Li Shupeng

01 · Lineage & Regional School

A national second-class performer and the fifth-generation bearer of the Li family suona band, he learned the craft from his father from childhood, appeared on stage at the age of eight, and was leading the band himself by the age of thirteen. Within the regional tradition and school record of Suona Art in Xuzhou, Jiangsu: The bands of Xuzhou wind-and-percussion music are usually formed by family or by master and apprentice, and number six to eight people; the suona is divided into the leading player and the second player, accompanied by sheng, flute, clappers and such percussion instruments as drum, cymbals and gong. The musicians of Fengxian and Peixian are good at playing the large suona, with a full and bold timbre, while the musicians of Suining, Tongshan and the urban districts are equally skilled at imitating the vocal styles of kaxi, Liuqin opera and Bangzi opera, forming a local school that uses playing in place of singing. As the hub of grain transport on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Xuzhou saw the suona enter the folk musical life of the city during the Ming dynasty. In 1952 Xuzhou founded the Xuzhou Folk Music Association, which gathered many virtuoso suona players. In 1956, at the East China Folk Music and Dance Gathering held in Shanghai, the suona troupe assembled by Xuzhou caused a sensation at its public performance, leaving a deep impression on the organizing committee and on the general audience.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

Male, of Han ethnicity, born in December 1967 in Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province. In 1992 he joined the Jiangsu Bangzi Opera Troupe. His suona technique is distinctive, with a mellow timbre and graceful, melodious tones, and he has exerted a wide influence on audiences in the Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan and Anhui region. Within the documented technical tradition of Suona Art in Xuzhou, Jiangsu: The suona of Xuzhou is most representative in the city's Fengxian County, Peixian County, Suining County and the urban districts. Xuzhou suona has a numerous and rich repertoire, and its representative tune patterns can be summed up in eight words: 'Yao Jin Fan Diao' and 'San Ling Si Lai'. 'Yao Jin Fan Diao' refers to 'Liu Jin Yao' and 'Fan Zi Diao'; 'San Ling Si Lai' refers to 'Jiang Jun Ling', 'De Sheng Ling', 'Hui Ma Ling' together with 'Dao Chun Lai', 'Dao Xia Lai', 'Dao Qiu Lai' and 'Dao Dong Lai'. The suona has deep historical and cultural roots in Xuzhou. In leading, accompanying or playing together with gong and drum, the Xuzhou suona produces a distinctive artistic effect, and it is normally used in folk singing gatherings, yangge gatherings, drum bands, opera and song-and-dance performances. The Xuzhou suona is suited to expressing a warm and joyful atmosphere and to depicting magnificent and sweeping scenes; above all, its bold and fiery melodies have a stirring effect. At the same time it can express inner feeling in a deep and delicate way and imitate the calls of birds and the light chirping of insects so vividly that it leaves an impression of music that lingers for three days. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Liu Jin Yao": One of the representative tune patterns of the Xuzhou suona grouped under 'Yao Jin Fan Diao'. "Fan Zi Diao": One of the representative tune patterns of the Xuzhou suona grouped under 'Yao Jin Fan Diao'. "Jiang Jun Ling": One of the three 'orders' among the 'San Ling Si Lai' of the Xuzhou suona. "Dao Chun Lai": One of the four 'comings' among the 'San Ling Si Lai' of the Xuzhou suona.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

National representative bearer of Suona Art (Xuzhou Suona), a fifth-batch national intangible cultural heritage project. He has many times entered national, provincial and municipal suona competitions and won major awards; in 2006 he took part in the Seventh China Folk Literature and Art Shanhua Award, Folk Art Performance Award, and the First National Folk Wind Music Exhibition, where he received high praise. At the same time he persists in training successors, and has repeatedly won awards as an outstanding instructor and for coaching.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Li Shupeng · National Representative Bearer Archive