Shanghai in the 1930s was an Asian version of F Scott Fitzgerald's jazz age, flush with money, the thrill of new music, dangerous women and political intrigue. And the focus of much of this activity was the Peace Hotel along the Bund, the Ritz or Waldorf-Astoria of pre-war Shanghai.
Few hotels have such a vaunted place in the history of a city as the Peace Hotel (
PHOTO: IAN BARTHOLOMEW
The Peace Hotel continues to operate as one of Shanghai's top ranking hotels, and in addition to its historical architectural interest, a draw for many visitors to the city is the Peace Hotel jazz band, a group of septuagenarian musicians who are a living link with Shanghai's jazz heyday. The group is visiting Taiwan for a series of concerts in Taichung at the invitation of the Lien Jade Peace Cultural and Education Foundation (
PHOTO: IAN BARTHOLOMEW
While Summertime and Moonlight Serenade are hardly listed among the highest achievements of jazz composition, the six-man band has its own unique appeal, delighting even younger generations of visitors to the Peace Hotel. Having lived through one of the most tumultuous centuries in Chinese history, they seem to retain a quality of innocence and delight in the music they play, which is a joy to watch.
"Mostly we were amateur jazz musicians," said Zhou Wanrong (
PHOTO: IAN BARTHOLOMEW
His face wrinkles with merriment as he recalls the 1930s and 1940s when he and other members of the band played at clubs like the Paramount. "Many people [from our generation] in Taiwan still remember it," he said. Ironically, it was the imminent arrival of the Japanese that gave Zhou and his colleagues their big break.
PHOTO: IAN BARTHOLOMEW
"Before [the Japanese push south], most of the bands in Shanghai were foreigners," he said. "There were lots of Filipino bands playing the big hotels and dance venues. Chinese only played in small bars and clubs." But as the Japanese approached Shanghai, the foreign bands pulled out, "and to keep the business going, managers had no option but to hire Chinese." The demands of western consular presence also produced a demand for Zhou's services. "When they had a parade, we became a marching band; when they held a ball, we put together a big band of nine or 10."
Zhou and other members of the Peace Hotel jazz band found a ready audience in the US troops after the war, who were happy to be regaled with the hits by Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman. "There weren't many people like us," Zhou said. "So we drew good salaries. We were paid in US dollars."
Zhou said that he and other band members took part in various classical orchestras as part of China's cultural diplomacy, playing for former US presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, Queen Elizabeth and numerous other heads of state.
In 1980, when the decadence of jazz became acceptable again, the Peace Hotel brought Zhou and other veterans of the jazz scene together to form its own jazz band. Since then, they have gone from strength to strength, their blend of music and nostalgia becoming all the more appealing as Shanghai reemerges, after decades of cultural and economic repression, as a vibrant regional center.
Who: The Shanghai Peace Hotel Jazz Band (上海和平飯店老年爵士樂團)
When: Dec. 30 - Jan.4
Where: Main Hall, Lien Jade Peace Building (聯聚和平大廈), 111-18, Wen-hsin Rd., Sec. 2, Taichung (台中市文心路二段111-18號)
Tickets: Free. Only a limited number of places remain available. For performance times and bookings, contact tel: (04) 258-9988
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