China Daily Global Edition (USA)
FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC
Despite the irregular income and challenging weather conditions, an increasing number of Chinese are taking to the streets to showcase their talent
Yu Hanyi and his wife Liu Liyuan have been particularly concerned about the weather conditions in Shanghai during the past few weekends.
Typhoon activity in the region has brought downpours to the city, and rain means that the couple would have to drop their performances — one on Saturday afternoon, the other on Sunday night — at a corner of Jing’an Park in downtown Shanghai.
As two of the city’s 123 licensed street performers, the couple, usually with Yu on the guitar and Liu on the drums, is allowed to perform at designated hours in the park, where they have constantly drawn crowds and earned a loyal following.
Neither of them are professionally trained artists but performing music on the streets is more than a hobby — it is in fact part of Yu’s full-time pursuit as a singer-songwriter. The 26-year-old, who holds a university degree in agriculture, once landed a job in the local government of his hometown but quit shortly after he realized that his true calling in life was in music.
He currently sings renditions of popular songs as well as his own creations along with his 29-year-old wife Liu, who performs only during the weekends. Liu, a real estate analyst, developed a passion for street performances during her university years in New York City in the United States.
Yu and Liu met in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, when both of them were invited to perform live shows at a friend’s store. Because of their similar experiences and hobbies, they soon fell in love and got married. According to Liu, she and her husband can earn a combined 5,000 yuan ($731) per month for their street performances.
The exposure they get performing on the streets has also created alternative income streams from commercial gigs and song-writing commissions. The money they earn from all these sources, in addition to Liu’s salary as a full-time analyst, has allowed the couple to lead “a life that is comfortable but far from being well-off”.
“While we envy the salaries of our friends, they are also jealous of the fact that we’re doing what we really enjoy,” Liu said, referring to how most of her former classmates are currently in well-paying jobs.
“You don’t choose to become a street artist because you want to make lots of money. You choose it because this is what you love.”
Shanghai is well-known for its biting cold in winter and extreme humidity and heat in the summer, and performing in such conditions has always been a challenge. Liu said she would seek reprieve from the cold in a nearby convenience store so that her hands could stay warm enough for her to perform.
In summer, the couple is usually standing in a puddle of their own perspiration. The rainy season also poses worries because an unexpected downpour could damage their sound system which they have spent much of their income on.
But the couple said they have little to complain, as being able to lead a life as street artists has always been what they desire and the very reason they moved to Shanghai.
Most cities in China prohibit people from carrying out commercial activities in public places. However, in 2014, Shanghai became the first city on the mainland to regulate street performances by issuing eight licenses to artists. The license is issued by the Shanghai Performance Trade Association, which is in charge of the regulations regarding the management of local street artists.
Authorities in Guangdong province’s Shenzhen followed suit in 2015. This year, Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province, did the same.
According to its director Wei Zhi, the Shanghai Performance Trade Association consulted street art administrations in other countries and regions before the launch of its licensing program in Shanghai.
Countries such as the United States, Australia and Spain have long regarded street performers as a recognized occupation. In New York City, for example, street artists whose livelihoods depend on performing are required by the government to showcase their talent in specified areas after acquiring their licenses.
It took Wei and her colleagues several months to evaluate the candidates for the first batch of licensed artists. The criterion was based on the level of talent and professionalism. Those who passed this round of evaluation had to undergo another audition.
As information about the program spread, more street artists including Yu and Liu came forward to apply for a license.
“Getting the license is not the most difficult part of our artistic career. Being accepted and understood much harder than that,” said Yu.
Street performances are not novel in Chinese society. It has a long history in the country, as documented in literary works describing how people used to make a living by performing stunts in public places to make a living. Gradually, beggars adopted this method of income generation, usually playing the erhu (Chinese traditional two-string bowed instrument) or flutes.
Till today, many people associate street performances with begging. The couple recalled that they once met a man who expressed his intrigue that two young and welleducated individuals would resort to “selling arts on the street like beggars”. There were even times when passers-by would leave steamed buns in their box of tips.
According to Luo Huaizhen, a playwright who spent 10 years is leading efforts to legalize street performances in Shanghai, street artists are a distinctive sight in some American and European cities and are able to “color the city with a sense of humanity and vitality”.
“It is what our cities lack and expect,” said Luo, also a political adviser of the Shanghai municipal government, in his first proposal to push for street performances as a legalized profession in 2004.
“With the introduction of certificates for street performers, the city shall be able to attract high-level street artists for this purpose and make street performances a respectable profession in the city.”
Four years after the licensing took effect, street artists in Shanghai now have higher education backgrounds and professional performance experience. Two-thirds of all licensed street performers are young artists aged between 25 and 35.
According to Wei, these 123 performers are showcasing their talent at 17 designated areas around the city.
“Authorized street performances have become a moving landscape and part of the Shanghai brand,” said Wei. “We will look for more suitable places for them to show their talent to locals and tourists from all over the country and the world.”
For another performer Cai Xiaoyuan, becoming a licensed street performer means both dignity and responsibility.
An IT practitioner-turned-street musician, Cai started performing on the streets in 2012. After more than five years of cat-and-mouse games with urban management officers in downtown Shanghai, he eventually teamed up with a few like-minded street artists to form a band called Wuxian, which literally means “infinity.” Last year, they became the first band to receive a license in the city.
Despite being a seasoned performer on the streets and at commercial events, Cai recalled that he was so nervous before the audition that his hands trembled.
“I was so looking forward to getting the license,” he said, explaining why he was a ball of nerves. “When we are certified, that means we represent more than just ourselves, but also the city.”
For him, having a license also means having a responsibility to uphold the legalized status of street artists.
Cai has volunteered to manage the performance and rehearsal schedules for street artists at Jing’an Park, which was made the first official base for street performers in May. Performances and rehearsals are allowed at the park every day from 3 pm to 9 pm.
On days when his band is scheduled to perform, they would always arrive at least 20 minutes ahead of schedule so as not to keep the audience waiting. The band’s popularity has grown rapidly over the past year, in part thanks to the accessibility of online streaming services.
They have been offered deals by various streaming platforms which pay them more than their street performances. They once earned more than 30,000 yuan performing a song that a fan ordered through a streaming service, Cai said.
However, after spending time in the recording studio for the streaming platforms, Cai realized that he preferred performing in public. For him, playing on the streets has become a lifestyle, and it allows him to find inspiration and make friends.
“I can’t find a better stage than the streets where I feel so free and inspired. My music becomes alive as I can interact with passers-by,” he said.
Yu shared the same feelings. “The audience on the street has the most critical ears,” said Yu. “They will leave if you play a wrong note. But they will stop for a song as long as it’s well written, be it familiar-sounding or not.” Online See more by scanning the code