniac audience, I’m proud to introduce you 60 albums to celebrate the Chinese Party. Viva la Republica!!!
Super Sophia, the wise PR, booker, and creative mind from YuYinTang
1.
Artist: Underground Baby 地下婴儿
Abum: Wake Up 觉醒
Year: 1998
They’re one of the early Chinese punk bands (maybe the first Chinese punk band). Lots of Chinese youth got into punk from this album. It’s a landmark of the punk scene in China.
The Artist: Rockinchina.com
The Album: Douban.com Xiami.com
2.
Artist: P.K.14
Album: Go Upstairs and Turn Left 上楼就往左拐
Year: 2001
P.K.14 is one of the best rock bands in China, and people think they’re the best post punk band. It’s their first album, including the songs they wrote from 1997, and those songs are still their best-known songs.
The Artist: Maybemars.com
The Album: Maybemars.com Xiami.com
3.
Artist: Rebuilding the Right of Statues (Re-TROS) 重塑雕像的权利
Abum: Cut Off
Year:2005
They are becoming one of the biggest bands in China. I like their dark style in this album.
The Artist: Re-tros.com Myspace.com
The Album: Douban.com Xiami.com
4.
Artist: Wang Wen 惘闻
Album: IV
Year: 2008
I think they’re the best instrumental band in China. And this is their best album.
The Artist: Douban.com Myspace.com
5.
Artist: Hedgehog 刺猬
Album: Noise Hit World
Year: 2007
I love the energy from the songs and their catchy melodies.
The Artist: Myspace.com Official blog
The Album: Douban.com
6.
Artist: Subs
Album: Down
Year: 2006
I always get impressed by their live shows, but it’s also a good album to listen to. You can feel that power from the tunes.
The Artist: Last.fm Myspace.com Rockinchina.com Official blog
The Album: Douban.com
SIG is a hell of a beatmaker from Qingdao, now living in Shanghai and working on Udance.com
7.
Artist: Cui Jian 老崔
Album: “Rock n’ Roll on the New Long March” 新长征路上的摇滚
Year: 1988
The godfather of rock n’ roll in China, this album is a mixture of different music styles by using Chinese traditional instruments as well as Western instruments. Cui Jian has brought the underground music culture to the mainstream, and this is what he’s known for.
The Artist: Official blog
The Album: Rockinchina.com
8.
Artist: Dou Wei 窦唯
Album: “Dark Dream” 黑夢
Year: 1994
This album came out when the whole of China was trying to imitate the heavy metal rock style from the West. No one understood this album until 10 years after its release.
The Artist: Douwei.net
The Album: Douban.com 9sky.com
9.
Artist: Dou Wei 窦唯
Album: “Hallucinations” 幻听
Year: 1999
This is a collaboration with ”Bu Yi Ding” They are using the style of post-rock to create an artistic mood in China.
The Artist: Myspace.com
The Album: Rockinchina.com 9sky.com
10.
Artist: Dou Wei 窦唯
Album:”One Stone, Two Birds” 壹举·两得
Year: 2003
Free Jazz? Dou Wei has gone too far…
The Artist: Wikipedia.org
The Album: Douban.com Xiami.com
11.
Artist: M uMa 木马
Album: ”Mu Ma” 木马
Year: 2000
The sound of sadness and sorrow has started a new music era in China.
The Artist: Rockinchina.com Modernsky.com Douban.com
The Album: Modernsky.com
12.
Artist: Mu Tui Gua
Album: “The Posture of an Insult”
Year: I could not find when this album was released.
Personally, I think this is the most perfect album in China. It contains 3 original songs by Mu Tui Gua, but it’s a shame that they are the only 3 songs they’ve ever released.
The Artist & The Album: Top100.cn
Liman, as his bio says, is “One of the new breed of electronic musicians in China.“
13.
Album: “Kung Fu Hustle Soundtrack” 功夫电影原声大碟
Performed by The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra
Year: 2004
The Movie: Imdb.com
The Album: Wikipedia.org 1ting.com
14.
Album: “Swordsman 2” Soundtrack 笑傲江湖
Year: 1992
The Movie: Imdb.com
The Album: 1ting.com
15.
