Monthly Press Review – 2 (March 2024)

Midi Kids Bands Competition
An article by China Daily on the latest “Midi Kids Band Competition” – an annual competition organized by the Midi School of Music. The article focuses on two winners of the competition, a Xinjiang band named 紅孩兒 (Red Boys) and another band from the Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture in Sichuan province named Esinaba, or “azalea flower” in the Qiang language.

A Singaporean Cantopop Band
Meet Ciu Jyut, a Singapore pop band that sings in Cantonese, interviewed in Honeycombers. All the (middle-aged) musicians have other jobs on the side, and they were heavily influenced by the Hong Kong cantorock band Beyond.
Hong Kong’s first Jungle Island Music Festival on Lantau Island
SCMP article on the first “Jungle Island Music Festival” in Lantau, with 10 bands, 50 DJs and apparently real toilets.

Mayday rumored to play in Beijing in May
An article by the Taiwanese TVBS on a rumor according which the Taiwan pop-rock band Mayday 五月天 will perform in May in Beijing’s Bird Nest (for the eight time) for ten consecutive days. As we saw last month, Mayday was accused of lip-syncing during their Shanghai concert, a scandal that had profound political implications during Taiwan last presidential election. Did they make a deal with the Chinese regulator? Is it a sign of relaxation between the two straits? Can they find 滷肉飯 in Beijing?

Shenzhen hardcore band Disanxian’s interview with Absolute Underground
For Absolute Underground, Ryan Dyer interviewed the legendary hardcore band from Shenzhen Disanxian 地三鲜. They are preparing their new album, The Ultimate AgriKVLTural Revolution (究極農業進化), another reference to Mao after The Greatest Outrageous Famine back in 2017.

Sandy Lam, Hong Kong Discreet Cantopop Diva
An article in the South China Morning Post on the life of Sandy Lam, a Hong Kong Cantopop diva, who began as a teen idol in the 1980s before drifting out an in of the spotlight ever since, focusing on her music instead of her celebrity.

Mayuan Poet’s US Tour
The Yunnan indie-rock band Mayuan Poet 麻园诗人 is touring the US in March. Mayuan Poet participated to The Big Band last season, so no wonder they are now traveling the world! This article from USC Annenberg Media interviews fans of the band and the singer Ku Guo.
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Another article by China Daily on Mayuan Poet and FAZI US Tour.
Hong Kong boy’s band Mirror in Rolling Stone
An article published in Rolling Stone on Mirror, the most popular Hong Kong Cantopop boy’s band. Their new English-language single, “Day 0” (a collab with NBA star Damian Lillard) is coming to the US this spring.

RadiiChina’s Chinese albums picks for March 2024
A choice of Chinese bands’ albums released in March by Radii, featuring Li Jianhong, YADAE or avant-garde legends Glorious Pharmacy.
Stand-up comedy and censorship
An article in The New York Times on censorship in comedy clubs. A short paragraph mentions the comparison with rock and roll (if you want more information about music and censorship, you can always read my article about it):
When a new genre of art attains mainstream repute, Chinese call it poquan, or breaking out of the circle. For the in-crowd, it is a Pyrrhic triumph, one that validates the medium’s soft power even as it is remolded by the iron fist. Standup comedy was the latest art form to reach this inflection point, which is familiar to many Chinese writers, artists, and musicians. Around four years ago, the lead singer of a Beijing rock band told me, culture police started showing up at concerts and screening his lyrics. These days, his band submits lyrics, recordings, and rehearsal videos to the culture bureau before each performance. If the song has no lyrics, authorities demand a written explanation of its “intent.” “You can’t half-ass it, either,” he told me, chuckling.
Taiwan singer-songwriter Lin Yile (Skip Skip Ben Ben)
A Taiwan News article on the life of Lin Yile, from the underground (her first band Freckles, emerged from the legendary livehouse Underworld 地下社會) to the mainstream. She moved to Beijing in 2010 to play drums for Carsick Cars, and eventually formed her own band, Skip Skip Ben Ben, and opened for My Bloody Valentine’s 2013 concert in Taiwan. She is now focusing on her solo career.

Taiwan psychedelic duo Mong Tong
An interview published by the Indonesian website Whiteboard Journal with the Taiwan psychedelic band Mong Tong who just participated to the Joyland Festival Bali 2024.
OpenEdition vous propose de citer ce billet de la manière suivante :
Nathanel Amar (29 mars 2024). Monthly Press Review – 2 (March 2024). Scream For Life. Consulté le 18 février 2025 à l’adresse https://doi.org/10.58079/w4ks