Cui Jian, The Best rock'n' Roll Star in China

Cui Jian (pronounced Sway Jen), the indisputable pioneer and the paramount leader of contemporary Chinese rock music known to millions people in China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and other East Asian countries, has never been a stranger to the American public.

His is a self-made success story. Ethnically Korean, Cui Jian was born in China in 1961, to a music family. His parents recognized his talents at an early age and became his first teachers. He learnt trumpet at age 14, and joined the Beijing Symphony Orchestra (BSO) as a classical trumpet player at age 20. During his six years stint at BSO, he began to compose his own songs. By 1986, after listening to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Talking Heads and Sting, Cui Jian had begun expeirmenting with rock and roll music, and had composed his first rock/rap song "It's Not That I Don't Understand". In May of that year, shortly before he left BSO, he sang what was to become his signature song "Nothing to My Name" at the 100-singer World Peace concert in Beijing and became a celebrity overnight.

From there, Cui Jian embarked his rock'n' roll equivalent of the Long March. He continued composing and giving numerous solo concerts, even though the social environment had been very harsh on him for a long time. In creating rock for China, Cui Jian blended in Chinese folk music and traditional Chinese instruments, such as the oboe-like Suona, the zither-like Gu Zheng with guitar, saxophone, drums and western percussion. His first rock album "Nothing to My Name" was released in 1989, followed by his second album "Solution" in 1991. His last album "Balls Under the Red Flag" has an eclectic sound that mixes rhythms from punk, jazz, Afro-pop, rap and Western rock with Oriental flourishes and socially conscious themes - mature work of a world-class atrist hitting the peak of his career. Besides, his MTV video "Wild in the Snow" made him and instant hit in Asia and the rest of the world. To date, over 10 million copies of his albums has been sold in East Asia, and he has been heard by over one billion people! Hence his long march has crossed over the border of China, to Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, England, France, and the United States.

And now, having given over one hundred solo concerts almost everywhere else in the world, Cui Jian is pleased to present his music, together with his hopes for China, to the public of the United States of America.

January 1988: First and very successful solo concert in Beijing.

September 1988: "Nothing to My Name" concert televised live world-wide as a special program for 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.

Feburary 1989: First album "Nothing to My Name"/"rock'n' Roll on the New Long March was released in Taiwan, Hong Kong and P.R. China.

March 1990: Ten-city Asian Game concert tour in China.

February 1991" Second Album "Solution" released in China.

October 1991" Production of music television video "Wild in the Snow" which won international Viewers' Choice Award at MTV Music Award in Los Angeles.

October 1992: Production of MTV video "A Piece of Red Cloth" which won special Mention at the Golden Gate Viewers' Awards of the San Francisco File Festival.

August 1993: Production of "Beijing Bastards", a film directed/produced by Zhang Yuan and in which Cui Jian was the hero.

August 1994: Release of the third Album "Balls under the Red Flag", a work of his full maturity.

Liu Yuan - Saxophone

Liu Yuan is one of the best saxophone players in China. in 1988, a member of the Ado band, Liu joined Cui Jina in recording "Rock and Roll on the New Long March". Liu joined Cui's band the following year, and since then, he has performed in most of Cui's Concerts. In addition to playing in Cui Jian's band, he also writes, records and performs his own music.

Eddie Luc Lalasoa - Guitar

Born and raised in Madagascar, he began to learn and perform rock and roll music in France in 1981. An extremely versatile musician, Eddie can play keyboard, guitar, bass and drums. Eddie first recorded with Cui Jian in the Ado band and remained in the current band performing with Cui Jian.

Kong HongWei - Keyboard

Quan You - Drum

Zhang Ling - Bass

Zhang Shan - Gu Zheng

Bateerfu - Percussion

"Mr. Cui's latest album 'Balls Under the Red Flag' is another cry from the anchorless youth of China for direction."

- The New York Times

" The real rock'n' roll star... the best, the first and the best known rock'n'roll star in China"

- 22nd film festival Rotterdam

"Cui Jian, China's No. 1 rock star, a one-man phenomenon...was one of the sparks that ignited the prairie fire of rock"

- The Wall Street Journal

"Balls Under the Red Flag...is only rock'n'roll, but they like it"

- Newsweek

"China's gray culture, it seems, is gathering momentum"

- Los Angeles Times Magazine

"(Even for the strong Chinese Government), Cui Jian has become too hot to handle."

- Washington Post

"The major challenge to the (Chinese) Government today comes not from democratic activists, but from defiant urban youth and their new hero a long-haired Chinese rock star - Cui Jian"

- San Francisco Chronicle

"China's king of rock and roll, Cui Jian staged back...Cui's politically charged lyrics have been, and continue to be, an inspiration for China's disenchanted youth..."

- South China Morning Post