Thread by @CCCblogUoW, Ok, after we first suggested it in September, it's finally happening. A [...]

Ok, after we first suggested it in September, it's finally happening.

A thread on electronic experimentalist Jean-Michel Jarre, the first Western musician to be invited officially to perform in early post-Mao China.

In 1981, Jarre was invited by the Chinese government to perform five concerts.

The concerts took place at the Worker's Stadium in Beijing on Oct 21st and 22nd, and three in Shanghai Stadium on Oct 26, 27 and 28.

They attracted an estimated audience of 120,000.

Before the first concert began technicians realised there wasn't enough power to supply the stage and auditorium. Chinese officials solved the problem by temporarily cutting power to the surrounding districts.

https://movie.douban.com/photos/photo/2453223292/

The stadium was almost full when the concert began, but because Beijing's buses stopped running around 10 o'clock, about half the audience left before it finished.

https://www.thatsmags.com/shanghai/event/detail/38144

The first concert, in Beijing, was attended mostly by officials and military personnel.

However, according to Jarre’s website, he went out before the next concert to hand-out tickets to citizens in the street to enable them to attend his other shows.

https://www.sohu.com/a/250194349_100010427

Jarre composed seven new pieces especially for these concerts, incl. “Souvenir of China”, “Arpégiateur”, “Orient Express”, and “Night in Shanghai”.

Stylistically, the songs "moved from electro over ambient to Chinese traditional music."

https://jeanmicheljarre.com/live/concerts-in-china

He also performed a re-arrangement of the Chinese song the "Fisherman's Chant at Dusk" with the Beijing City Symphonic Orchestra.

Here are some pics of Jarre and his fans after his Beijing concerts.

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/photos/jean-michel-jarre-concert-in-beijing?phrase=jean%20michel%20jarre%20concert%20in%20beijing&sort=best

And is that the 10th Panchen Lama meeting Jarre after one of his gigs??

https://movie.douban.com/photos/photo/2371717018/

Here are some images of the great artwork from his 1981 tour.

And some billboards promoting the show, including one with Jarre standing in front of it.

https://www.timeoutshanghai.com/features/Bars__Clubs-Event_spotlight/42071/Preview-Februarys-special-edition-of-Space-Out.html

It's said that 500 million people across China listened to the concerts live on the radio or watched on TV.

Referring to the 1981 concerts, he says, “It was at a time when Chinese people had no idea what Western culture was for the previous 30 years...."

"... it was a very revolutionary concept as a concert from a Western point of view, even if I’d played in Paris, New York or London, so going to China was already something, but going with new lasers and projections was extraordinary [for them].” https://www.thatsmags.com/shanghai/event/detail/38144

Space Out! Jean Michel Jarre

https://www.thatsmags.com/shanghai/event/detail/38144

An image and some media coverage of Jarre's Beijing visit.

In May 1982 'The Concerts in China' double album was released along with the publication of a book and a 90min film about his 1981 tour in China.

You can watch the full thing here:

In 1994, he performed a concert in Hong Kong to open the new Hong Kong Stadium. After a row over costs, the government insisted Jarre play for free.

On Oct 10th 2004, Jarre returned to PRC for his first performance in 23 years.

This time, he played in the Forbidden City to mark The Year of French Culture in China, and then another at Tiananmen Square.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-10/11/content_381141.htm

The concert opened with a collaboration with soloist Cheng Lin who played her erhu. It also featured the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Chinese National Orchestra and the
National Opera House Choir.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-10/11/content_381141.htm

Here's some footage from the 2004 gig

The following year he released a live album of his 2004 show.

What else we should add in here?

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