Jiang Xin
From Rock in China Wiki
Jiang Xin (姜昕), one of the earliest women in China's rock scene
Jiang Xin as on her first record (1996)
| Background Information | |
|---|---|
| Name (English) | Jiang Xin (Jessica) |
| Name (Chn.) | 姜昕 / Jiang Xin |
| Origin | Beijing |
| Genre | Rock |
| Years active | 1988 - present |
| Preview | |
Contents |
Introduction
Jiang Xin is rather famous since the mid-1990s, not for her music though, but her personal relationship with Dou Wei and be the rival lover of Wang Fei – one of the most popular Chinese female artists. Jiang Xin, however, has made three awarded albums since 1996, and is one of very few female rockers who do not only survive in a male-dominant community, but also exert considerable influence on the development of Chinese rock, for example, her experiment on pop-rockization from her first album.[1]
Jiang Xin started to play rock in 1988 after she made friends with Dou Wei, Zhang Ju, and Ding Wu who all surely influence the development of Chinese rock in the 1990s. She dropped out of university in 1989, and started to perform at clubs. Jiang Xin made her first album – 花开不败 <Flowers Bloom and Never Wither> (Hua Kai Bu Bai) in 1995 just because of He Yong’s idea – “let us make an album for Jiang Xin”. She became a female rocker without any plans. Jiang Xin is not a rocker by rock orthodoxy because she seldom writes music by herself, but works with other rockers as a lyricist. She also has no band of her own. The other rockers are generally famous in China, such as Zhang Chu, He Yong, Xu Wei, and Chen Jin. Possibly for her connection to the others, Jiang Xin is generally treated as a rocker in public.[2]
In her special position, she told Qian Wang:
“In the early 1990s, I never thought about the gender issue. All the music I listened to was made by male rockers. Consequently, I unconsciously tried to play rock like a male rocker. Even when I was making the first album in 1995, I still had not realised my problem. Later, I started to listen to female rockers’ music, like Janis Joplin and Alanis Morissette, I sensed the difference between male and female rockers’ music, and realised that I needed my gender identity. I am a woman, not a man. I thus purposely wrote some lyrics in my second album <May> to stress my female identity.”[3]
Her second album (五月 / May) did not appear until 2001, and all of its lyrics were penned by Jiang herself with musical collaboration from such well-known figures as 祝晓民 (Zhu Xiaomin),许巍 (Xu Wei) and 童孔等 (Tang Kongdeng). Also in 2001, she wrote a novel called 长发飞扬的日子 (Days of Long Hair Flying). Her third album, 纯粹 (Purity), was produced by Xu Wei in 2003, featuring an all-star lineup of Chinese musicians. Its single "Pandora" did well in the charts, and she garnered more awards, including Best Rock Album.
In 2005 she released the single 彩虹 (Rainblow) to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the death of Tang Dynasty bassist 张矩 (Zhang Ju), with whom she had worked on her debut album. It was included on the compilation 礼物 (Gift).
2007
On January 17th, 2007, during a show at the Yuyong Yishan, her fourth album, 我不是随便的花朵 (I'm an Unusual Flower) is released and continued her floral theme. On February 3rd she performed in Jinan's Music bar (班卓音楽酒). On February 5th she performed in Xi'ans 老街 bar. On April 27th, she rocked the Starlive. On May 5th she performed at the Chaoyang park during the fourth 届朝陽流行音楽周 中歌榜紅五月歌会 festival. On July 21st she performed in Inner Mongolia during the 首届鄂爾多斯草原揺滾音楽会 concert. On July 28th she performed at Shanghai's Jin Mao Concert Hall (金茂音楽庁). On November 10th she rocked Tianjin's 上遊開場 during the 天津第二届原創音楽季 群英会 concert. On December 22nd she performed in Tianjin's 硬石音楽主題倶楽部. Later in December another version of her fourth full-length record is released.
2008
On April 18th, 2008, she rocked Huaihua's (Hunan Province) 2008因[ｲ尓]而精彩巨星演唱会 concert. On May 2nd, she performed at the West Lake of Hangzhou during the 首届杭州・西湖現代 music festival. On May 24th, she performed in the Starlive for the 与[シ文]川同在 concert. On May 26th she performed at the Starlive during a charity concert for the victims of the SiChuan earthquake. On July 5th she performed in Shanghai's Grand Stage during the 樹生長的声音 - 竇唯・張楚・何勇・姜［日斤］2008上海演唱会 event. On August 23rd she performed in the Starlive. On September 19th, she rocked Tianjin's 13 Club.
2009
On January 16th, 2009, she performed in the Starlive. On May 1st, she rocked Chongqing's 武隆仙女山国家森林公園 during the 武隆仙女山国際山地露営 music festival. On May 29th, she performed in Xi'ans 紡績城芸術区唐華一印 during the 楽来楽快楽 -09張冠李戴 music festival. On October 30th she rocked Ningbo's Cultural Park during the 把愛唱響 - 中国揺滾情歌演唱会 concert.
Discography
Major releases
 The Tenacious Flower - 1996 |
 May - 2001, July |
 Purity - 2004, March |
 I'am an unsual flower - 2007, January 17th |
Further information
Other pages
Articles & Reviews
References
- ↑ W. Qian (2007). The Crisis of Chinese Rock in the mid-1990s: Weakness in Form or Weakness in Content. Page 40. University of Liverpool.
- ↑ W. Qian (2007). The Crisis of Chinese Rock in the mid-1990s: Weakness in Form or Weakness in Content. Page 266. University of Liverpool.
- ↑ W. Qian (2007). The Crisis of Chinese Rock in the mid-1990s: Weakness in Form or Weakness in Content. Page 266. University of Liverpool. / Interview propably either Jul 26 2005 or Aug 4 2005