Artist: Joseph Koo
Album: “Greatest TV Themes” 顾嘉辉音乐名作
Year: 1984
The Artist: Musicool.cn Wikipedia.org
The Album: Inkui.com
16.
Album: “Ashes of Time” Soundtrack 东邪西毒
Year: 1994
The Movie: Imdb.com
The Album: Xiami.com 1ting.com
Album: The Last Emperor Soundtrack 末代皇帝原声大碟
Year: 1987
The Movie: Imdb.com
The Album: Amazon.com
18.
Album: Once Upon a Time Soundtrack 黄飞鸿原声音乐大碟
Year:1992
The Album: Jet-li.cn
Andy Best is one of the centers of information when it comes to Chinese indie rock. His blog, kungfuology.com, is a classic of Chinese rock literature already.
Andy commented on his list: “This task is both easy and difficult. Easy because most China based indie bands don’t have proper albums, which both narrows it down and also skews it towards Beijing, who have larger labels. Difficult because six will still mean leaving out good records.
It’s controversial to leave out some more prolific recording artists such as PK-14 but the final deciding factor was based on what I still listen to down the line without thinking about it too much.”
19.
Artist: Subs
Album: Down
Year: 2006 (Self Published)
Subs have done three CDs, all good, and this was the second one. Standout track: “Down”
The Artist: Myspace.com
The Album: Rockinchina.com
Artist: Lava/Ox/Sea
Album: Next Episode: Lord Smart vs Dr. Jin” (Miniless Records)
Year: 2009
The cream of the Miniless stable and the Shanghai based experimental scene. Standout track: “Vertigo”
The Artist: Myspace.com Rockinchina.com
The Album: Xiami.com
Artist: Hedgehog 刺猬
Album: “Noise Hit World” (Modern Sky)
Year: 2007
Their latest, Blue Daydreaming, is arguably better but this album marked their explosion onto the scene. It is their second out of three albums, the first being Happy Idle Kid. Standout track: “Toys and Children’s Day”
The Artist: Rockinchina.com
The Album: Xiami.com
22.
Artist: Ourself Beside Me
Album: “Ourself Beside Me” (Maybe Mars)
Year: 2009
A lot of good releases to choose from out of the Maybe Mars stable, but I find myself listening to this album more than the Carsick Cars debut. The CD perfectly captures the band’s creative vision. Standout track: “Sunday Girl”
The Artist: Myspace.com
The Band: Xiami.com
23.
Artist: Boys Climbing Ropes
Band: “A Pleasure To Be Here” (Self Published)
Year: 2008
A low-key Shanghai band who also helped bring Little Punk’s famed persona to the stage. The CD brings the intelligence of the band’s music to life. Standout track: “Dirty Bots”
The Artist: Myspace.com
The Album: Xiami.com
24.
Artist: Joyside
Album: “Drunk Is Beautiful” (Modern Sky)
Year: 2004
Out in 2004, it kick started the post-SARS era. Captures that Beijing scene punk feel thing that people are always going on about. Standout track: “Sunday Morning”
The Artist: Myspace.com
The Album: Xiami.com
B6 is a great producer and musician for electronic music in Shanghai.
B6 commented about his list “All of these are true albums from China. Taiwan, Hong Kong can go to hell.”
25.
Album: Once Upon a Time Soundtrack
Artist:Di Huimin, Xiu-Yan Zhang 翟惠民、张秀艳
Year: 1998
This awesome album is not “chi zhi qiang’s”
The Album: Baidu.com
26.
Album: Journey to the West OST (Old Version) 西游记OST(老版)
Personally, I believe that after the reform and open policy the entire Chinese music world attains its best work, and nobody has been able to exceed it yet.
The Movie: Sohu.com
The Album: Verycd.com
27.
Artist: Cui Jian 崔健
Album: “Nothing Chinese Rock and Roll Music” 一无所有
Year:1989
Chinese rock music, the only one in the audience on the status of a decent album.
The Artist: Myspace.com
The Album: Douban.com Wikipedia.org
28.
