| Popular music has been an important phenomenon of music culture in China since the mid-1980s. As a kind of popular culture, it is marked by the spirits of humanitarianism, traditional culture and irrationalism, demonstrating distinct cultural and philosophical orientation. It also reveals in depth the social essence of China since the reform and opening-up while at the same time deciding its own cultural quality and style. Its spirit of humanitarianism took shape on the basis of reflection on history to cater to the mental needs of the Chinese people during the social transformation of the new period. Therefore, popular music manifests a value orientation towards the common and ordinary people either in its contents of subject matter, main ideas or forms of expression. Its spirit of traditional culture mirrors the impact of the consciousness of cultural root-seeking and a sense of identity with its own cultural tradition. It links the popular music of Mainland China closely with the native cultural traditions, making it possible to combine"nationality"with"modernity". Thus it distinguishes the popular music on Mainland China from that of Hong Kong & Taiwan and that of Europe & America but reveals the cultural identity of popular music based on native traditions. Its spirit of irrationalism originated not only from the modern irrationalism of the West but also from a kind of consciousness of historical criticism, making popular music a reflection of the spirit of the new times. Irrationalism shows the anti-rationalism and anti-tradition dimensions of popular music (especially rock & roll). The popular music of Mainland China possesses deep cultural connotations and distinct cultural and philosophical orientation and cannot be generalized as"popular","culture for the masses","cultural industry"or"postmodernism". The popular music of Mainland China is rooted in the contemporary society of China and native cultural traditions. |
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