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Mandarin Funk

MikeJeffsMikeJeffs 8 Posts
edited May 2007 in Strut Central
Does anyone know of any funk/soul/breaks type tracks with vocals in Mandarin?I'm out in Shanghai and would love to be able to play some stuff that non-English speaking locals could understand. From what I've heard it's pretty unlikely that funk was being made here at the time funk was being made the the USA.... but then you never know... and I don't know about Mandarin speakers elsewhere.

  Comments

  • djsheepdjsheep 3,620 Posts
    Yes, there is manarin type o funky tracks, you need to go diggin when u get there though...

    but if you really want a serious reaction, just drop a traditional chinese pop song from the late 60s in there... my mate did this in Taiwan, shit went down a treat, the whole crowd was singing along and cheering... just go into any op shop and pick up a dusty record and drop it. trust me.

    oh yeah, welcome to soulstrut.

    peace.
  • bboyparkzbboyparkz 549 Posts
    Hi Mike

    How???s it going?

    I know you are down with some of the local B-Boys, are they able to hip you to some funky Chinese titles?

    I only have a few Chinese bits that are funkyish , they nothing special but at least it shows its worth having a dig around for stuff.

    I imagine there must be some stuff in a funk/easy style/lounge style far from straight funk but funky/groovy, I dig that kind of stuff so get diggin Mike!

    I will make some sound clips of the few bits I got and post them up here ASAP, also I must confess I don???t know what Chinese dialect they are in (I played them to Chinese speaking girl I know and she couldn???t understand them).
  • bboyparkzbboyparkz 549 Posts
    Actually I???m sure the records I got are not in mandarin but I???ll post them anyway.
  • bboyparkzbboyparkz 549 Posts
    I got a few other bits too but this will do for starters:

    http://www.zshare.net/audio/19918781b79f3b/

    Can anyone tell me what Chinese dialect these tracks are in?
  • wescoasiawescoasia 126 Posts
    I got a few other bits too but this will do for starters:

    http://www.zshare.net/audio/19918781b79f3b/

    Can anyone tell me what Chinese dialect these tracks are in?

    Hey thanks a lot for upping these. All those clips were in Mandarin. Maybe it doesn't sound like it because of how each of them are signing, but it is. Can't tell if they're from Taiwan or the Mainland, but the first 3 could be from Taiwan. Last one, maybe Shanghai? And if you have the chance to upload them in their entirety that would be dope, too!
  • MikeJeffsMikeJeffs 8 Posts
    Thanks for the welcome, actually been a member here for years, and thought I'd made some posts... but obviously not. Should probably get rid of this username before I get stuck with it at another forum.

    Cheers Parker, things are all good - will shoot you an email.

    I'll check out those samples

    I've been keeping my eyes peeled for record places here. I can't say I've seen a single record outside of this one store that does dance music. A couple of people that I asked said that vinyl was never really popular/allowed back then so there's very little to be found. There was a bit of a language barrier though when that was being explained to me, but that was the jist I got.

    I'd expect most of it to come from Taiwan if I can find anything here.
  • jinx74jinx74 2,287 Posts
    i dont know if this would work so well in another country but i dont know... i used to have a "records wanted" flyer made up in spanish. i used to go to the bars and hand out a few flyers and hope someone gave me their number. now i dont know a lick of spanish but i had friends translate and talk to folks on the phone for me. not saying it worked out great everytime but i did get some real good records out of it.
  • Young_PhonicsYoung_Phonics 8,039 Posts
    i dont know if this would work so well in another country but i dont know... i used to have a "records wanted" flyer made up in spanish. i used to go to the bars and hand out a few flyers and hope someone gave me their number.






    lick
  • HairyBelafonteHairyBelafonte 1,202 Posts
    not saying it worked out great everytime but i did get some out of it.
  • jinx74jinx74 2,287 Posts
    what is this the dumb and dumber tag team of kingmoist and hairyballsacks?
  • AserAser 2,351 Posts
    the first 3 are from taiwan, that's for sure. You'll have more luck focusing on Taiwan and HK records than mainland joints. I suggest you just give up on mainland joints period if you're interested in in soul/funk.

