I first heard 一无所有 the summer of '89 during the Tiananmen Square protests when it became anthem to the Pro Democracy Movement worldwide.
Summer of '97, I was back covering the Handover for NewsWorld. It was also the eighth anniversary of the June Fourth Massacre. I remember standing in Tiananmen Square for the first time and finding myself in uncontrollable tears for no apparent reason as 一无所有 echoed from a distant boom box. It was emotionally a very moving moment for me. My only logical explanation for my reaction was that “I am Chinese” no matter how far I’ve transcended my ethnicity and cultural boundaries. But I've 'Nothing To My Name'.
While shooting 女书 after the '97 Hand Over, I saw 老崔 (pinyin: Lǎo Cuī or Old Cui as he is affectionately call) unplugged in a small Beijing venue playing 花房姑娘. I luved his Rock N Roll sound of Chinese orchestral instruments (Xiao, Suona & Pipa).
The Pipa in this live version of 假行僧 Fake Monk is 1 of my favs.
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9 comments:
love it... i listened to it at that time too
yes, i know this video cd and often use it for my students. one of those songs was also in our experimental theatre production "Woyzeck" in Beijing 1995
Thank you for bringing back a similar moment I had to me! For some years, I have avoided listening to this song. It is a whole generation of rage, disillusionment, and irony that we can't forget........ Too intense and too sad!
Rick
lovely to hear the xiao and suona being used in the band
u b the coolest chinaman... thanks. i will listen to it in the morning when sleeping dogs wake..
was a fun meat-ing today. : )
hi Kwoi!
I know Cui Jian's music from the summer I spent in Beijing in 1992. I was trying to make a film on the underground art/music scene (never got the funding, damn.) I still have some of his music videos on vhs!
thanks!
Shelley
It's so sad......
one of my friend's friends once asked: 为什么 假行僧 有个 假 字？
left me clueless.
Maybe there's nothing can deliver us from the thicket of illusions;
maybe "us" is an illusion.
Hope it's not the case.
i would be an illusion to dose who perceive me dat way...
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