South by Southwest 2018: Chinese bands look east and west

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China's economic rise has made even the names of provincial cities familiar in the West. But naming a Chinese contemporary band is not so easy. That may be changing, starting in the US state of Texas at the South by Southwest festival. CGTN's Owen Fairclough has more.

FAZI leading the charge for a new wave of bands from China who want to challenge assumptions about its pop music.

LIU PENG LEAD SINGER, FAZI "Right now, most western musicians as well as audiences are not very familiar about what China is doing in the music industry."

FAZI's influences include Britain's Joy Division and German krautrock, but their focus remains Chinese.

LIU PENG LEAD SINGER, FAZI "Much of our songs are about our own life and general current conditions in China, as well as our life influenced by the country."

Even so, with the crowd for this showcase almost exclusively Chinese, these bands need time to persuade Western fans their sound is worth a listen.

OWEN FAIRCLOUGH AUSTIN, TEXAS "These artists may be virtually unheard of outside China. But that might matter less with a growing consumer class in China."

Western music markets remain the most lucrative for now, but both Chinese and western streaming services are aiming for massive revenue potential in China.

LI HONGJIE FOUNDER, MTA FESTIVAL "We have Rock and Roll, we have folk, we have jazz. Even we have electronic, we have Hip-Hop, but people rarely really understand these types of music."

Hongjie Li runs an annual music festival near Beijing and sees opportunity.

LI HONGJIE FOUNDER, MTA FESTIVAL "For local bands, I think the biggest market is still China. Because most of them sing in Chinese. But for some of them like FAZI, maybe they will have a new market in western countries, because they can sing in English and promote themselves on Facebook."

So while they look for recognition at this global showcase, these artists may find their best commercial opportunities are on their doorstep. Owen Fairclough, Austin, Texas.