IRINA KISELEVA

China & Taiwan music

The music of China has several millennia of its development. She was influenced by the musical traditions of the Middle East, Central and South Asia, Southeast Asia, and in turn had a significant influence on the music of Korea, Japan, some peoples of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean.

In ancient times, Chinese music was intended not so much for listening to music, but for a healing effect on the entire human body.

At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, a creative boom began in the popular music of China. This was facilitated by a number of economic and cultural factors. Firstly, there has been a steady economic growth in the country and a lot of investors have appeared who began to develop the basic structure of show business. Secondly, the creative boundaries have expanded.

Modern Chinese music is developing in the same way as the music of other countries: chanson, pop, rock, rap, etc. As a rule, performers try to realize their potential in a variety of genres. Therefore, any strict genre classification is impossible in modern music. Only a few groups can be attributed to a particular genre. Lyrics often use the principle of language mixing. Quite often, English-language phrases and sentences are included in the lyrics. Most performers use English-language creative pseudonyms.

Taiwan's environment is quite favorable for the development of popular music. Beginning in the 1970s, cutting-edge musicians opened their own studios or were hired by local record companies. Thanks to their bright talent, the pop music industry developed at a rapid pace in the 1980s, and record labels developed and improved their business skills.

In the 1990s, the Taiwanese market continued to develop, reaching its peak in 1997 when it became Asia's second-largest pop music market after Japan. In the 1990s, multinational record labels invested in Taiwan's pop music industry. In addition to promotional methods, these companies have helped raise the prestige of Taiwanese artists overseas. Meanwhile, the wave of foreign music that has swept through Taiwan has continued to stimulate local artists.

Today, Taiwan remains the leader of the pop music industry in the Mandarin-speaking world and is seen as a land of opportunity for East Asian artists.