Bjork Ruffles Chinese Feathers
Variety says that Icelandic warbler Bjork (pictured) has ruffled feathers in China after she cried out “Tibet! Tibet!” at the end of a performance of the song “Declare Independence” during her concert in Shanghai. Local media had flagged the gig, her first in China, as “Bjork’s Shanghai Surprise,” and the pop star lived up to the billing. Sunday’s incident was not reported on state media, but it did prompt outraged responses on bulletin boards and blogs. It is just such outbursts that the Chinese government is hoping to avoid at August’s Olympic Games in Beijing. Bjork, who performed in the ceremonies at the Athens Games, uses the song “Declare Independence” to highlight political issues. The issue of Tibet is rarely discussed in China. The People’s Liberation Army occupied Tibet in 1950, and Beijing has kept a tight grip on it ever since. Hollywood stars including Richard Gere have taken high-profile stances backing the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising.
As a regular reader of lemonwade who is currently living in Tibet, this was quite an interesting post – thanks!