Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Monday, April 04, 2016

Not only Putin

Russian President Putin is not the only world leader to whom songs have been dedicated. Chinese President Xi is the subject of adulation. You don't have to speak Chinese to recognize the repeated phrase "Xi dada" (Uncle Xi) in this song. This is not unique. Mao Zedong was the subject of a great deal of popular adulation during the Cultural Revolution.

Singing Xi's praises: chorus of Chinese pop songs celebrate president

As Xi moves into his fourth year as president of the world’s most populous nation… musicians are part of a growing chorus of Chinese minstrels singing the praises of the man they call “Xi Dada” which translates as Uncle or Big Daddy Xi.

A rapidly expanding list of pop hits celebrating the president includes tracks such as "Our Xi Dada," "The Idol Xi Dada," "If You Want to Marry, Marry Somebody Like Xi Dada," "China has its Xi Dada," "Be a Man Like Xi Dada" and, best known of all, "Xi Dada Loves Peng Mama" (a reference to China’s first lady, Peng Liyuan)…

Carl Minzner, an expert in Chinese governance at New York’s Fordham University, said Xi’s time in office had seen an increasingly intense and fawning focus on the Communist party chief in the media and some sections of the arts…

And then there's this:

'Rule the party strictly!': Chinese president 'Big Daddy Xi' makes rap debut

Hoping to boost the image of the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, propaganda officials this week transformed him into a microphone fiend, releasing a 2min 44s rap in which the man they call “Big Daddy Xi” contributes backing vocals.

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