Beijing And Shanghai Revisited?

Following Bob Dylan‘s long-delayed acknowledgment of his winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, his agent outside of North America, ITB’s Barry Dickins, told the China Daily that Dylan would like to return to tour China.

Photo: Jeffrey R. Staab / CBS via AP

Late Show With Dave Letterman, New York City

“The Nobel Prize is a great honor,” Dickins told the paper over the phone. “He kept it silent after the announcement only because he is a quiet, private person. He doesn’t want to court publicity.”

Dylan toured China in 2011, performing in Beijing and Shanghai. The audience was made up mostly of older people familiar with his music when they were younger and listened to American folk and rock, some of which was discouraged by the authorities. “He is the kind of person who likes to play in different places, share music with different people. We also played in Vietnam,” Dickins continued. “We had a very nice time in China.”

Though Dickins didn’t mention specifically the problem of censorship in China – foreign artists must submit set lists beforehand so that the authorities can check the content – he did say, “Touring China is unusual. When you bring a culture that is alien to a country, it’s always a bit of a challenge.”

He mentioned that Dylan bought some Chinese art during the tour. The newspaper also interviewed Wei Ming, who was general manager of Gehua Live Nation, which promoted the earlier Dylan tour. “We overcame a lot of difficulties,” he said. “But we finally made it. It’s the most unforgettable and influential project we’ve done.”