Rocker sees new China

Associated Press

BEIJING

China’s godfather of rock, Cui Jian, says his basic message of personal freedom hasn’t changed on his new album, even if the world has.

The rocker, who fell out of favor with the government after he sided with demonstrating students during the 1989 Tiananmen protests, said the messages in his songs today may not be different, “but the way that you understand could be different” because of the changes China has gone through.

Growing personal wealth among Chinese has created the chance to travel and take control over their private lives, Cui said, a far cry from the tightly controlled society of the 1980s. “They got a chance to make money, so this is a big change,” he told The Associated Press in an interview.

At the same time, other things haven’t changed, says Cui. There are still limits on how freely you can talk, and “you shouldn’t say black and white; you could say something gray and then make it safe,” he says.

Cui’s first album in 11 years is called “Frozen Light,” and he says he hopes his music will inspire Chinese to think about how some things remain static, then “think about whether you take it or you just try to warm it and change it or break it.”

The 54-year-old became the symbol of China’s embryonic rock scene when he sang his signature tune, “Nothing to my Name,” at a televised stadium concert in 1986.

That song, in which he sings of desire and dashed hopes, later became the unofficial anthem for student pro-democracy demonstrators. He played on Tiananmen Square just days before the government sent in tanks and troops to crush the protests.

Today, Cui says people view him more as “an old man” than a rebel, a familiar face on television but no longer influential.