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Musical Dim Sum:
Candide Samples the Beijing Music Scene
Opera
The Scene: A Spartan playhouse at the Academy of Chinese Opera. While their peers croon in karaoke discos and smoke cigarettes in rock-n-roll bars, these students are dedicating their lives to an ancient, and some say dying, art form. Meet the students behind the painted faces.
The Opera: Su Wu the Shepherd. A Han tale of honor, betrayal, betrothal and tragic ends. Listen to falsetto arias and percussion interludes (RealAudio) that are bound to blow your mind, if not your eardrums.
Folk
The Scene: A popular Bejing Duckerie. In the lobby, a smiling plaster Disney Donald welcomes patrons, who take an elevator to one of three harshly lit dining halls. Inside, the din of diners nearly drowns out a trio of classical musicians seated in a pagoda playing traditional Chinese instruments. Drew fondles the beak of several skinless ducks hanging on hooks before selecting a plump roaster with strong teeth.
Duck Song: Two Lakes Reflecting the Moon (RealAudio)
Rock & Roll
The Scene: Angel Bar. A Nashville-style roadhouse tucked behind a row of seedy dumpling stands. Inside: a fog of cigarette smoke, mugs of Scottish beer, a smattering of flannel shirts and twenty-somethings rocking awkwardly back and forth on their heels. Meet the Band ...
The Song: Goodnight Beijing (RealAudio), an anthem of moody guitar solos and melancholy ballads. The lyrics speak to a youth culture that's been left behind in China's economic drag race.
"I'm going to sleep in the night's rain with the noise of steamrollers and the abrupt sounds of something breaking. Good night Beijing. Good night all the sleepless people."
New Age
The Scene: A Soho-style art cafe with sculpted sandalwood chairs, a Harley Davidson parked in one corner, and just the right amount of groovy mood music. A lanky Chinese model pouts with a cigarette over a cup of tea. A bartender from Hong Kong polishes a cappuccino machine. The menu is the first in Beijing to offer Internet access.
The Artist: Wang Yong, owner of the Keep in Touch Cafe, is becoming the main muse for China's experimental music scene. By combining the plucky strains of traditional Chinese compositions with Tibetan chants and hollow computer-created chords, Wang has created a new form of Chinese music (RealAudio) that emphasizes substance over form, spirituality over tradition.
I Want My K TV!
The Scene: Late-night Beijing. Stop #1 Fairyland, Surreal Greco-Roman funhouse and karaoke palace. Stop #2 Yuppy, our hotel disco and karaoke parlor. The Singapore Slings were sour, but the women dancing in twosomes sweet.
The Entertainment: Following on the heels of a very limber acrobat in a very pink jumpsuit, a folk singer (RealAudio) did her best to maintain audience interest.
Made in China
