Terasa Teng is a very popular and influential Chinese singer from Taiwan, whose voice and songs are instantly recognized throughout East Asia and in areas with large Asian populations. Due to her sweetness voice, Teng is known for her folk songs and romantic ballads. Even though she held hundreds of concerts in Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand, Terasa Teng is never welcome by CCP in China.
“When will you return” is one of the songs that are not permitted to display in China mainland in 1970s. On the surface, it describes that a couple of lovers have to separate because of war. The girl sings this song and asks the boy when he will come back. This song is filled with a sadness to apart and missing each other emotion. However, it is banned in mainland because the word “Jun” (translate to “You”) sounds the same way as the word “army” in Chinese which may remind people of Kuomintang. Therefore this romantic song was explained as that people expect Kuomintang to return mainland and take over the political power by many “extreme” patriots.
After Terasa Teng was banned for several years, she sang “My home is on the other side of the mountain” at the "Democratic songs dedicated to China" concert in Hong Kong on May 27, 1989 in order to support of the student demonstrators at Tian'anmen Square. As we can tell from the first part of lyrics, the society was stable in the control of Kuomintang. However, when communists became the only dominant party in China and Kuomintang resided in Taiwan, Chinese were deprived of freedom of speech, thoughts. Students fought back for democracy but unfortunately Tian’anmen Square incident occurred. Communist party’s repressions like a mountain press on the backbones of student demonstrators in order to let them know what the CCP allows not to do. Hence, this society is not the home where you can gain freedom and democracy any more. Terasa Teng used her voice to encourage people not to be fear and let them to struggle for democracy.
Ai Jing is a singer from Shenyang, China and her most popular song is "My 1997". At first part of this song, Ai Jing tells audiences her growth background and careers on singing. From the title, we can notice that this song focuses on a big day to China, when Hong Kong will return to mainland in 1997. "He can come to Shenyang. I cannot go to Hong Kong" explains that it is hard to travel to Hong Kong before 1997. Hong Kong is the most developed city in 1990s where Chinese want to "check it out". Ai Jing expresses that she is waiting for 1997 hurriedly. As long as Hong Kong returns, she will easily visit her boyfriend, go to shopping and pursue her dream on singing in "that brilliant world".
What do you think about the materialism in "My 1997"? Is consumer freedom the new personal freedom?
ReplyDeleteIn In philosophy, "the theory of materialism holds that all things are composed of material and consciousness are the result of material interactions." Aijing addresses that "What’s it really like to shop at Yaohan?" and "Hong Kong, Hong Kong, how did the Fragrant Harbor get so Fragrant?". From these lyrics, I believe that she is looking forward to the high-quality living levels in HongKong because it is richer than mainland in 1990s. In 1990s China mainland, people work hard to have a XiaoKang life (奔小康）so they loved "matters" more than arts such as music and painting. However, when Hongkongness don't have to worry about feeding on stomach, they would like to spent plenty time to listen to music and go to gallery. As a singer, Aijing likes to go to a place where she can develop her career. Overall, Hongkong is so attractive to Aijing because there are "matters" of music teachers, mature music markets and "good times (in lyric, she wrote her mother never saw good times)" to help her develop her music. As in fact, after Hongkong returned to China, people are not freedom to go there.
ReplyDeleteTo elaborate on the last part of this post, I feel like Ai Jing's emphasis on Hong Kong's return to Mainland China in a way expresses nationalistic sentiments, which very much contrasts Cui Jian's songs. Ai Jing excitedly waits for China to exert its power and right to gain Hong Kong back. To me, Ai Jing awaits for Hong Kong so that she can see her boyfriend and she simultaneously exalts China's power.
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