The May 16 concert by Cui Jian, the pioneer of Chinese rock
and roll, has been cancelled because the musician and his band members could not get visas.
Cui Jian (pronounced “schway jen”) was to have closed “Serious
Pop,” a series on contemporary Asian culture sponsored by East Asian Studies with support from the Freeman Foundation.
There is no indication that Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) had a part in the visa problem, according to Prof. Ted Gilman, director of East Asian Studies.
“This was a case of Chinese artists who could not get visas from the U.S. government,” he said. “But we do not know the reasons.”
Plans are under way to reschedule Cui Jen, perhaps next year.
“A lot of people were looking forward to this concert,” Gilman said. “And Cui Jen and his people are looking forward to setting another date.”