Meet Happy Fire, a Chinese rock ‘n roll band: its members 7, 8 and 9 years old. They have toured in Japan, Tianjin and played at Tango Club in Beijing. And they’re not the only young rock band. There is also 20088, the first kid rock band in China, led by female vocalist and guitarist Guo Xinyue. The band of four began their music studies at the age of 3 or 4. Their teacher Li Hongyu, the founder of 9-Beats Modern Percussion Music School, says: “Rock music has been considered angry, unhealthy and is linked with drugs, crime and other bad things. But when you listen to the kids singing, you will know that rock music is healthy and optimistic, not only in the lyrics but also the upbeat rhythms."
Another music teacher, Huang Yang, the head and founder of Huang Yang Modern Art School in Yichang, wants rock ‘n roll to become as popular as other hobbies, like basketball and skating. Indeed female band member Qiong Wenwen of Superbaby preferred guitar over learning piano, English and painting.
Read full article on Xinhua here.
