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Text/Xiao Ning talks about sports
Editor/Xiao Ning talks about sports
[Feelings are greater than elegance and vulgarity, and art is not divided into high and low]
"His singing voice is more earthy, more earthy than Gao Jin's, his songs shouldn't even appear on the stage of Hunan Satellite TV, where should he appear? Appeared in the barber parlor at the junction of urban and rural areas, and in the mobile phone of the rural motorcycle boy!"
In 2024, music critic Ding Taisheng criticized the online music celebrity Hailai Amu in the "Singer" program, saying that his songs are "full of earthy flavor", and the singing tone is vulgar, and it is only suitable for playing in barbershops and rural areas at the junction of urban and rural areas. A blow on the head pointed out that Hailai Amu, who was born at the grassroots, was not "elegant" enough, causing an uproar. What exactly is elegant? What is vulgar again? The difference between elegance and vulgarity, isn't it a chicken feather?
14 years ago, the grassroots singer Daolang was also questioned by public opinion. In the face of the accusations of Na Ying and others, saying that it lacked musical aesthetics, the songs were "bottomless" and "earthy", and Daolang, who was full of loneliness at that time, was also severely belittled. Now that fate has been ruthlessly reversed, Hailai Amu has then taken on this cross burden. Is the "aesthetic cleanliness" of Na Ying, Ding Taisheng and others just wishful thinking and arrogance?
In the face of repeated repeated unfounded doubts, the masses still regard the high-pitched singing of these grassroots musicians as precious spiritual food. How can the charm of musical art be limited by the narrow definition of a few? They are like the colorful life itself, in all its forms. Those works that contain soul are the most shining pearls in the temple of art.
Remember that early winter night? Just when Daolang was questioned by the judges of the grand ceremony that "only worthy of farmers to listen", the poor boy of the old Ma family in the ravine was listening to the sorrowful farewell in "Northland Walnut Night" with tears in his eyes. The talents in the city scoffed, thinking that Daolang's singing "Mountain Treasures and Game" was too rough, but they didn't expect that the strong atmosphere of fireworks in the world had already deeply touched the hearts of tens of millions of people.
A young voice as clear as water, dragging a bold and clean voice, Hailai Amu's "Agoji Song" sings the homesickness of all the children of the Yi nationality. One song is enough to remind millions of people of that distant home on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Where is such a touching appeal inferior to those gorgeous poems sought after by literati?
The vitality of all art lies precisely in that sincere feeling. When the deep emotions are perfectly matched by the notes and the singing, the overflowing spirit can resonate widely. What literati and writers sought after was perhaps the most imaginative and gorgeous lyricism; However, those popular works that fill the market and circulate among the people are often the true meaning of art that ordinary people yearn for and are closest to life.
Tracing back to the roots, in an era when European aristocratic culture had dominated for a long time, the taste of the court nobility should have been highly respected. However, at that time, the unique essence of the common culture, which was regarded as "vulgar", was also quietly nurtured and gradually exuded fragrance.
For example, the most sought-after Romantic composers who wrote such masterpieces as The Serenade and the Fifth Symphony were inspired by the observation of street performers or boudoir ladies. Even the waltz, as it is so popular today, has its origins in the three-step kick dance that was common among the common people of the day. Familiar folk songs and ballads are often the cultural fertile ground for the development of all arts.
Music, like a vivid picture of life, can always tell the most touching miracle story. Whether you are an aristocrat in the upper class or an ordinary person, as long as you have a song in your heart, it is the best work of art. Those popular melodies that are devalued as "earthy" by narrow orthodoxy may be more likely to hit people's nostalgia and resonance.
The so-called "kitsch" is often just a piece of chicken feathers. What is considered vulgar by the "mainstream" authority does not necessarily have any artistic quality. On the contrary, they may not be the purest and most unpretentious embodiment of art. If you can see through the fog and finally see the sun through the clouds and find the spark that truly resonates with people's hearts, it will become an immortal classic.
Music is like a bubbling stream, with the feet of stones and the gentleness of fine sand, sometimes rough and turbulent, or delicate and gentle, and it is this endless ups and downs that is the mystery of moving the heartstrings. We should let go of our preconceptions, jump out of the shackles of hierarchy, and let true art grow freely and let a hundred flowers bloom. Perhaps in a seemingly simple place, the most brilliant and dazzling artistic flowers can be bred.