    Last thing on my mind when I'm in Shanghai is records, but that's just me.
  • davesrecordsdavesrecords 1,802 Posts
    i have a record out of taiwan by a singer named jenny (thanks kenny!).

    it's slightly funky. i wouldn't say funk, but it has a funky rhythm section on some tracks.

    as you know there probably wasn't too much western music being made in mainland china.

    the only mandarin chinese records that are funky are from either singapore (?) or taiwan. hong kong has some of them. i think they speak mandarin in singapore.

    you should pm kenny or loopworm on here. he's the one that laced me with that jenny record and he knows much more about funky chinese music than i do.

    oh yeah, i'm in hong kong right now so if you have any cantonese wants i maybe can hook you up!
  • bboyparkzbboyparkz 549 Posts
    So if a record is from Taiwan and sung in Mandarin would someone on the Chinese mainland (Shanghai for example) be able to perfectly understand the record from Taiwan? Is the dialect (mandarin) exactly the same whether from Taiwan or China (allowing for small regional variations I guess).

    I think its been established on Soul Strut a few times that due to the cultural revolution there were no (or a least no western/funky) releases in mainland china.
  • bboyparkzbboyparkz 549 Posts
    And if you have the chance to upload them in their entirety that would be dope, too!

    No probs.
    I will up them, but it might take me a few days to sort it out, if I forget give me a PM next week.
  • CosmophonicCosmophonic 1,172 Posts
    TIAO SU RONG!!!! How many times must I mention this record? "Xiao Piao Yu Wo" is like the "Cold Sweat" of the Far East!

    - J
  • wescoasiawescoasia 126 Posts
    So if a record is from Taiwan and sung in Mandarin would someone on the Chinese mainland (Shanghai for example) be able to perfectly understand the record from Taiwan? Is the dialect (mandarin) exactly the same whether from Taiwan or China (allowing for small regional variations I guess).

    There are lots of regional accents that make it difficult to understand all mandarin speakers. For example, my folks are from Taiwan, but when I hear a Beijing speaker, which is supposed to be the "proper" or standard way of speaking, the big drawl tone due to their curling of the tongue, makes it hard for me make out phrases at times. But like people have noted above, records were only made in Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Singapore, for the most part. So you'll hear those accents more often than not.
  • MikeJeffsMikeJeffs 8 Posts
    Cheers Parkz, full versions of those would be dope.

    I think levels of understanding between the different areas are pretty high in general. The Taiwan record sounded pretty similar to what i hear in Shanghai, minus a little Shanghai twang. Although most of the mainland speak Mandarin there's still people that only speak their local language. If you drive out of Shanghai for an hour or two, you'll find some old people only speak Shanghainise - which is completly different to Mandarin and Cantonese.

    Cosmo: Do you know the Chinese characters for that record? Or a cover scan?
  • kennykenny 1,024 Posts

    dayum! how many strutters are actually in shanghai right now?

    there's like one shanghai thread every month.
  • snosno 332 Posts
    Keep an eye out for these names for these faces (as their album covers are usually imaginatively enough, their extreme face close-up photos, but most of the following are sung in Cantonese (not Mandarin) though:

    Jenny Tseng


    Francis Yip


    Teresa Carpio


    Some other male vocalists:

    Tsui Siu Ming - the last tune on B side is a funny, but mildly funky disco-ish tune about acne.


    Loads of "Big Al" (大AL)...as usual...mid to late 70s disco.
  • Strider79itStrider79it 1,176 Posts

    dayum! how many strutters are actually in shanghai right now?

    there's like one shanghai thread every month.

    Yep, I 'm mostly the one looking for info on Shanghai...

    . I will be here near 1 year so let me know if anyone of you is around, ok fellaz ?

    ...as for the city: I really suspect it is RECORDS-DRY, but it has some great Dvd spots...
  • AserAser 2,351 Posts

    dayum! how many strutters are actually in shanghai right now?

    there's like one shanghai thread every month.

    gwailo wanting a piece of that RMB.
  • bboyparkzbboyparkz 549 Posts
    Sorry its taken me so long to up the full versions of the tunes I promised but as I mentioned to some of you (via PM) my wife has been away visiting her parents for a few weeks and I been using that time to good effect, its been rock n roll for sure.
    Highlights included a amazing Blonde Redhead concert and an east London rooftop rave was something else (what I can remember of it anyway).

    Anyway here???s the link to the full sound clips: http://www.zshare.net/audio/2249615fa7c69b/
  • DJ_ZuluDJ_Zulu 2 Posts
    Hey guys, i'm living in Taipei right now and i would like to know some info about taiwanese/chinese funk stuff. Some info about record stores would be very appreciated
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