Editing Cui Jian (section)

{{Short description|Chinese singer-songwriter (born 1961)}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Cui (surname)|Cui]]|lang=Chinese}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Cui Jian
| image              = CuiJian2_2007_Hohaiyan.jpg
| alt                = 
| caption            = Cui Jian at the [[Hohaiyan Rock Festival]] in Taiwan, 2007
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1961|8|2}}
| birth_place        = [[Beijing]], China
| occupation         = {{hlist|Singer-songwriter|musician}}
| years_active       = 1984–present
| height_cm          = 172
| children=1<ref name="nytsf" />
| website            = {{URL|www.cuijian.com}}
| module            = {{infobox musical artist
| embed      = yes
| alias      = Old Cui ({{lang-zh|c=老崔|p=Lǎo Cuī|labels=no}})
| origin     = China
| genre      = {{flatlist|
* [[Rock music|Rock]]
* [[Folk music|folk]]
* [[hip-hop]]
* [[Electronic music|electronic]]
* [[avant-garde music|avant-garde]]
* [[experimental music|experimental]]
}}
| instrument = {{flatlist|
* Vocals
* guitar
* electric guitar
* trumpet
* synthesizer
* [[Digital audio workstation|DAW]]
}}
| label      = {{flatlist|
*Dongxi
*Jingwen
*Coden
*[[UFO Record|UFO]]
*[[EMI]]
*[[Tencent Music|TME]]
*[[Sony Music]]
*[[Universal Music Group|Universal Music]]
}}
| past_member_of    = [[#Early career|Qi He Ban]]
}}
| module2             = {{Infobox Chinese | child = yes
| c = 崔健
| p = Cuī Jiàn
| mi = {{IPA|cmn|tsʰwéɪ tɕjɛ̂n|}}
<!-- Korean -->
| cnhangul = 최건
| cnrr = Choe Geon
| cnmr = Ch'oe Kŏn
}}
}}

'''Cui Jian''' or '''Choi Geon''' ({{lang-zh|c=崔健}}; {{Korean|hangul=최건}}; born 2 August 1961) is a Chinese singer-songwriter and musician. Dubbed the "[[Honorific nicknames in popular music|Godfather of Chinese Rock]]", Cui is often deemed the most influential rock musician in China.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref>{{cite magazine|publisher=Hebei Art Research Institute|author=Zhang Youdai|language=zh-cn|magazine=Popular Songs|title=是榜样 但不是标准|date=January 2001|issue=1|page=9|location=[[Hebei]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis|title=文化视阈中的中国流行音乐研究|language=zh-cn|author=Zhou Xiaoyan|date=June 2013|degree=PhD|publisher=[[Soochow University (Suzhou)|Soochow University]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=[[:zh:精品购物指南|Shopping Guide]]|language=zh-cn|date=January 15, 2008|url=https://ent.sina.cn/review/media/2008-01-15/detail-icesifvx9469090.d.html|title=那些听崔健的岁月 阳光下的梦|author=Wang Jing}}</ref><ref name="huangguiyu" /><ref name="newschina" /><ref name="npr" />}} His music draws influences from [[Chinese traditional music]], [[hip-hop]], [[jazz]], [[Electronic music|electronic]], and [[Avant-garde music|avant-garde]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Sam C. Mac|url=https://inreviewonline.com/2019/09/02/retro-cui-jian/|title=Cui Jian: The World That's Changing Longs to Never Change|website=Inreviewonline.com|date=September 2, 2019}}</ref> while his lyrics often delve into political, social, and philosophical themes. Recognized for his [[Counterculture|countercultural]] importance,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/china-censorship-lady-gaga-unbanned-672288/|title=China Censorship: Lady Gaga Unbanned, Rock Legend Cui Jian Shuns Official Favor|date=January 19, 2014|author=Clifford Coonan|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> Cui is seen as a [[cultural icon]] whose works have significantly shaped rock music both domestically and across Asia.<ref name="fcjtsh">{{cite magazine|author=Yi Wu|doi=10.54254/2753-7080/5/2024031|title=Rock and China: From Cui Jian to Second Hand Rose|date=March 2024|magazine=Advances in Humanities Research|pages=17–21|volume=5 |issue=1}}</ref>

Born into an [[Koreans in China|ethnic Korean]] family with parents who were both artists, Cui began his musical career in 1981. In 1986, Cui performed his song "[[Nothing to My Name]]" at Beijing's [[Workers' Gymnasium]], which is considered a seminal moment in the history of Chinese rock. Standing out in the Chinese music scene when [[Patriotism|patriotic]] [[ballad]]s and [[Cantopop]] were popular,<ref name="beijingdj" /> he started to gather a [[cult following]] on China's university campuses.<ref name="cultf">{{cite magazine|pages=21–22|magazine=[[City Weekend]]|title=In the Name of the Father|author=Jo Lusby|date=June 2002|issue=10}}</ref> This was followed by ''[[Rock 'n' Roll on the New Long March]]'' (1989), China's first original rock album, which garnered critical reception and commercial success. Despite his popularity among the Chinese youth,<ref name="newschina">{{cite web|url=http://www.newschinamag.com/newschina/articleDetail.do?article_id=1187&section_id=4&magazine_id=12|title=Rolling 30|date=December 28, 2016|work=[[China Newsweek|NEWS CHINA]]}}</ref> he was subject to [[Music censorship|censorship]] by both the Chinese and Taiwanese governments. Siding with demonstrating students during the [[1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre|1989 Tiananmen protests]], Cui was banned from playing major venues in Beijing for a decade. 

Cui's subsequent albums ''[[Solution (Cui Jian album)|Solution]]'' (1991) and ''[[Balls Under the Red Flag]]'' (1994) received critical acclaim, the latter of which is regarded by some as his ''[[magnum opus]]''. He explored [[Electronics in rock music|electronic rock music]] on the albums ''[[The Power of the Powerless (album)|The Power of the Powerless]]'' (1998) and ''[[Show You Colour]]'' (2005). In 2002, he initiated the Live Vocals Movement against [[Lip sync|lip-synching]] at live and televised performances. Following his participation in producing several films, including the [[musical film]] ''[[Blue Sky Bones]]'' (2013), his album ''Frozen Light'' (2015) was regarded as his musical comeback. In 2022, the album ''A Flying Dog'' (2021) earned him the [[Golden Melody Award for Best Male Mandarin Singer]], the top music award in the [[Sinophone|Chinese-speaking world]].<ref name="tianxia" />

British think tank [[Chatham House]] named him one of the most powerful and influential individuals in China in the 21st century. Cui has sold more than 10 million records in Asia.<ref name="npr" /> However, the vast majority of his CDs sold in China were [[Copyright infringement|pirated]]. Including these, the total number of his record sales amounts to approximately 100 million copies.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[United Press International|UPI]]|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/11/13/Chinese-rocker-prepares-legal-action-against-copyright-pirates/8908721630800/|title=Chinese rocker prepares legal action against copyright pirates|date=November 13, 1992}}</ref><ref name="thetimes">{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/asia-travel/china/satisfaction-at-last-for-protest-rocker-banned-by-beijing-r8h69pw2q98|author=Oliver August|date=March 7, 2003|work=[[The Times]]|title=Satisfaction at last for protest rocker banned by Beijing}}</ref>