Airibu

01 · Lineage & Regional School

He came from a family of musicians: his grandfather Lagwarolumu was a temple musician and his father Banjila Gaqi a well-known local folk artist. From childhood he studied the Asier, the traditional instrumental ensemble of the Chahar, under his father and under his masters Zhamuyan Surong, Binba and others, systematically inheriting the complete repertoire and playing techniques of the Asier. Within the regional tradition and school record of Asier in Xianghuangqi, Inner Mongolia: The Chahar Mongols around Xianghuang Banner use asar as ritual music; the musicians band together temporarily according to the occasion, and at large celebrations which asar opens the performance and which asar closes it is decided by the oldest performer or by the appointed music official; in performance the musicians often each display their own technique, producing a sound that is solemn and elegant without losing its liveliness. Asar has a long history. It was first developed in the form of court music, with professional musicians appointed at court and transmitted by court artists, and it had already appeared among the Mongol court music at the accession of Genghis Khan in 1206. In the Qing dynasty asar absorbed a great many musical elements from the various Mongol tribes and from other peoples, gradually became plural and popular, and spread widely among the people.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

Male, of Mongol ethnicity, born in December 1948 in Taibus Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In nearly fifty years of work in the cultural and artistic field, he has consistently collected, collated and researched the art of the Asier. For many years he has regularly given coaching and training to the professional cultural and artistic troupes of Xilin Gol League and to community Asier ensembles. Within the documented technical tradition of Asier in Xianghuangqi, Inner Mongolia: Asar is a type of ensemble piece of instrumental music transmitted in the southern part of Xilingol League in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, that is, within the territory of the former Chahar League; it is usually performed by a combination of Mongol bowed, wind and plucked instruments, and is used for relatively large ceremonial occasions, for sacrifices and rites, for weddings and banquets, and for events such as the Nadam. Xianghuang Banner of Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is the core area of transmission of asar; asar is also found in the northeastern part of Ulanqab City, in Hohhot, in Ordos and in the Bashang plateau area of Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province. It includes three transpositions, namely Chagan Asar (the normal mode), Sologai Asar (the contrary mode) and Modebe Asar (the B-flat mode). The second is Gule Chagan Asar. The third is Ming'an Asar. The fourth is Suluk Asar. The fifth is Taipusi horse-step Asar. The sixth is Taipusi plucked-and-flicked Asar. These asar each have their own characteristics and differ to some extent in melody. Asar is a folk ensemble piece peculiar to the Chahar Mongols, created out of life practice, and it has a deep foundation among the people. In the past almost every Chahar person could hum asar and whistle it on a small pipe. The Chahar region had no full-time ensembles in the early days; when needed, the musicians gathered together to rehearse in ensemble and then went to festive occasions such as the Nadam. At large celebrations, which asar opens the performance and which asar closes it is decided by the oldest performer or by the appointed music official. Asar is a form of ritual music; its music is solemn and elegant, and there are particular requirements concerning the occasions and times of performance, such as the seven prohibitions and the six circumstances deemed unsuited to playing. In performance, according to the character of the piece and the mood of the musicians — who often each display their own technique — a kind of "natural orchestration" is formed. Folk artists carry on and enlarge asar through oral teaching from master to apprentice and through mutual learning. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Aduqing Asar": One of the asar pieces collected. "Gule Chagan Asar": One of the representative asar pieces; each has its own characteristics and differs to some extent in melody. "Ming'an Asar": One of the representative asar pieces. "Suluk Asar": One of the representative asar pieces.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

National representative bearer of the Asier, a fifth-batch national intangible cultural heritage project. In 2013 he led the Xianghuang Banner Asier Art Troupe to the Fifth International Gagaku Exhibition and Performance, where they performed the Asier piece Da Zhang Yan Ge (Banquet Song of the Great Tent), showing the world the charm of Asier art and earning high praise from domestic and foreign experts and scholars.

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. Airibu · National Representative Bearer Archive