Artist: Liu H & Deng Jie Yi 刘鸿 & 邓洁仪
Album: 87 Fever – 87 狂热
Year: 1987
Chinese dance music, nobody has made it better yet.
The Album: Inkui.com
29.
Artist : Zhou Feng 周峰
Album: Eye of the Charm 眼之魅
Year: 1985
Because the dim light of night is waning, and there’s a monsoon. This album has two songs.
The Album: Qq.com
30.
Artist: Zhang Qiang 张蔷
Album: Golden Dreams 金色梦幻
Year: 1986
I think she was hot.
The Album: Mtvtop.net
Han Han, clever leader of Miniless Records and bands such as Lava Ox Sea and Duck Fight Goose.
31.
Artist: Muscle Snog
Album: Mind Shop
Year: 2009
The Artist: Myspace.com
The Album: Rockinchina.com
32.
Artist: PK14
Album: City Weather Sailing
Year: 2008
The Artist: Myspace.com
The Album: Amazon.com
33.
Artist: Zuo Xiao Zu Zhou
Album: “The Missing Master” “走失的主人 “
Year:1998
The Artist: Official blog
The Album: Rockinchina.com
34.
Artist: The Fly
Album: “Fallen Love”
Year: 1998
The Artist: Rockinchina.com
The Album: Douban.com Msgprodiction.com
35.
Artist: Flies
Album: The Fly 2
Year: 2000
The Album: Douban.com
36.
Artist: The Fly
Album: The fly
Year: 1997
The Album: Douban.com
Erica Lee is a great singer of jazz, soul, folk, and pop music. She is usually performing at JZ, and soon she will release her long-awaited album.
37.
Artist: Faye Wong王菲
Album: “Restless” 浮躁
Year: 1996
The Artist: Wikipedia.org
The Album: Wikipedia.org 1ting.com
38.
Artist: Khalil Fong
Album: “This Love” 爱爱爱
Year: 2006
The Artist: Wikipedia.org
39.
Aritst:. Karen Mok
Album: “Karen Mok on the Twelfth Floor “ 十二楼的莫文蔚
Year: 2000
The Artist: Wikipedia.org Official blog
The Album: 1ting.com
40.
Artist: Anita Nui 梅艳芳 烈
Album:”Flaming Red lips” 焰红唇
Year:1987
The Artist: Wikipedia.org
The Album: 1ting.com
41.
Artist: Chang Shi Lei
Album: “Niu China” After New China – 80 Red Classic
Year:2009
The Album: 1ting.com
42.
Artist: David Wong
Album: “ 让每个人都心碎”
Year:1990
The Artist: Wikipedia.org
The Album: 1ting.com
Peng Fei is a talented violin player, composer, and arranger. Usually you can find him on JZ’s stage with his white electric violin, making great performances along with his band, The Possicobilities, and some of the other bands passing by JZ’s stage.
43.
Artist: Sandy Lam
Album: “Faces and Places”
Year: 1990
She is from Hong Kong and this album has a very good production. This album lead Hongkongnese music to another level.
The Artist: Wikipedia.org
The Album: Wayango.com
44.
Artist: Sandy Lam
Album:” Come Back to Love”
Year:1992
This is from a similar period from the one before, but then they tried with different styles of music. During these years, the music market was much bigger and peoplewere trying to push music in more interesting ways.
The Artist: Fans blog
The Album: Wayango.com
45.
Artist: Jonathan Lee 李宗盛
Album: “Can’t Give Up” 不舍
Year: 1994
He is the best lyrics writer in the history of Chinese pop music, though not the best singer. The arrangers for this album did great work with these songs too.
The Artist: Wikipedia.org
The Album: Wayango.com
46.
Artist: Kay Huang 黃韻玲
Album “Be my Friend” 做我的朋友
Year: 1993
This is one of her first albums. She studied music in Berkley, and this album was recorded in the States by the time she was finishing her studies and beginning to take her career on. She prepared many years for this album, and it reflects very well the music style of this time. It’s a bit like fusion and jazz, not very commercial really.
The Artist: D-addicts.com
The Album: Wayango.com
47.
