Invitation to a Presentation of CCFS on
Contemporary Chinese Reggaeby
Guo Jian
Lead Singer of Long Shen Dao
June 18, 2013
Library and Archives Canada, Room 156395 Wellington Street, Ottawa
at 7:30 p.m.
Refreshments and conversation following the presentation
Everyone is welcome.*Reggae was born in the early 1960s among poor blacks in Trenchtown, the main ghetto of Kingston
Jamaica. Jamaican musicians blended traditional Jamaican folk music and drumming with American R&B,
and jazz into ska, that later evolved into reggae under the influence of rocksteady and soul.
Reggae entered international consciousness in the early 1970s, together with the Rastafari’s philosophy,
“The Way of Life”; and mushroomed in popularity internationally, largely due to the fame of Bob Marley
and Peter Tosh. Both Marley and Tosh infused their lyrics with political and social messages inspired by
Rastafari, and incorporated Rastafarian chanting into their music, lyrics and album covers.
Fifty years after its birth in the slums of Jamaica, reggae has spread around the world. Long Shen Dao,
(The Way of the Dragon God) China’s leading reggae band is touring Canada bringing their unique
Chinese interpretation of reggae and the Way of Life to Canada and Canadians.
Gou Jian, the lead singer for Long Shen Dao, supported by Ember Swift, his Canadian born musician wife,
will take us on a journey through Long Shen Dao’s approach to the music of reggae; how they have
integrated traditional Chinese instruments; the influence of Chinese Taoism on their musical approach to
song lyrics and contemporary issues; how the structure of the Chinese music industry affects their access
to audiences; and, the role of international tours in the development in Long Shen Dao’s success.
*
Free for CCFS members. There is a charge of $5 for non-CCFS members. The CCFS-Ottawa annual membership is $20 for individuals, $30 for a family, $12 for a student and $17 for a student family.
For further information, please call 613-729-3660 or go to www.fccfa.ca/Ottawa
. Membership forms are available at this website.