Taluo

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Taluo, Male, Tibetan, from Seda, Sichuan, is a fifth-batch national representative bearer of Tibetan Opera (Ⅳ-80). The tradition is documented in Seda, Sichuan. Within the regional tradition and school record of Tibetan Opera in Seda, Sichuan: Tibetan opera is transmitted in Seda County of the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province; it is one line of Tibetan opera whose principal content is the Gesar epic. Seda Gesar Tibetan opera originated in Zhiqin Monastery in Qinghai Province; in its early stage it was the temple music-and-dance of the cham rite, also called "mask dance". In 1948 the Seda Riluo Living Buddha boldly innovated on the basis of Amdo Tibetan opera, introducing scenic panels, props and string instruments into Tibetan opera and adapting and creating such plays as Zhimei Gengdeng (Lord Zhi-me) and Zhuowa Sangmu (The Princess of the Golden Tent), and in the course of this trained a large number of Tibetan opera performers, so that Tibetan opera spread widely in Seda and became the folk art with the widest reach there. Seda Gesar Tibetan opera originated in Zhiqin Monastery in Qinghai Province; in its early stage it was the temple music-and-dance of the cham rite, also called "mask dance". In 1948 the Seda Riluo Living Buddha boldly innovated on the basis of Amdo Tibetan opera, introducing scenic panels, props and string instruments into Tibetan opera and adapting and creating such plays as Zhimei Gengdeng (Lord Zhi-me) and Zhuowa Sangmu (The Princess of the Golden Tent); in the course of this he trained a large number of Tibetan opera performers, so that Tibetan opera spread widely in Seda and became the folk art with the widest reach there.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

Male, Tibetan, born in April 1936 in Seda County, Sichuan Province. He devoted several decades to the study, performance and transmission of Gesar Tibetan opera. Over the years he combined writing, directing and acting in his own person, and his transmission of Gesar Tibetan opera has been orderly and clearly documented. He helped to establish eighteen Tibetan opera troupes, while the Tibetan opera companies in various places that he assisted directly or indirectly are beyond counting. He continues to this day to guide the creation and performance of Tibetan opera. Within the documented technical tradition of Tibetan Opera in Seda, Sichuan: It takes the traditional eight great Tibetan operas as its content and is performed during major Buddhist events; in performance it is accompanied by such instruments as the suona, the manghao, drums and cymbals. Seda Tibetan opera is a representative of the northern school of Tibetan opera, with a long history and a marked capacity for innovation. The rich Gesar cultural foundations of Seda County in Sichuan Province and its deep tradition of Tibetan opera laid the groundwork for the formation and development of Gesar Tibetan opera. In 1981 a group of Gesar scholars and Tibetan opera experts headed by the noted Seda County scholar Lama Banma Talo succeeded in transplanting the epic "The Epic of King Gesar" into Tibetan opera; within its distinctive vocal styles they blended such art forms as chega recitation, singing and recitation, folk mountain songs, dance, Gesar recitation, costume display and the telling of folk tales, giving a complete presentation of the deeds of King Gesar and achieving a fine spectator effect. Seda Gesar Tibetan opera has the characteristics of the northern school of Tibetan opera, yet it also goes beyond the confines of the northern school and forms a system of its own. The Seda Gesar Tibetan opera takes the heroic epic "The Epic of King Gesar" as its performance content, letting the audience feel the shattering power of the epic and inspiring people to pursue a good life courageously through art. It releases Tibetan opera from the religious atmosphere of the monastery and turns it into a form of folk art, its content and form tending towards the secular, the human and the popular; this is of major significance for promoting the fine culture of ethnic minorities and advancing the building of a spiritual civilisation in the Tibetan areas. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Zhimei Gengdeng (Lord Zhi-me)": In 1948 the Seda Riluo Living Buddha boldly innovated on the basis of Amdo Tibetan opera, introducing scenic panels, props and string instruments into Tibetan opera and adapting and creating such plays as Zhimei Gengdeng (Lord Zhi-me) and Zhuowa Sangmu (The Princess of the Golden Tent); in the course of this he trained a large number of Tibetan opera performers, so that Tibetan opera spread widely in Seda and became the folk art with the widest reach there. "Zhuowa Sangmu (The Princess of the Golden Tent)": In 1948 the Seda Riluo Living Buddha boldly innovated on the basis of Amdo Tibetan opera, introducing scenic panels, props and string instruments into Tibetan opera and adapting and creating such plays as Zhimei Gengdeng (Lord Zhi-me) and Zhuowa Sangmu (The Princess of the Golden Tent); in the course of this he trained a large number of Tibetan opera performers, so that Tibetan opera spread widely in Seda and became the folk art with the widest reach there.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

He is a representative bearer of Tibetan Opera (Seda Tibetan Opera), a fifth-batch national intangible cultural heritage project. He led the first Gesar Tibetan opera troupe that he founded on tours in China and abroad, where it won favourable reviews.

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. Taluo · National Representative Bearer Archive