Artist: Zhao Jiping 赵季平
Album: “Electric Shadows”
Year: 2000
He is one of the soundtrack composers for the movies of 张艺谋 (Zhang Yimou). And this is one of his best compositions. Performed by the China Symphonic Orchestra and Chorus. It’s a very Chinese style, if anyone likes Chinese music they should get this album. His music has very strong sounds. He is a professor in the Shanghai Conservatory, his music is more like from the style of the north of China, it’s even a bit brutal, but it’s a very different expression of music. By the way, this is an album to learn about the proper combination of Chinese instruments in an orchestra.
The Artist: Wikipedia.org
The Album: Filmtracks.com Wayango.com
48.
Artist: Faye Wong 王菲
Album: “Fable”
Year: 2000
Here are the most famous songs, at least those I like. I think the producer of this album is one of the most famous in China, and this is maybe his best done one. I think on this album she formed her style and her name, as it is today.
The Artist: Wikipedia.org
The Album: Wikipedia.org Wayango.com
Feng Hao is drumming and jamming jazz around the best places for jazz in Shanghai, and once in a while you’ll find him playing with his free jazz band The Blue Koi Collective.
Feng said about his list “I love all the Chinese mainland music from the 80s to 90s. That is a special time for China. Almost all of this music was written for the Communist government. It’s ugly, but also very true, because this is the only music for Chinese people at that time. Those musicians are all dead now, but they are great musicians. They lived in the wrong age.”
49.
Artist: Mark Bai 白天
Album:First trio+quintet album
Year: 2008
It’s the best contemporary original Chinese jazz musician’s music. The highest level of Chinese jazz!
The Artist: Myspace.com
50.
Artist: Little Tiger 小虎队
Album: Happy new year 新年快乐(忧欢派对)
Year: 1989
Xiao Hu Dui is a boy group. Its probably the first music album I ever heard in my life, 1989-1990, vintage and hopeful. Enough said!
The Artist: Wikipedia.org
The Album: Wayango.com
51.
Artist: Loudspeaker 扩音器
Album: Demo
Year: 1999
My favorite punk trio band, although they changed now, but this tape gave me a lot of hope and energy. It also made me determined to be a musician.
The Artist: Myspace.com Rockinchina.com
Artist: Teresa Teng 邓丽君
Album: Best collection
Year: 1992
She is the first pop singer from the Taiwan Republic, which also effected a lot of those pop music industry of China Mainland for a long time. A lot of her music was arranged by Japanese arrangers, so its really brilliant, and, for Chinese people, Teresa means vintage, classic beauty, so I love her music. It’s warm and romantic, the Chinese way.
The Artist: Wikipedia.org
The Album: Wayango.com
53.
Artist: Sally Yeh 叶倩文
Album: Face to face 面对面
Year: 1989
She is my favorite Honkongnese female pop singer. Her music is also from the 80s. Warm and a bit sad, it makes me remember my childhood. This album includes her famous song, Qian Zui Yi Sheng. That’s the song of hers I liked best.
The Artist: wikipedia.org
The Album: 1ting.com
54.
Artist: Zhang Chu 张楚
Album: Aeroplane Factory 造飞机的工厂
Year: 1997
I remember I had a very bad year, almost eight years ago. I listened to the whole album about one thousand times. Everyday it just kept me going. It’s something like a pop folk rock mix.
The Artist: Wikipedia.org
The Album: Douban.com
Lucky is the fortunate and talented AV Okubo drummer.
55.
Artist: Voodoo Kungfu
Album: Voodoo Kungfu
Year: 2008
This is full national metal. Live, it also has a strong visual impact, like hearing double.
The Artist: Rockinchina.com
The Album: Xiami.com
56.
Artist: Hua Lun 花伦
Album: Silver Daydream
Year: 2008
This is one of the best Chinese post-rock bands. It reaches your heart’s core.
The Artist: Rockinchina.com
The Album: Xiami.com
57.
Artist: Rebuilding the Right of Statues (Re-Tros) 重塑雕像的权利
Album: Watch Out Climate has Changed, Fat Mum Rises
Year: 2009
Serious and orthodox post-punk, the absolute big style.
