With a career beginning in the mid-'80s and continuing to the present day, Cui Jian has earned his title as the 'Father of Chinese Rock' through numerous trials and tribulations. In 1989, in the midst of the Tiananmen Square protests, his music and physical presence became a major influence for student protesters. Though his powerful and charismatic sound resulted in a ban on performing in Beijing until 2004, it allowed him to open for bands like the Rolling Stones and Deep Purple. To hear Cui perform is to hear the raw power of Chinese rock personified.