Bob Dylan songs finally heard in China after much wrangling

Bob Dylan songs finally heard in China after much wrangling

Bob Dylan finally performed in China after prolonged negotiations with Chinese authorities. The singer-songwriter played before a crowd of local and foreign music lovers at the Worker's Gymnasium in Beijing.

The musician played for two hours and also delivered a pair of encores to the delight of the audience.

Next stop of Bob Dylan's China tour is Shanghai on Friday before wrapping up with two shows in Hong Kong to coincide with the 50th anniversary of his first musical performance held on April 11, 1961. A performance in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam will be held before Hong Kong.

Chinese officials did not permit Dylan to perform in the country last year because of the nature and lyrics of his songs, which often have political undertones and provocative messages.

But China's culture ministry finally gave Bob Dylan permission last month to perform under the condition that some songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are A-Changin" will not be included in the set.

China has been reluctant to allow foreign artists to perform in the country because of fears that they may stir up protests or dissent against the government. But the China tour of Bob Dylan received wide coverage from Chinese state media.

Authorities did not allow the rock band Rolling Stones from playing the song "Brown Sugar", a song about sex and drugs, when the group performed in Shanghai in 2006.

The much-anticipated performances in China will let the Asian country appreciate the music and legend of one of music's most influential contributors Bob Dylan.

Posted by Kade Quinn on Thursday April 07 2011, 1:24 AM EST. Ref: Inquirer. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Entertainment, Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0