Nowadays in Shanghai, you can hear a great variety of music and operas from all over the world, such as the traditional Beijing Opera and Kunqu Opera, the rhythmic and dynamic hip-hop, the elegant and melancholy Jazz or Blues, etc. While the sounds all across the world permeate the air of the municipality, it should be noticed that Shanghai has its own folk songs, which were born in the fields or at the dock. These ballads, based on daily life, have been passed on vocally and expressed the genuine feelings of the laboring people. It seems that these ballads are now still vaguely heard on the bustle and hustle streets and lanes of the city.
The Clash of Tradition and Avant-garde - Shanghai Rap
A newly-rising form of the street culture as it is, Shanghai Rap is similar to the performance of talking and singing in Shanghai dialect used in the Shanghai burlesque show (Shanghai Huajixi) for quite a long time, although they are widely divergent in terms of the form and content. Based on the hip hop rhythm and the Shanghai dialect, Shanghai Rap expresses the feelings to things in the world in a brand-new style, which is full of emotional appeal.
From the Field to the Stage - Huju Opera
Huju Opera is an indigenous performing art in Shanghai. As it used to be sung by the ordinary during the process of development, it is also known as "folk songs". It is probably the best-received form of traditional ballads at present. The song Purple Bamboo Tune and the adapted song Pearl Tower have been passed on till now.
Call in Sweats and Tears - Work Song at the Shanghai Dock
As old Shanghai became the Far East shipping center and its industry developed well, the dockers were faced with more and more pressure. The yelling of dockers becomes work songs passed on from one hundred years ago. They are the call of the workers when faced with heavy workload and physical pressure.
Shanghai Gong-drum Song Deriving from Praying for Divine Protection
The Gong-drum Song derives from an activity of praying for the protection of gods and spirits in the rural areas of Shanghai. The content, with apparently rustic and local flavor, is mostly based on folktales, historical novels, family ethics and historical events.
Field Ballads for a Good Harvest
Popular in Qingpu District, Shanghai, the field ballads were created by and sung for the laboring people. When working hard in the sun, the sweaty farmers would sing those songs to express their joy for a good harvest. Therefore, these songs get widely popular all over Qingpu District. They have passed on till now from generation to generation in the rural areas.
