Shanghai is big…………
It’s a cosmopolitan city, financial capital of China, with two airports, a terrific subway system, and all sorts of shopping and neighborhoods. It’s as modern in some ways as any other city, but all over are examples of old China, with small stalls selling everything, push carts and individual enterprise.
When I was at Jimei University in Xiamen, a singer from Taiwan came to the campus for a concert. She is known in China as Rene, or “Milk Tea,” I think because of her voice in some way. One of my students had an obsession for this individual and everything “Milk-Tea” dominated her life. In any event, another Taiwanese singer made an appearance whose name is Cheer Chen or in Chinese, Chen Chi Chen. She’s got a kind of smokey, husky voice, pleasant to listen to — something akin to Emmy-Lou Harris or Dusty Springfield if you know them. I liked her a lot more than Milk-Tea who seemed like an older woman playing a school child — badly.
Ms. Chen was playng Shanghai last week and I went to the show.
There was a lot of staging, huge video displays, all kinds of lighting effects and a huge crowd — all of which is customary at almost any contemporary live music event. Except in China, there is no applause. None. So after a song, no matter the style or tempo, there is some shouting, some banging of inflated tubes and colored batons, but no clapping — even for an encore.
Seemed a little odd.
Also a little odd was a two and a half hour show with no intermission and singer who decided she wanted to sing a little more, so she extended the show. I had no idea what the songs were about, only one was in English, but she writes all her own stuff and plays a range of guitars including acoustic and with no little skill.
The Taiwan thing, with two China’s and all that is a lot of baloney when it comes to the practical realities of China – in China. People go back anf forth all the time now, and entertainment is completely borderless which Chinese performers from Taiwan touring all over China drawing huge audiences. Why we insist on selling arms to Taiwan these days over the objections of the rest of China sure looks dumb from this side.
Anyway, it was an interesting way to see a little of Shanghai. Here are some photos:
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