Cui Jian facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cui Jian
Cui Jian at the Hohaiyan Rock Festival in Taiwan, 2007
Born	(1961-08-02) 2 August 1961 (age 63) Beijing, China
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician
Years active	1984–present
Height	172 cm (5 ft 8 in)
Awards	2022 GMA 33 Best Male Mandarin Singer
Chinese name
Chinese	崔健
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Cuī Jiàn IPA [tsʰwéɪ tɕjɛ̂n]
Chinese Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl	최건
Transcriptions Revised Romanization Choe Geon McCune–Reischauer Ch'oe Kŏn
Musical career
Also known as	Old Cui (Chinese: 老崔; pinyin: Lǎo Cuī)
Origin	China
Genres	Rock, punk rock, rap rock, electropunk
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, electric guitar, trumpet
Labels	Beijing East-West

Cui Jian (Chinese: 崔健; Hangul: 최건; born August 2, 1961) is a famous Chinese singer, songwriter, and musician from Beijing. People often call him "Old Cui" (Chinese: 老崔; pinyin: Lǎo Cuī). He is known as the "Father of Chinese Rock" because he helped start rock music in China. He also encouraged musicians to sing with real emotion and honesty.

Cui Jian believed in big ideas, not just making money. He thought rock music could inspire young people to believe in important ideals again. His symbol is a white baseball cap with a bright red star. His songs often talk about China's history, life, and hopes for a better future.

How Cui Jian Started in Music

Cui Jian grew up in Beijing in a family of musicians. His father was a professional trumpet player, and his mother was a dancer. Cui Jian started playing the trumpet when he was 14. In 1981, at age 20, he joined the Beijing Symphony Orchestra as a professional trumpet player.

During this time, he first heard rock music. Friends secretly brought recordings from Hong Kong. Inspired by artists like Simon and Garfunkel and John Denver, Cui Jian began to learn guitar.

Forming His First Band

In 1984, Cui Jian formed his first band called Qi He Ban (meaning "Seven-Ply Board"). It had seven classically trained musicians, including saxophonist Liu Yuan. The band was influenced by groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. They played Western pop music in small places in Beijing. They were one of the first bands of their kind in China.

They also performed their own songs, which were mostly soft rock and love songs. In the same year, Cui released his first music cassette, Return of the Prodigal. This album had pop songs but also showed new folk-rock influences. In 1985, the band released another album. Cui Jian wrote his first rock song, "It's Not That I Don't Understand," at the end of that year. This album used more electric guitar, which was new in Chinese popular music. Cui Jian later left the band to start his solo career.

Becoming a Rock Star

Cui Jian became famous in 1986. He performed his song "Nothing to My Name" at a big concert in Beijing. This song marked a new beginning for his music. It inspired a new generation of young people.

The next year, he left his job with the orchestra. His band, now called ADO, included musicians from other countries. His first real album, Rock and Roll on the New Long March, came out in 1989.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Cui mixed different music styles. He combined pop, reggae, funk, hard rock, and punk. His songs also used traditional Chinese folk music. Sometimes, he even made fun of old sayings from the Communist Party. For example, in 1991, he turned the old revolutionary song "Nanniwan" into a rock song.

In 1988, he performed at a concert that was shown worldwide for the Seoul Summer Olympic Games. In 1991, Cui Jian won the first-ever MTV Video Music Award for International Viewer's Choice for his music video "Wild in the Snow." His early songs were influenced by Western music like punk and jazz. These songs became his most famous. His music was very important to young people during a time of change in China.

Impact and Challenges

Cui Jian was most popular during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. His song "Nothing to My Name" became an anthem for students protesting. He often appeared with the students. After the protests ended, many rock musicians, including Cui Jian, had to hide. But he was able to return to Beijing soon after.

In early 1990, the Chinese government allowed him to go on his first rock tour. It was called the "New Long March" tour. The goal was to raise money for the 1990 Asian Games. During the tour, Cui Jian became well-known for wearing a red blindfold on stage while singing his song "A Piece of Red Cloth." This led the government to stop the concert and cancel the rest of the tour. However, the tour still raised a lot of money for the Asian Games.

