Please select 8 of these questions and answer them in a few sentences each.
“Voices from Chinese Rock, Past and Present Tense”
- Does Huang’s perspective on yaogun differ from what we’ve read so far?
- How does Huang characterize the relationship between yaogun commerce and the Chinese Communist Party?
- What kinds of sounds does Huang associate with femininity and masculinity?
- This is the third author we’ve read so far that has quoted Vaclav Havel in a discussion of rock music. Who was Havel and why is he relevant to a discussion of yaogun?
- How does Huang characterize Tang Dynasty’s music and image?
- Huang asks on p. 195 whether a “distinct authentic Chinese rock” is possible. What do you think?
- How does Huang characterize rock’s new directions in China? Which bands does he think are important? Briefly describe them.
“Popular Music and Youth in Urban China: The Dakou Generation”
- What does “dakou” mean?
- What are the three scenes that De Kloet discusses in his article?
- What does De Kloet think of the impact of the growing market economy / commercialism on popular music in China during the mid-to late-1990s.
- What conclusions can be drawn from De Kloet’s survey results (p. 614)?
- What does De Kloet think are some of the implications of dakou culture? Why is it important or relevant?
- How does the article describe the “dakou generation”?
- Select one of the bands that De Kloet discusses and describe their background and sound in a few sentences. Next, go online and find a song by them that you like and prepare to discuss it in class.
