China X Bollywood, others X China



Though I do love when singers or music groups use their own country’s traditional culture as a background or concept for their music, sometimes interacting with foreign traditional cultures also can also end in a whole new, special and entertaining result. Maybe that’s because the „imitator” is able to see the imitated culture as the people whom the culture belongs to never can.

Here are four music videos where the artists represent a foreign traditional culture – and it’s merely a coincidence, but both of them share a common thing: China or Chinese culture.

1. One Two Free – Bollywood

China/Taiwan meets India and Bollywood! The music videos tells the story of a love triangle and the great hype surrounding the wedding – so common in the Indian movies and television series. Have you ever seen an Indian wedding? Some of the rituals are really touching, while everything else is gorgeous and luxurious, specially the dresses and the jewels.

Apart from that the music video is funny and colourful, I think it successfully caught the essence of Indian culture – clothing, dance and music style.

2. AKB48 – Flying Get

When I wrote about the AKB48-effect, I already mentioned that one of the main reasons I’m interested in AKB48 is the usage of traditional culture in their music and concept. Mostly they corporate traditional Japanese elements into their image, but in the case of Flying Get, the style is Chinese. And it’s the Chinese flair what makes this music video gorgeous. To be honest, I don’t like the song itself, but the music video made me listen it again and again.

The dresses and the set maybe aren’t historically accurate, but I consider it as another strong point of the music video: the „cultural collaboration” can bring some freshness and new ideas while maintain the original characteristics at the same time.

3. Coldplay feat. Rihanna – Princess of China

What can I say? The music video features wu-xia, 1000 arms Guan-yin dance, drums, masked and ninja-like assassins, etc. – everything associated with the Chinese culture in the West.

4. Orange Caramel – Shanghai Romance

Hm… I don’t like aegyo at all and Orange Caramel isn’t my favourite Korean group, but the traditional Chinese music intro part and the sets are good. In my opinion the girls’ dresses could have been a little more cheongsam-like and they should have left out those wigs-helmets.

by Alla