Cui Jian

About Cui Jian

Cui Jian (Chinese: 崔健; Korean: 최건; born 2 August 1961) is a Chinese singer-songwriter and musician. Known for his countercultural impact, he has launched a ground-breaking musical trend of Chinese rock and pop, dubbed the "Godfather of Chinese Rock". With poetic, socially conscious lyrics, his experimental approach features multiple traditional instruments, eclectic musical elements and cultural references from different eras. Cui is widely deemed the most influential rock musician in China as well as one of the greatest and most prominent figures in Chinese music. Born into an ethnic Korean family with parents who were both artists, Cui began his musical career as a classically trained trumpeter before switching to guitar. He rose to prominence with his single "Nothing to My Name", which mixed rock and roll and xintianyou and became an instant hit in 1986. A pioneer of the country's alternative music, he challenged the dominant culture, earning a cult following on China's university campuses while also facing backlash from social conservatives.