So I just bought 王力宏's new CD 蓋世英雄. As I've mentioned before, Wang Leehom has recently stated that he wants to revive Chinese interest in their own culture by sampling from it in his music. His first CD after this "chinked-out" thing, 心中日月 was in my opinion anyway, kind of dissapointing, and honestly kind of derivative. I don't think you can reSinify Chinese culture by copying Usher or Justin Timberlake (who is really copying from Michael Jackson, but that's a whole other story.)
Anyway, this second CD, in my humble opinion fulfills on the promise of 心中日月。There are definitely a couple tracks such as 在梅邊 and 蓋世英雄 that sound like hiphop and don't sound like they're borrowed from anyone. Also, they do seem to fuse Chinese music in particular Chinese traditional opera, with hiphop, which is a substantial accomplishment. Part of this may be just that I'm a Chinese nerd and I like 牡丹亭。
It's also interesting to me that Wang Leehom chose to collaborate with Jin the MC briefly the first (and only) Asian American with a contract with a major hiphop label. The sarcastic part of me would like to comment that perhaps this is why this is why the authenticity of his hiphop has increased so dramatically between the two albums. I would say that I now think that Wang Leehom raps about as well as Jay Chou, I mean that in a good way. Jin is sounding good, I've always thought he was good, but his first CD really sucked. I haven't heard the other one, although I'm curious about it.
Supposedly, according to a rather dubious source, (the Internet), Wang Leehom found his inspiration for this album from watching Farewell My Concubine, ironic considering that this film has frequently been criticized for selling Chinese exoticism to the West and certainly for a certain lack of authenticity in its portrayal of opera. I find it interesting that artists in Asia seem to be attracted to the figures in "Asian" culture that the West takes an interest in, martial arts heroes, opera, ninjas etc. I mean, if Jay Chou and Wang Leehom are taking their lead from Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, frequently attacked by critics for shameless self-Orientalism, then this becomes a post-colonialist's headache doesn't it. I can almost think of the word for it, some thing about a simulacrum right?
Also, in a similar gesture of Pan Asianism, Korean megastar Rain is also featured on this album. Furthermore, I've just remembered that both Chen Kaige's 無極 and 如果愛 feature Korean (male) leads, as did Jackie Chan's The Promise. What is going on here?
Also, one final question, I've been feeling that the writing on this blog due to working more or less fulltime and studying Chinese equals lack of time equals less coherent writing. Thoughts?
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2 comments:
Not at all. You don't write as much, post lots of photos instead, but certainly aren't unusually incoherent. Or even usually incoherent. Take that Andy Lau sticker post. Vivid, yet concise! And you know what they say about pictures and words.
Well, I think Asian people had an interest in martial arts heroes, opera, and ninjas first and always have had an interest in it. That's why we see countless adaptations of all those Jin Yong books rights? If you're talking about those directors making movies about those things, then you're right because it's a marketing thing. I just don't know how the average white person would appreciate a movie about the struggles of the Cultural Revolution, even though it was ten times more hardcore than the 60s and 70s but white seem to dig it like no tomorrow. But white people do like Asian guys breaking stuff and weird sexual mysticism. That word you're looking for: international marketing. I am more convinced than ever that everything that happens on a cultural level is because of something relating the global market and money.
As for that Korean thing, this is what you're talking about right? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HallyuIt says that it's a mix of modernity and holding onto a sense of cultural identity. I didn't know that they couldn't exist together.
Also, I think this article has some more concrete stuff about why it's so popular.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/041215/4/1t684.html
You're writing is still coherent. It's just not as tight as previous posts and there are some typos in them too.
Oh, and I can't believe they're still playing off of Andy's toilet song. I mean, that song was out when I was in middle school.
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