Daan in China
Mar. 15th, 2008 11:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
franceslievensChina voor beginners (China for dummies) is pretty easy as far as television formats go: send prominent Belgian public figures to the far East and let them explore the country in true Tintin-style. Their host is Dutch writer Lulu Wang: a Beijing-born immigrant who can translate, and has interesting things to say about the culture she grew up in. Although this interesting well-made television brought some insight into a culture that's as far removed from Western individualism as is possible, my interest was highly depended upon the guest making his or her way through the country, searching for the Chinese soul in their own field of work.
This week was Daan's turn. He went looking for youth culture and music in a country without counter culture and a strict censor when it comes to song lyrics. Chinese youngsters look to the Western world for their style and music. Songs sound exactly like they would sound over here, but the lyrics are of the romantic kind, without anything too explicit. Daan was quickly confronted with censorship when he discovered his own record was too sexy for the Chinese youth to listen to.
Copying is easy, and Daan goes looking for the Chinese past in traditional music and song. We witness the musician's curiosity and genuine interest what's unknown. He just asks how to play an instrument, an then plops down on the stool to play it himself. There is no shyness, only the want to be able to master the instrument. China voor beginners doesn't only show a faraway country, it's also a beautiful insight into a person. Daan's uncomplicated sexy attitude jumped of the screen for about an hour. The camera followed him closely around when he went looking for Chinese sounds. You almost feel like you're there with him – or at least you wish you were.
This week was Daan's turn. He went looking for youth culture and music in a country without counter culture and a strict censor when it comes to song lyrics. Chinese youngsters look to the Western world for their style and music. Songs sound exactly like they would sound over here, but the lyrics are of the romantic kind, without anything too explicit. Daan was quickly confronted with censorship when he discovered his own record was too sexy for the Chinese youth to listen to.
Copying is easy, and Daan goes looking for the Chinese past in traditional music and song. We witness the musician's curiosity and genuine interest what's unknown. He just asks how to play an instrument, an then plops down on the stool to play it himself. There is no shyness, only the want to be able to master the instrument. China voor beginners doesn't only show a faraway country, it's also a beautiful insight into a person. Daan's uncomplicated sexy attitude jumped of the screen for about an hour. The camera followed him closely around when he went looking for Chinese sounds. You almost feel like you're there with him – or at least you wish you were.
