Ai Jing
Encyclopedia
Ai Jing is a mainland Chinese
singer and painter. China's Northeast News called her "China's most talented female folk rock singer.""民谣" literally translates to "folk rock" or "folk ballad" and refers to a style of music (more completely called 城市民谣, "urban folk rock") that started in the 1990s.}}
Ai was born into a musical family: her father played several instruments, and her mother was a Pingju
singer. She attended the Shenyang Special School of Art, joined the Oriental Song and Dance Troupe in Beijing at age 18, and first gained widespread attention with her 1992 song "My 1997" . A semi-autobiographical ballad that has been compared to Cui Jian
's "Nothing to My Name
" in terms of its social impact, the song tells about her love for a man living in Hong Kong
, and how she eagerly awaits the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China so she can visit him. After "My 1997" she performed throughout East
and Southeast Asia
for several years. The music video for her 1993 "Wandering Swallow" won the Chunlan Cup MTV Convention.
Nimrod Baranovitch describes Ai as one of China's first "independent, free, active, dynamic, perhaps even rebellious" female pop stars". She is also known for having written and produced much of her own music, in a time when few Chinese artists were doing so. Much of her music defied stylistic rules and incorporated Western folk and rock styles. But after her early albums, Baranovitch claims, Ai's popularity decreased as her themes became more "personal and nonconformist", and she faced "antagonism" from men within the music industry because she did not sexually objectify herself and because her introduction of new musical styles challenged the male-dominated industry.
Ai moved to New York
in 1997, and since then has mostly lived in the United States, although she recorded her 2003 album Is it a Dream? (是不是梦) in the United Kingdom
. In the late 1990s Ai switched her focus to painting, and had her first professional exhibition in 2008. She has also acted in three films: Five Girls and a Rope (五个女子和一根绳子; 1991), Beijing Bastards
(北京杂种; 1993), and From the Queen to the Chief Executive (等候董建华发落; 2000).
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
singer and painter. China's Northeast News called her "China's most talented female folk rock singer.""民谣" literally translates to "folk rock" or "folk ballad" and refers to a style of music (more completely called 城市民谣, "urban folk rock") that started in the 1990s.}}
Ai was born into a musical family: her father played several instruments, and her mother was a Pingju
Pingju
Pingju is a form of local Chinese opera from northern China. It originated in Tangshan, Hebei, near the city of Tianjin.The term Píngjù was also formerly used to refer to Beijing opera.-External links:*...
singer. She attended the Shenyang Special School of Art, joined the Oriental Song and Dance Troupe in Beijing at age 18, and first gained widespread attention with her 1992 song "My 1997" . A semi-autobiographical ballad that has been compared to Cui Jian
Cui Jian
Cui Jian is a Beijing-based Chinese singer-songwriter, trumpeter and guitarist. Affectionately called "Old Cui" , he is considered to be a pioneer in Chinese rock music and one of the first Chinese artists to write rock songs...
's "Nothing to My Name
Nothing To My Name
"Nothing to My Name" is the English title of a 1986 Mandarin-language rock song by Cui Jian. It is widely considered Cui's most famous and most important work, and one of the most influential songs in the history of the People's Republic of China, both as a seminal point in the development of...
" in terms of its social impact, the song tells about her love for a man living in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, and how she eagerly awaits the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China so she can visit him. After "My 1997" she performed throughout East
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
for several years. The music video for her 1993 "Wandering Swallow" won the Chunlan Cup MTV Convention.
Nimrod Baranovitch describes Ai as one of China's first "independent, free, active, dynamic, perhaps even rebellious" female pop stars". She is also known for having written and produced much of her own music, in a time when few Chinese artists were doing so. Much of her music defied stylistic rules and incorporated Western folk and rock styles. But after her early albums, Baranovitch claims, Ai's popularity decreased as her themes became more "personal and nonconformist", and she faced "antagonism" from men within the music industry because she did not sexually objectify herself and because her introduction of new musical styles challenged the male-dominated industry.
Ai moved to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1997, and since then has mostly lived in the United States, although she recorded her 2003 album Is it a Dream? (是不是梦) in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In the late 1990s Ai switched her focus to painting, and had her first professional exhibition in 2008. She has also acted in three films: Five Girls and a Rope (五个女子和一根绳子; 1991), Beijing Bastards
Beijing Bastards
Beijing Bastards is a 1993 drama film by sixth generation director Zhang Yuan, and is one of the first independently produced Chinese films....
(北京杂种; 1993), and From the Queen to the Chief Executive (等候董建华发落; 2000).
Discography
| Year | Original title | English translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 我的一九九七 | My 1997 | |
| 1995 | 艳粉街的故事 | Story of Yanfen Street | |
| 1996 | 追月 | Chasing the Moon | |
| 1999 | Made in China | (n/a) | |
| 2003 | 是不是梦 | Is it a Dream? | |
| 2006 | 艾在旅途 | Ai on the Road | compilation album |
| 2007 | 我的1997和2007 | My 1997 and 2007 | compilation album |