The Artist: Rockinchina.com
The Album: Xiami.com
58.
Artist: Carsick Cars
Album: “Carsick Cars”
Year: 2007
Unexpected guitar art.
The Artist: Official website Rockinchina.com
The Album: Xiami.com
59.
Artist: Flying Fruit (aka Yu Guo) 羽果
Album: 巴别塔-
Year: 2009
Beautiful melodies and the CD sounds like it’s live.
The Artist: Rockinchina.com
60.
Artist: AV Okubo Av大久保
Album: Great Era 大时代-
Year: not released yet
Great band. The album features story songs and totally rocks.
The Artist: Rockinchina.com
The Album: (Mache’s note) This album has been long-awaited and it’s still not out. And I accepted it on Lucky’s list of albums because I totally dig them and I’m hoping the album will be worth it to join this and many other lists of the best of China. Always hope for music.
tags: Andy Best - Anita Nui - AV Okubo - B6 - Carsick Cars - Chang Shi Lei - China - Chinese Soundtracks - Cui Jian - David Wong - Dou Wei - Electronic - Erica Lee - Faye Wong - Feng Hao - Han Han - Hedgehog - Jazz - Joseph Koo - Joyside - Karen Mok - Khalil Fong - Lava|Ox|Sea - Liman - Liu H & Deng Jie Y - Lucky - Mark Bai - Ourself Beside Me - P.K. 14 - Peng Fei - Re-tros - Rock - Sandy Lam - Sig - Subs - Super Sophia - The Fly - Voodoo Kungfu - Zhang Chu
Disclaimer: this isn’t exactly a review since Ibrahim Electric – The Compilation has “Promotional Copy – Not For Sale” printed on the cover. Though you can’t take this article as advice on whether or not you should buy the CD, you can take it as advice on whether or not you should check the band out at the JZ Shanghai Music Festival.
Short version: if you like music and fun, yes you should. They are definitely going to kill it and judging by this CD they are a party band of the highest order. For this band the first order of business is having a good time. They’re a Hammond organ trio that’s not afraid to play up some of the kitschy associations of that instrument without letting them become a dead end. They’re serious about having fun, not just with cute references, but by playing music that’s infectious. It’s something I’ve thought of before re: the irony that my generation is known for. The irony where you just bring up something cheesy to laugh at is dry and dead. The kind where you wink to acknowledge that maybe it’s not the hippest, in fact maybe it’s a bit silly, but you really love it: this kind of irony is friendly and alive, the kind that you hear from Talking Heads and Sonny Rollins. Theirs is the warm and inclusive dry wit rather than the shallow and cruel kind. I acknowledge with sadness than when people complain about my generation they’re complaining about the latter type of irony.
Anyway, Ibrahim Electric are definitely in this good category, so if we can’t claim Rollins or the Heads at least we’ve got these dudes. In the retro absinthe-themed video included on the CD they cite jazz, afro beat, and surf as their genres. (There’s definitely some Booker T. and the M.G.s in there too, including a nod to the song about which I wrote my most delirious review to date. It was on youtube which is obviously no good for my China people, but it’s called “Time is Tight” and it shouldn’t be that hard to find on the old internets.) There are definitely tunes that fit all those genres, but let it be known to those jazz-loathing people who are among us that it’s soul jazz basically, so you won’t get a headache from all those confusing chords. It’s fun, I promise. Anyway, I’m going to have to continue handing out Layabozi points for wide-ranging tastes. 50 to these guys for doing surf, afro-beat, jazz, and more. I hope the guys in accounting don’t get mad at me because I’m pretty sure that the plan was that nobody would ever amass enough points to get the much coveted Layabozi snowboard.
