China's culture officials this week cleared Christina Aguilera to
perform in Shanghai next month despite misgivings about the racy US
pop star's "sexy" act, entertainment sources said on Wednesday.
China's censors banned the Rolling Stones from playing some of
their more sexually explicit songs at their first concert in
Shanghai last year, and Beijing also cancelled rap artist Jay-Z's
2006 concert, citing indecent lyrics, local media reported.
But an entertainment source close to the concert's organizer
said Aguilera had obtained all the necessary government approvals
and that tickets would be available soon.
Aguilera's official Web site says she will perform in Shanghai
on June 26.
"Definitely, not every foreign artist has the luck to win
Beijing's approval and Christina's sexy performance was once a
concern when applying to the regulators," said the source who
declined to be named.
The Shanghai date would be the only concert in mainland China,
another source told Reuters.
"There will be no concert in Beijing or any other mainland
cities for this time," he said, adding that tickets would cost
between 200 yuan and 2,000 yuan (about US$26 to 260).
Aguilera, renowned for her eye-catching costume choices as much
as her soaring ballads, is the latest in a growing list of
international stars to play China's commercial capital, despite
culture officials' traditionally strict reservations about overtly
sexual themes in lyrics and performance.
China's culture officials once asked Britney Spears to detail
her costume and song-list for a planned gig, which eventually did
not materialize.
(Chinadaily.com.cn/Agency May 17, 2007)
