Campus ballads first boarded on the mainland in the mid 1980's when, for the first time, guitarists who could both write and sing music began to appear on the campus of two of China's colleges. As this group grew in number, it became a common spectacle for college students then to spend their weekend nights sitting on the grass and singing campus ballads together.

In the beginning, mainland schools songs were usually written by boys to girls they admired, as way of expressing their love. Gradually, with also performing ballads, the recipients and topics of campus ballads have become wider and wider. The students not only sing to their classmates, but also to their teachers and families about not only love, but also their campus life.

In 1994, a tape named "Campus Ballads" became popular among university students. The songs on the tape were created by students from universities in Beijing and had soft and gentle melodies that left listeners with a leisurely and fresh mood.
The tape caused a strong sympathetic response among university students.

In the same year, another tape "Campus Without Enclosure" emerged. All of its songs were created and sung by the students of Beijing University . Soon, some of the tape's songs like "My Desk Mate," "White Dress Dancing," and "No Regret for My Youth" created a big influence on both the campus and society.

In Mainland China, campus ballads were once a part of school culture and were imbued with the dreams and passions of young people. However, this particular new culture phenomenon of campus ballads did not develope alongside people's preconception, which always develop new tastes over time. The popularity of campus ballads lasted only two years before succumbing to its superficiality.

In recent years, there haven't been too many campus ballads heard, nor have any more popular campus singers emerged. It seems like the campus ballads -- a music spirit in university students' mind, are already farther and farther from people.

Taiwan artist Li Zongsheng, who is called the Godfather of Taiwan music, said: "A beautiful song is easy to write, because the method, technology, and skill can be gotten easily. But the sincere song is rare." In such a commercially driven society, this sincerity is really estimable.

Author:Ivana