Kazimuhadeer
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Kazimuhadeer, Male, Uyghur, from Muleihasakezizhi, Xinjiang, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Xinjiang Weiwuerzumaixirefu (Ⅹ-49). The tradition is documented in Muleihasakezizhi, Xinjiang. Within the regional tradition and school record of Xinjiang Weiwuerzumaixirefu in Muleihasakezizhi, Xinjiang: This Tahe meshrep is mainly distributed in Bostan Village of Bostan Township, Mulei County, Shenjiagou Village of Dongcheng Town, and the Uyghur settlement areas of Zhaobishan Township that are primarily engaged in herding. The Tahe meshrep of the Mulei mountains is the product of the meshrep of the Turpan region flowing into northern Xinjiang and being re-forged with the nomadic way of life of the grasslands. The local Uyghurs make their living from herding; their dwellings are scattered and the mountain roads are long, so a meshrep cannot always be held in a fixed room, and the singers ride on horseback, beating a hand drum while singing in time with the tinkle of horse bells and the beat of hooves. This mobile way of singing in turn shaped the musical form: the whole suite is made up of five sections joined together, namely the "Azal" of the introduction, the "Dankdiman" of the prelude, the "Jula" of the main body, the "Selika" of the lesser climax, and the "Quxurgai" of the climax and conclusion. Azal is sung solo by one person, accompanied by the single instrument satar; the other four sections are all led by one singer with the crowd joining in, accompanied by multiple instruments. It is said that this form once comprised twelve suites in all; today only seven survive, and the remaining few have been broken off.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Kazimuhadeer is anchored in the documented technical standards of Xinjiang Weiwuerzumaixirefu in Muleihasakezizhi, Xinjiang. Within the documented technical tradition of Xinjiang Weiwuerzumaixirefu in Muleihasakezizhi, Xinjiang: The word "meshrep" comes from Arabic and means "gathering". Meshrep is centered on dance and recreational activities; participants amuse themselves, and the numbers taking part are large. Meshrep can be divided by performance form into song-and-dance meshrep, game meshrep and speech-and-song meshrep, and by performance content into parlor meshrep, welcome meshrep and harvest meshrep. Every part of Xinjiang has its own meshrep; the forms are broadly similar, and they are given names such as "Dolan", "Kok" and "Tahe", each with its own distinctive features. The Tahe meshrep of the Uyghurs, circulating in Mulei Kazakh Autonomous County, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, is a large-scale comprehensive art form integrating song, dance and music, and is the favorite of the Uyghur herdsmen of the Mulei mountains; it carries the original genes of the meshrep of the Turpan region while also displaying the character of the grassland culture of the northern Xinjiang mountains. The Tahe meshrep of Mulei is richly varied in type: there are festival meshrep, wedding meshrep and invitation meshrep, as well as Karlak meshrep, Yamwurlik meshrep and Aktayak meshrep, each with distinct regional features. Meshrep activities often last all night long; the number of participants is unlimited, and whether many or few, everyone sings and dances amid great revelry. Even more distinctive: because dwellings are scattered and mountain roads are long, the singers often ride on horseback, beating a hand drum while singing in time with the ringing of horse bells and the rhythm of hooves, very much in the lingering style of nomadic culture. It is said that the Tahe meshrep of Mulei comprises twelve suites in all, of which only seven now survive; each suite is composed of five parts: the "Azal" of the introduction, the "Dankdiman" of the prelude, the "Jula" of the main body, the "Selika" of the lesser climax, and the "Quxurgai" of the climax and conclusion. Apart from Azal, in which one person sings solo accompanied by the single instrument satar, the other four parts are all sung with one person leading and the crowd joining in, accompanied by multiple instruments. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Singing and drumming on horseback": Because villages are scattered and the roads long, singers drum and sing on horseback in time with bells and hooves, keeping a pastoral flavour. "The five-part song cycle": Each set runs from the opening azal through danqidiman, zhula, sailika and the closing qusulga, each part raising the energy. "Twelve sets, seven surviving": Of the twelve sets said to have existed, only seven survive; the rest were lost as older singers died without passing on their art. "Karlake, Yamurik and Aketaye types": Beyond festival, wedding and invited gatherings, place-named types such as Karlake, Yamurik and Aketaye keep local singing styles apart.
Singing and drumming on horseback
Because villages are scattered and the roads long, singers drum and sing on horseback in time with bells and hooves, keeping a pastoral flavour.
The five-part song cycle
Each set runs from the opening azal through danqidiman, zhula, sailika and the closing qusulga, each part raising the energy.
Twelve sets, seven surviving
Of the twelve sets said to have existed, only seven survive; the rest were lost as older singers died without passing on their art.
Karlake, Yamurik and Aketaye types
Beyond festival, wedding and invited gatherings, place-named types such as Karlake, Yamurik and Aketaye keep local singing styles apart.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Kazimuhadeer was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Xinjiang Weiwuerzumaixirefu, with Muleihasakezizhi, Xinjiang as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Xinjiang Weiwuerzumaixirefu in Muleihasakezizhi, Xinjiang: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Muleihasakezizhi, Xinjiang as its declared area, and Muleihasake Autonomous County Cultural Center as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
The Tahe meshrep of the Mulei mountains is the product of the meshrep of the Turpan region flowing into northern Xinjiang and being re-forged with the nomadic way of life of the grasslands. The local Uyghurs make their living from herding; their dwellings are scattered and the mountain roads are long, so a meshrep cannot always be held in a fixed room, and the singers ride on horseback, beating a hand drum while singing in time with the tinkle of horse bells and the beat of hooves. This mobile way of singing in turn shaped the musical form: the whole suite is made up of five sections joined together, namely the "Azal" of the introduction, the "Dankdiman" of the prelude, the "Jula" of the main body, the "Selika" of the lesser climax, and the "Quxurgai" of the climax and conclusion. Azal is sung solo by one person, accompanied by the single instrument satar; the other four sections are all led by one singer with the crowd joining in, accompanied by multiple instruments. It is said that this form once comprised twelve suites in all; today only seven survive, and the remaining few have been broken off.
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.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aili Yibulayin | Akesu, Xinjiang | 04-1966 | Other regional school |
| Talipu Kuwan | Maigaiti, Xinjiang | 05-2989 | Other regional school |
| Ailiyasi Gayiti | Awati, Xinjiang | 05-2990 | Other regional school |
| Kazimuhadeer | Muleihasakezizhi, Xinjiang | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。