There’s a nice mix on this CD between longer jam-out tunes (most of which are live tracks from their two albums they recorded with trombonist Ray Anderson, who fits right in to the vibe and will be missed at the festival) and the shorter studio tracks which are almost instrumental pop songs in the vein of the aforementioned Booker T. and the M.G.s. There’s nice use of the different sounds the B3 presents, both tasty and screaming guitar, and nice work on the drums, though the crash cymbal sound is kind of weirding me out somehow. Ray Anderson totally rips with soulful melodic stuff, circular breathing grooving, and free jazz freakouts, but again, he’s not going to be at the festival. So are you convinced yet? Check out their myspace, website, and definitely check them out at the festival next weekend. YOU WILL HAVE FUN!
tags: Afro-beat - Ibrahim Electric - Jazz - JZ Music Festival 2009 - Ray Anderson - Surf
It’s with heavy regret that I must admit it is unfortunate I was born Chinese. If that seems like a self-defeating statement from someone who doesn’t respect himself, well that’s not the case; I love being Chinese and being part of a deep and storied culture, just as I love the fact that I get to witness in my lifetime the rise to prominence of a great nation whose time has been long in the making. You know – my people. However, my ethnicity was never so problematic for me before I came to China a few years ago; you see, I have the unfortunate disadvantage of being a foreigner who looks Chinese.
I am Chinese – of Cantonese heritage and culture – but here in Shanghai no one else seems to know that. I get asked everyday, “Where are you from?” and “Are you a Chinese national?” because of my poor Putonghua, non-local mannerisms, and my 气氛，or aura. I am wary of the suspicion local Chinese have of foreigners, especially of Japanese, but when people ask me and I answer I always say “Yes”; I was born here, I grew up Chinese, and I’ll die Chinese as well. I can’t change it.
As a professional jazz musician, I live a lifestyle that is very different from most 9-to-5ers. I don’t deal with rush hour, my coffee breaks are done with beer, and it’s great to have a job that can fulfill you artistically. However, a lifestyle I never thought I’d experience is one similar is the oppression black jazz musicians had to endure in the swing era, in which the prevailing racism of U.S society treated blacks as second-class citizens who weren’t able to earn as much as whites or even be allowed to walk in the front door of a hotel. In this case, the issue is one of reverse-racism.
I was called to substitute work recently at a new wine bar called the Brick; the original musician, a foreigner who looks foreign, needed someone to take his place while he was on vacation and called me. The gig was a duo with a singer named Eddy Goltz and our first set went well: applause was made and fun was had. However, on the set break the manager Judy Yang Yi had a conversation in which she suggested to Eddy that I receive less pay than the normal rate since I have the unfortunate condition commonly known as “looking Chinese” (it’s true, I do).
Eddy was upset. He refused these conditions and went further to explain why, citing the history of American civil rights as well as the abolishment of apartheid in South Africa. The one line I overheard him say was “I don’t care if he is an Eskimo,” in which he explained what’s important to him is not the way someone looks but instead their skill and experience. For a musician, to put it in obvious terms, it’s all about the music. This didn’t go well with the owner of the Brick, Wang, who felt that Eddy’s refusal to pay me less money as a Chinese person as well as Eddy’s telling Judy why she was wrong to do so was in fact an insult against him. Wang threw a fit in his own bar: saying that Eddy had “no manners”, Wang would further shout loudly that Eddy was a 王八蛋， pointing aggressively and saying the English words “fuck you” to Eddy clearly enough so that he would understand. This cleared out his own bar and Eddy and I both left as well seeing that there was nothing left to do.
Maybe there is some kind of misunderstanding somewhere, but what is clear is that I was fired in the middle of a gig without pay, that Eddy refused to compromise in a situation that he understood as corrupt, and that owner Wang saw to it that no further discourse was possible by playing the inconsolable victim. All the same, let’s identify three main issues here:
1. Should two men of equal experience and skill receive the same compensation for a job they can both do equally well if they do not look similar (my issue)?
2. Do foreigners have the right to come to China and impose their values when their morals and principles are challenged (Eddy’s issue)?
3. The presence of foreigners in China is commanding and influential. The owner of Brick Wang may be thinking that a foreigner working in his bar is preferential to a Chinese because it connotes higher status and privilege, and so isn’t willing to pay as much for a Chinese to work there. Whether he or his clientele thinks this, doesn’t this old-fashioned style of thinking mean that you accept foreigners as being unequivocally better than Chinese and worthy of better pay, respect, and lifestyle (Wang’s issue)?
