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| Promotional photo of Black Panther for the band's new album Who We Are Photo: Courtesy of Black Panther |
In the basement of a rehearsal studio in Beijing on July 9, members of the rock band Black Panther were preparing for their coming performance at a press conference for their new album Who We Are.
This is the first album to feature new lead singer Zhang Qi, while for old members like guitarist Li Tong and bass player Wang Wenjie, this was the seventh album -22 years since the group's first.
Glory days
Early this year, Zhou Xiaoou, who used to sing lead vocals for the band Zero, participated on the popular television show I Am A Singer. There he performed Black Panther's song "Ashamed" with the help Luan Shu, one of the former members of Black Panther.
Zhou's performance was a real success and reminded the audience of those great bands they had almost forgotten.
In 1986, Cui Jian's single "Nothing To My Name" was seen as the start of Chinese rock and introduced the idea of a rock'n'roll attitude to the audience, combining individualism with a bit of cynicism.
Toward the end of that decade several famous bands were formed including Breathing, Cobra, Tang Dynasty and of course Black Panther.
Beijing's largest rock concert was held in Beijing's Capital Gymnasium in 1990, and kicked off the golden age of Chinese rock'n'roll, which only lasted about three years.
Black Panther was not a part of that important performance. The members once expressed to media that at the time they were not yet recognized as a rock band by their counterparts and that they had always regretted the lost opportunity.
It was not until 1991 when Black Panther released their self-titled debut album that they became one of the most popular rock groups in China.
Produced in Hong Kong by the same company that promoted Faye Wong and Beyond, the album sold over 1.5 million copies, the most of any Chinese rock band at the time.
Many rock songs in those days had a political twist and expressed that generation's attitude toward the Chinese society and its political regime, though not always in a critical way.
Unlike most rock music, Black Panther's music had pop elements, softening the hard rock edge.
Even those songs emphasizing a kind of attitude such as "Bielai Jiuchan Wo" (Don't bug me) were not too "angry."
Other bands were also tremendously popular. Heavy metal band Tang Dynasty for example also achieved a record-breaking sales number with its debut album A Dream Return To Tang Dynasty.
Rock music was performed on a regular basis both in public platforms and at underground rock parties.
Burning down the house
Is Black Panther still together? Some people might ask.
Just like most rock groups that have been around for many years, Black Panther has changed their team members over time. Lead vocals have been sung by more than 10 people throughout the years, with each one stating different reasons for leaving.
In 1995, the bass player Zhang Ju of Tang Dynasty was tragically killed in a traffic accident. The climate changed so quickly for rock lovers following both changes in band members as well as the overall music environment.
"The biggest confusion for us was that around 1994, rock'n'roll was banned… no performances, no television appearance… the feeling was like we had energy but didn't know where to exert it," Li Tong told the Global Times.
The ban forced Chinese rock out of its spotlight.
As a result, pop singers from Taiwan and Hong Kong or overseas were left to fill the void in the Chinese mainland.
Li did not explain in detail the reasons behind the ban, but he did refer to the perception that rock musicians were often seen as the music scene's "bad boys."
Fans often got so worked up that they would crush chairs or burn clothes and newspapers. Of course, this made the organizers think twice about allowing more performances.
Wang Wenjie gave another explanation on the television show A Date with Luyu. He said the reason for the ban was because someone said something inappropriate on stage. After four years, the ban was lifted, but not too long after performances restarted, more inappropriate things were said at a big concert, and that led to another ban.
The changing musical environment also caused huge shifts and splits for many bands.
There were over 10 big music production companies in the 1990s and a successful singer could sell a million records. After the second ban, such numbers were almost impossible.
"We have seven albums in total including one live album. That's more than most of the rock bands in China, which is due to the living conditions for rock musicians here," said Li.
That was then, this is now
Li said that from a professional point-of-view, their music now is much better than in the 1990s. This time they also invited Jamii Szmadzinski and Phil Nicolo, board of trustees and P&E Wing Steering Committee of The Grammy Awards to help produce the album and make it more international.
Generally, people's knowledge about rock music has also improved. However, many old fans still miss the time when songs like "Ashamed" and "Don't Break My Heart" were popular. These days, new songs from the older rock bands always generate more criticism than praise.
Li said that some fans are contradictory: They want the band to improve but they can't get enough of the music and atmosphere of the old days.
"The (album) name is Who We Are rather than 'who are we' because it is a statement instead of raising a question…We are still Black Panther but not exactly the same ones from the 1990s. We cannot satisfy everyone. That's just impossible," said Li.
They say every era is the best time and also the worst time.
Today is a time with fast life cycle for everything, where music is so easily heard but also easily forgotten.
For both the older and younger rock bands, the popularity of the early 1990s is hardly achievable. Even so, the spirit of rock lives on.
Tang Dynasty's heavy metal, Cui Jian's red themes and Black Panther's pop rock all contributed to the broad concept of Chinese rock'n'roll and are still having an effect on the young generation of rock lovers and songwriters.
"I can't explain it clearly what the spirit of rock is, but I think Black Panther has it. It is a consistent attitude of facing different situations - especially adversity," said Li.
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