Later Years and Comeback

Cui performing in 2007.

Through the 1990s, Cui Jian was not allowed to play at big places in Beijing. But he still performed smaller, word-of-mouth concerts. In other parts of China, he could play to large crowds. Sometimes, the government would still interfere. Soon, his music was banned from all government-controlled radio and TV stations.

Cui Jian has toured all over the world, including the United States and Europe. He has also played many shows in Asia. His ability to mix Western music styles with Chinese influences made him famous around the world. In 2000, he won the important Dutch Prince Claus Award for his positive artistic and intellectual influence.

In 2002, Cui Jian helped organize the Lijiang Snow Mountain Music Festival in China. This festival was like China's version of Woodstock. After this, he toured Germany and played with famous bands like Deep Purple in China. He also had a sold-out tour in the United States.

A 3D concert film and documentary about Cui Jian, called Transcendence, was shown in Beijing in 2012. It brought back memories of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.

Returning to the Main Stage

On September 8, 2000, Cui Jian performed at a concert in Beijing to support copyright. This was his first big performance in the capital in seven years. In 2002, he helped start the "Snow Mountain Music Festival" in Yunnan. This festival became a big media event and started a trend of outdoor music festivals in China.

In early 2003, Cui was allowed to open for The Rolling Stones' concert in Beijing. He had always dreamed of playing with them. However, the concert was canceled due to the SARS outbreak. In March 2004, he finally got to perform a full show at a major venue in Beijing. He opened for Deep Purple on their China tour.

On September 24, 2005, Cui was finally allowed to headline his own show at the Beijing Capital Stadium. This showed that the unofficial ban on his performances in China's capital was over. It also meant that the government's view on rock music was changing.

Cui performing at Workers' Stadium in 2008.

Cui Jian finally played with The Rolling Stones in Shanghai on April 8, 2006. They sang "Wild Horses" together. After the show, Cui said, "This is the 20th anniversary of Chinese rock 'n' roll... We have an appointment. In the near future, they will be back, and we'll rock again in Beijing."

Cui performed in Taiwan on July 8, 2007, after many tries to perform there. His visit was a big event at the Hohaiyan Rock Festival. In September 2007, he performed at the Beijing Pop Festival, even rapping with the American group Public Enemy. In December 2009, Cui returned to Taiwan for another concert.

Before the 2014 Spring Festival gala, Cui was invited to perform on a TV show. He had been kept off state TV for years because of his songs' political meanings. But he did not perform because he would not change his song lyrics. In December 2018, Cui Jian played with his original band at the Blue Note Beijing for two nights.

Discography

• 1984: Return of the Prodigal (浪子归; Làngzǐ guī)
• 1989: Rock 'N' Roll on the New Long March (新长征路上的摇滚; Xīn chángzhēng lùshàng de yáogǔn)
• 1991: Solution (解决; Jiějué)
• 1994: Balls Under the Red Flag (红旗下的蛋; Hóngqí xià de dàn)
• 1998: The Power of the Powerless (无能的力量; Wúnéng de lìliàng)
• 2005: Show You Colour (给你一点颜色; Gěi nǐ yīdiǎn yánsè)
• 2015: Frozen light (光冻; Guāng dòng)
• 2021: A Flying Dog (飞狗; Féi gǒu)

Filmography

• 1993 – Beijing Bastards (北京杂种; Beijing Zazhong), directed by Zhang Yuan, as himself
• 2003 – Roots and Branches (我的兄弟姐妹; Wo de xiongdi jiemei), directed by Yu Chung, as the father/music teacher
• 2007 – The Sun Also Rises (太阳照常升起; Taiyang zhaochang shengqi), directed by Jiang Wen, as Tang's friend in Beijing
• 2010 – Dooman River (두만강), directed by Zhang Lu, as Chang-ho
• 2012 – Transcendence 3-D concert, directed by Bai Qiang
• 2013 – Promise, directed and written by himself
• 2013 – Blue Sky Bones

See also

In Spanish: Cui Jian para niños

• Chinese rock
• Tang Dynasty (band)
• Viktor Tsoi, Russian rock singer of Korean descent
• Music censorship in China