Rock steady beat

Three decades later, China's godfather of rock 'n' roll is still on the road

When Cui Jian stepped onto the stage to perform at a concert at the Beijing Workers' Stadium in 1986, few Chinese knew what rock 'n' roll was.

At the packed venue, Cui, then 25, performed his original song, Nothing to My Name.

That song opened a chapter in China's rock music story and marked the start of a journey that would later make Cui the country's godfather of rock 'n' roll.

Now, more than 30 years later, the 57-year-old Cui, wearing his trademark white cap with a red star on it, is still on his road.

On Dec 6 and 7, he will perform two shows along with his bandmates at Blue Note Beijing, the first Chinese branch of the Blue Note Jazz Club, the famous New York establishment.

Unlike his shows at stadiums, theaters and outdoor music festivals across the country, which attracted tens of thousands of people, Cui will offer an intimate live performance experience for his fans and perform his songs with new jazz arrangements.

"We give thousands of performances worldwide each year, and we want to do something different every year," says Cui.

"The two shows at Blue Note Beijing will have different repertoires.

"I don't plan to perform some of my best-known hits, like Nothing to My Name, Greenhouse Girl, False Monk and Rock 'n' Roll on the New Long March. But maybe I will perform the songs if the audience requests them. I don't know yet."