Cui Jian has been compared to the biggest names in American rock n’ roll history, including Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. His song, “Nothing to My Name“, became the adopted anthem to the Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989. If you don’t understand the lyrics, the beginning couple of minutes will still strike a powerful chord emotionally. The beginning lyrics translate to:

I have asked you endlessly,
When will you go with me?
But you always laugh at me with,
Nothing to my name
I want to give you my dreams,
And give you my freedom.
But you always laugh at me with,
Nothing to my name.
Ohhh….
When will you go with me?

Imagine risking your life to stand up to a crushing regime and those lyrics play in the background. Very powerful. The song remains one of his most recognized for obvious reasons.

Cui was banned from playing in China until a few years ago. Now, he has significantly more freedom, playing both domestically and internationally. If you ‘re lucky enough to be in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can catch him on May 3rd and 4th. On May 3rd, he performs at the San Jose Convention Center. The next day on May 4th, he’ll take part in the Stanford University Pan-Asian Festival.

These days, Cui Jian plays rather frequently as the Chinese government has loosened its reins. Not a surprise. Commercialism has planted its flag in China, living standards are increasing and financial opportunities are a thousand times more than 20 years ago. So, what can the father of Chinese Rock rebel against now?