I think these are the key questions to which I have to answer “yes” to each one. First, as a foreigner with foreign education and training I should be paid like a foreigner, if one has to make a differentiation between the two. I don’t feel that my very presence is to trick anyone, yet often I feel as though I have to make some kind of excuse to explain myself as though my status as a Western Chinese is some kind of sham. I think Wang and Judy at the Brick feel like I cheated them by not announcing before I came that I unfortunately look Chinese, but I did do the same job as the original musician – the color of my skin notwithstanding, shouldn’t I receive the same pay as him?
Eddy’s issue is less clear, but it must be said that he wasn’t trying to impose his morals upon others so much as trying to preserve his own. In fact, he was exercising the one power we have left to us – the power to say “no”. The fact that Eddy said “no” to this arrangement should be emphasized by the fact that his former employment at the Brick used to provide for half of his month’s income, a fact just as astonishing as the fact that Eddy and Wang are old friends who have known each other for years. By being in the middle of a rock and a hard place, Eddy had to choose against the system of corruption that exists in China; while that may seem to be an insult to Chinese who live this way, Eddy is just citing history and precedents made by first world countries where this type of behavior is prohibited by laws and proscribed naturally by most citizens.
And lastly, Wang’s issue is that specifically that of reverse-racism. While one may take the perspective that Eddy is a foreigner who is spreading foreign values and ideas and not being culturally sensitive, it is evident that the person who is standing up for Chinese equal rights is the one and the same Eddy. The person who is oppressing Chinese with an out of date world view is the owner Wang who does not support Chinese people by treating them as second-class people worthy of lower pay. I know foreigners come from a long way to get here and bring with them their vaunted experience and technology, but Chinese moving to other countries will have to settle for accepting low-paying jobs below their education and experience for becoming that societies’ willing manual -laborers. That’s what happened to my parents. Chinese have made other nations great with this work ethic, like building the railroad across the U.S.A and Canada, but will also tolerate insufferable work conditions and low pay as being the “way it is”.
Well, I live in China and this is how Chinese treat me. Over a hundred years ago China suffered humiliating defeat from foreign powers at the time of the Opium War; after WWII, this foreign dominance was cleared from China and Chinese became their own masters. Today, in the middle of China’s amazing growth as an economic and political power one would expect Chinese pride to be high. However, nationalism is one part of a people’s pride; another is self-respect.
China: no one is holding a gun to your head right now, yet Chinese still act as victims of your own device. Wake up; respect yourselves.
It’s within my own power to say no. I can always go back home, where I am by far treated more fairly and with more courtesy. Yet, I remain here for now because I want to see the real change that dignifies a true great country: a confident people who love themselves. I’m here because I want to find that I’m amongst my people, Chinese people; however, the Chinese part of me is unfortunately making it difficult to stay here among the same Chinese people.
China: help me find the home I’ve never had by loving yourselves, so that I can love myself too.
There’s so much music going on! Knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do could help you this weekend.
Layabozi is a web magazine about music in Shanghai today, with a sprinkle of the extra-mural and a tart sassiness—without ever being cloying. We take our inspiration from the snack which is both exotic (to us) and down home, and from which we take our name: Spicy Duck Necks.
The songs posted in this website are for analysis purposes only. We, the contributors, love - deeply - music and we work to support the artists we love by promoting and purchasing their work; it is our policy only to post what we own or what the artists/owners have authorized us to publish. Through this site, we're simply sharing music with others hoping they will also support these artists and appreciate the quality of their work. We encourage everyone to purchase music and concert tickets for the artists you feel deserve your money and energy. If you own the copyright to one of the songs posted on this website and would like it removed, please let us know we'll respond fast as a the wind. We do not keep an archive of our songs. And we do take obsessive care of our records, cassettes, cd's, dvd's, videos, books, autographs, photos and old tickets to concerts we loved.
Feel free to contact us if you are a band, label or distributor and think we'd be interested in your music. Same goes if you're playing a gig in either Shanghai, China, Asia, Gaia, or outer space and want us to come.
Layabozi--Copyright--2009