Today, you are questioned as "vulgar"; And tomorrow, you have become a masterpiece of the new era. Because music should never be confined to the walls of a certain hierarchy, it should flow freely and equally in every corner, soothing all those who yearn for sincerity. It doesn't matter how high or low, as long as it comes from the shock and resonance of the heart, it is the most precious artistic embodiment.
Looking back on the past, it is not difficult to find that many of the artists who were enthusiastically pursued back then have been denied by the mainstream. For example, Alan Tam, an old cannon who sings gentle and sincere love songs with a hoarse and rough voice, was also questioned as taking the "vulgar route" back then. Today, he has already become a well-known legend in the music world.
Looking at the popular variety shows, the sincere performances of amateur contestants can often make people cry, while professional singers often seem contrived and stiff. The reason is that ordinary people's dedication to music is often more pure, their emotional investment is more sincere, and they return to the true nature of art away from secular carving.
This is reminiscent of many years ago, when the idol singer group F4 held an unaccompanied performance at Taipei Arena, thinking that the gorgeous singing skills would make the audience boil. But on the contrary, it was a song from a local folk singer, "Lover", sung with the most simple voice, which made tens of thousands of female fans cry. That kind of penetrating power far exceeds the live performance of superstars such as Jacky Cheung later.
The reason is that no matter how superb the musical skills are, if they lack the most simple emotional sustenance and expression, it is just icing on the cake. However, those rustic ballads conveyed the artist's voice to the greatest extent, and the audience's resonance had a wonderful chemistry with it.
From this point of view, it is difficult to judge the aesthetic quality of music completely by the hierarchy. It is more like a mirror, reflecting the creator's unique feelings and understanding of the world. Only with the greatest open-mindedness, embracing the various states of the world, the most simple flower of art, can quietly bloom in the soil.
Times are changing, and the standards of many things are constantly being updated. As a new generation of singers, Hailai Amu and Daolang have both resonated widely with their unique musical styles, and their works are tantamount to the artistic embodiment of the new generation. The "earthy taste" in the eyes of the older generation of singers will not become a classic style for the next generation.
This is like Jay Chou's song, which was questioned as "poisonous" back then, and now it has become a rare classic pop music. Therefore, our definition of music aesthetics should be eclectic, look to the future, and embrace all possible new trends. We should not arbitrarily deny all different attempts because of personal opinions, that is the real backwardness and conservatism.
Times have changed, and so has music. Many of the old folk songs, which have been passed down for hundreds of years, are being reinterpreted and revitalized by modern musicians. Compared with the art palaces that were once considered "elegant", these works with both ancient style and fashion are more popular among contemporary young people. It can be seen that art is never-ending, and it should not be limited by rank.
For the highest temple of the musical soul, it is neither in the palace of gold and splendour, nor in the humble straw hut, but everywhere. Those simple melodies, once they can be vividly soaked into people's hearts, are the highest presentation of art. No one has the right to make a final judgment on music, we should only listen to the resonance of our hearts and embrace the diversity of art.
Today's well-known musicians criticize newcomers, but tomorrow they may still hold the authority to judge art. The reason why art exists is to transcend hierarchy and authority, and bring more fresh and unique experiences and perspectives to the world. It is our responsibility to open more doors for art, rather than arbitrarily closing the doors, which is a dereliction of duty and a departure from the spirit of all art.
It has been said that music is a mirror of life. The world in the mirror is different, and it may exist in the ordinariness of your life. Daolang and Hailai Amu are both musicians who have come out of such a life, and the taste of fireworks in their works is particularly sincere and moving, which has aroused widespread resonance.
The "earthy taste" they are questioned is nothing less than an artistic embodiment of the normality of life. Perhaps, in the eyes of many people, this simple way of expression cannot enter the high-end standards of art. But on the other hand, those intellectuals who have leaned north of high art may also miss another more authentic form of art.
Everyone's definition of aesthetics is different, and there is no way to say who is right and who is wrong. It is important that we embrace a diverse and inclusive mindset and embrace the coexistence of all kinds of art with empathy, rather than blindly insulting and opposing art forms that do not conform to us.
Hailai Amu was questioned as "earthy", and Daolang was considered "cheesy". But it is precisely this "earthy" and "vulgar" element that has allowed countless ordinary people to find resonance in their music and obtain valuable spiritual nourishment. Who can deny that this is the ultimate value of the existence of art?
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