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American jazz musician and music teacher Nicholas Bouloukos says Shanghai needs more live music, especially jazz. He's baffled by the cult of DJs and the money clubs throw at them; he wants to see the city discard the fluff and go for musical substance, writes Jenny Hammond.

 

Found by night on stage playing piano or saxophone in some of the city's best jazz venues and by day teaching music, an American expat says Shanghai's music scene needs more live jazz -- and not the junk on mobile cell phone rings.

 

"When I first arrived I saw a pretty low level of musicality. That I said, can see changes and there is very good music talent here," says 34-year-old Nicholas Bouloukos who has been here since February 2002.

 

Having performed a private concert for private citizen Bill Clinton in Tokyo and been part of hundreds of bands over the years, Bouloukos is now one of the most prolific music men in Shanghai. With many "strings to his bow," Bouloukos is a musician, performer, singer, actor, writer, music teacher and more recently a family man.

 

"I can play everything on a level for instructing -- piano, saxophone, guitar and drums to the more off-beat instruments like the Greek bouzouki (ancestor of the guitar)," he says.

 

With a "straight-ahead jazz," or "hard-bop" style, he explains, "ever since I was a kid, I loved music."

 

With his first "on stage" debut at the age of seven for an Off-Broadway show called "Working," "I have always loved performing but never thought I would end up doing it for a career, especially not in Shanghai."

 

Growing up with music, the New Yorker continues, "my mother was a jazz singer and I remember she used to always play jazz when I was growing up. I never really liked it until I was about 16 and then it just clicked and took over."

 

He was working in Bangkok playing jazz and got a phone call from Lin Dongfu, owner of Shanghai's House of Blues and Jazz club. "At the time, Lin had mainly local performers, so said to me in his deep drawl, 'I hear you are a fabulous pianist,"' Bouloukos recalls.

 

So, the American sent him a demo; Lin liked what he heard, so Bouloukos arrived in Shanghai in early 2002.

 

"It was only meant to be for one month but I just couldn't leave, I met so many colorful characters and found it to be so much fun."

 

Having spent the last five years based here, occasionally flying to Tokyo, India, Europe and the US for work, his only major detour from Shanghai was spending eight months in Hangzhou last year, performing at the local JZ club.

 

In Hangzhou he got engaged to be married. His wife An Qi, or Angel in English, is an architect. They decided to move back to Shanghai as it was better for both their careers.

 

Now, the freelance musician can be found grooving on the stage of clubs such as JZ's at night and teaching at the JZ School in the day.

 

"I teach piano and a vocal ensemble class that is proving to be very popular. I teach people from South Korea, Japan, Brazil, Europe, China and more, of all ages, so it is very diverse."

 

Boukoulos says the music scene in Shanghai is changing for the better. "I used to think perhaps there was no place in modern China for Western music, as I always look at the locals for a barometer.

 

"There is a future for music here but we need more live music. Something baffling to me is the cult of the DJs and seeing the amount of money clubs here throw at them."

 

"There is so much fluff here, we need more substance," he says. "I want to see more jazz played live in this city, not just on mobile phone ring tones."

 

Considering Shanghai as his first home in Asia, he concludes, "I have a similar feeling here as I do in New York. When I leave and then come back it is still the same city. Its visage may change but not its energy. I think I will stick around, although how many people really know what they will do in the future?"

 

Nicholas Bouloukos

 

Nationality: US

  

Age: 34

  

Profession: Jazz musician, music and media production

 

Q&A

 

Favorite place in Shanghai?

 

Anywhere in the former French Concession area around twilight. It is one of the few places you can still find a little quiet.

 

Life's motto?

 

I am not one for mottoes or tying my behavior to other people's ideas, although I was a physiology major at university so I know many.

 

Strangest sight: When I first came to Shanghai in 2002, there were not many musicians so the government asked us to do all sorts of concerts. In May 2003, after the SARS epidemic, the government wanted to show that Shanghai was safe. So I was asked to perform at the foot of the Pearl Tower on national TV.

 

What can be done to improve Shanghai?

 

The traffic system. I would bring in more German's to redesign the traffic with a more linear way of thinking so day-to-day commuting would be less stressful.

 

Advice to new expats?

 

Five years ago I could have answered this as I had more of a romantic vision of Shanghai. Now, all I can say is if newcomers are only coming to work and make money and not learn about the culture, then stay home. There are enough expats who live in their little bubble and know nothing of the country they live in.

 

(Shanghai Daily July 17, 2007)