[Music] Roman Tam -- A Chinese Dream

Candlelight for the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre

 
1. Has reading a book ever brings you to tears?

In my teens, there was a period when I was quite emotional and I remember there were four books that brought me to tears when reading them.

The first book was Lin Yutang's My Country and My People (1935).

I did all my secondary school in Vancouver and I chanced upon Lin's book in the small library of my school when I was in Grade 8.

Like anyone in their teens, there were many psychological tasks one has to master and one of those was to establish one's identity.

Although very appreciative of the multi-culturalism of Canada, I was having difficulties relating my Chinese heritage to my identity.

Reading Lin Yutang's My Country and My People (1935) reinforced that my Chinese heritage was part of my identity.

But in what ways?

That took many years to work out.


2. A Chinese Dream ("中國夢") (1984) by Roman Tam is one song that always brings out the "Chinese feelings" inside me.

The lyrics are nationalistic but not triumphalist.

The lyrics speak to what Chinese hopes China will become.

This song has been sung many times over the years in the Candlelight Vigil for June 4 Massacre held annually at Victoria Park in Hong Kong.

Tears always well-up in my eyes when the lyrics come to:

要中國人人見歡樂
("That every Chinese will see happiness")

笑聲笑面長伴黃河
("Laughter and smiles will long be heard and seen along the Yellow River")

五千年無數中國夢
("Countless Chinese dreams in five thousand years")

內容始終一個
("Are but the same in content")


3. The late Roman Tam singing A Chinese Dream ("中國夢") (1984):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG3m46vnQkc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t4B4Z6Ny_I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX5fOvBr39w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf6Q0x29zCw


Roman Tam singing in Concert for Democracy in China (1989):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K7xMmSwVyQ


Music video by Roman Tam:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLavvirGkaY


Roman Tam in concert:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0wJVJl9zYI



4. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:


中國夢 -- 羅文

作曲：趙文海
編曲：趙文海
作詞：黃霑

我的夢和你的夢   每一個夢源自黃河
五千年無數的渴望   在河中滔滔過
那一個夢澎湃歡樂   那一個夢傾湧苦楚
有幾回唐漢風範   讓同胞不受折磨

* 那天我中國展步   何時睡獅吼響驚世歌
沖天開覓向前路   巨龍揮出自我
要中國人人見歡樂   笑聲笑面長伴黃河
五千年無數中國夢   內容始終一個

Repeat *

要中國人人每一個做 自由樂暢幸福我


5. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:


中国梦 -- 罗文

作曲：赵文海
编曲：赵文海
作词：黄霑

我的梦和你的梦   每一个梦源自黄河
五千年无数的渴望   在河中滔滔过
那一个梦澎湃欢乐   那一个梦倾涌苦楚
有几回唐汉风范   让同胞不受折磨

* 那天我中国展步   何时睡狮吼响惊世歌
冲天开觅向前路   巨龙挥出自我
要中国人人见欢乐   笑声笑面长伴黄河
五千年无数中国梦   内容始终一个

Repeat *

要中国人人每一个做   自由乐畅幸福我


6. Names, Words and Phrases:

Candlelight Vigil for June 4 Massacre (Traditional Chinese: 維園六四燭光晚會; Simplified Chinese: 维园六四烛光晚会).

Concert for Democracy in China (Traditional: 民主歌聲獻中華; Simplified: 民主歌声献中华).

Lin Yutang (Traditional: 林語堂; Simplified: 林语堂).

My Country and My People (Traditional: 吾國與吾民; Simplified: 吾国与吾民).

Roman Tam (Traditional: 羅文; Simplified: 罗文).


References:

"Lin Yutang", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin_Yutang
(accessed 2016-05-30).

"Roman Tam", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Tam
(accessed 2016-05-30).

"林語堂", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E6%9E%97%E8%AF%AD%E5%A0%82
(accessed 2016-05-30).

"羅文", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E7%BE%85%E6%96%87
(accessed 2016-05-30).

"吾國與吾民", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%90%BE%E5%9B%BD%E4%B8%8E%E5%90%BE%E6%B0%91
(accessed 2016-05-30).

"中國夢 (歌曲)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B%E5%A4%A2_%28%E6%AD%8C%E6%9B%B2%29
(accessed 2016-05-30).

"中国梦 （罗文演唱歌曲）", baike.baidu.com,
http://baike.baidu.com/subview/1817221/9342602.htm
(accessed 2016-05-30).

"民主歌聲獻中華", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E6%B0%91%E4%B8%BB%E6%AD%8C%E8%81%B2%E7%8D%BB%E4%B8%AD%E8%8F%AF
(accessed 2016-05-30).

"維園六四燭光晚會", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E7%B6%AD%E5%9C%92%E5%85%AD%E5%9B%9B%E7%87%AD%E5%85%89%E6%99%9A%E6%9C%83
(accessed 2016-05-30).

End.

[Opinion] China's Path to Dictatorship?

1. I am very alarmed by the institutional reforms Xi Jinping is undertaking in China.

Under the guise of anti-corruption and efficiency, Xi Jinping is making far reaching institutional reforms.

Collectively, I believe the reforms set the stage for dictatorship by dismantling whatever checks and balances there are in China.


2. China's 2016 Military Reform is a step in the wrong direction.

China's military is under the control of the communist party and to prevent the in-fighting of the communist party from spilling into the military, the Chinese military has traditionally dispersed its power among the Central Military Commission, the four general headquarters, and the seven military regions.

The 2016 Military reform has completely reorganized the chain of command and the command authority.

The 2016 Military Reform has streamlined the chain of command but at the same time destroyed the traditional check and balance within the Chinese military.

The 2016 reform is more suited for a democratic country where the military is under civilian control than for an authoritarian state such as China.


3. The Communist Youth League is one of the traditional training ground and power base of the Communist Party of China.

Hu Yaobang (General Secretary 1982 -1987), Hu Jintao (General Secretary 2002 - 2012), and Li Keqiang (Premier 2013 - present) were all one-time First Secretary of the Communist Youth League of China.

According to news reports, the budget of the Communist Youth League for 2016 has been slashed to 306 million yuan from 2015's 624 million yuan.

That is a reduction of over 50% in one year.

The budget reduction coupled with a yet to be announced reorganization plan might crippled the Communist Youth League.

The Communist Youth League provides a check on the power of Xi Jinping who is from a different power base, the "Second Generation Reds".


4. There is a rumor that discussion has begun about reorganizing the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China.

The Politburo Standing Committee has traditionally been composed of between 5 to 9 members; the current number of members is 7.

The rumor is that abolishing the Politburo Standing Committee is on the discussion table.

How the Politburo Standing Committee will be reorganize is another bellwether for the check and balance of power in China.


5. The need for check and balance on power is rooted in human nature.

There is both a noble side and an ugly side to human nature.

In politics, the ugly side of human nature is manifested in the hunger for power to control others.

As Lord Acton (1834-1902) famously said: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

I am very alarmed by the recent institutional reforms of Xi Jinping because he is destroying the check and balance on power in China in the name of anti-corruption and efficiency.

Given the authoritarian nature of the Chinese government, the dismantling of the checks and balances may be a prelude to dictatorship.

Will Xi Jinping going to be the General Secretary for life?


End.