Abstract
Jazz influenced the soundtrack of modern Chinese music and contributed to its rapid development (Presswood, 2022). From the late 20th century, Shanghainese music audiences had the opportunity to listen and watch live performances in informal settings featuring jazz and music influenced by this genre. The act of Chinese popular music increasingly brought in line with world aesthetics by out-of-China jazz performers was immensely profitable and served as one of the examples of cultural appropriation (Field, 2019). However, due to differences in cultural identity, jazz almost withdrew from the Chinese market after the 1940s due to national policies before coming to revival in the 1980s. Although jazz is not viewed as the mainstream culture in China, there are still a large number of African American musicians who choose to start their careers in Shanghai, growing their musicianship within the informal concert settings and developing the jazz genre to novel realms. This paper explores the development status and prospects of the jazz genre in Shanghai from 2015 to 2024 through a consultation of historical data and interviews with prominent Western jazz figures currently living in the city. The paper likewise extends to exploring the ethnomusicological perspectives and reasons behind Western jazz musicians’ settlements in Shanghai, what kind of audience finds appeal in jazz scenes, and its influence on the genre’s musical aesthetics.
Presenters
Yufei LiuMusic / Homeroom Teacher, Performing Arts, North American International School, Shanghai, China
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life
KEYWORDS
Jazz Music, Urban Ethnomusicology, Identities, Music Aesthetics
