Yunnanese Sounds: Creativity and Alterity in the Dance and Music Scenes of Urban Yunnan

Abstract

This paper explores the vibrant dance and music scenes of urban Yunnan, providing insights into the multiplicity of musical expressions amongst Yunnanese youth —from rock and pop to hip-hop and dance. It discusses musical expression in Kunming, as well as in smaller cities and townships including Dali and Jinghong. Kunming is perhaps China's second rock-n-roll city after Beijing. The multiple meanings and associations of this musical expression are explored within the wider Chinese polity. In a changing China, music provides a site of creative negotiation where new identities can be forged.