Li Zhage
Mastery, Signature Works & Repertoire
Born in 1939, a native of Pu'er, Yunnan. Mupamipa is the most widely circulated long poetic creation myth among the Lahu people. It is usually sung at traditional festivals, at religious activities, and at weddings and funerals; a complete performance takes three days and three nights, and it plays an important role in education and enlightenment, in spreading the spirit of the ethnic group, and in transmitting the skills of labor. From childhood Li Zhage loved the culture of his own people. After studying with elderly artists for more than ten years, he was able to perform the whole of Mupamipa, and at the age of forty he became a well-known singer in the local area. Li Zhage's singing is beautiful and pleasing to the ear, vivid and lively, and deeply gripping. His lyrics are plain and concise; his singing carries the melody through the words and bears a marked shuochang (spoken-sung) character. Today, under the impact of modern culture, the transmission of Mupamipa, the sung and spoken oral literature of the Lahu people, has come under enormous pressure: across Lancang Lahu Autonomous County, fewer than ten artists are able to perform the entire long poem. So that this encyclopedia of the Lahu people may be passed down from generation to generation, Li Zhage has actively taught both the singing method and the content of the epic to young people in the vicinity, and five young people are currently learning to sing Mupamipa.
Honors & Recognition
A national representative bearer of Mupamipa, a first-batch national intangible cultural heritage project.
References & Archival Sources
Representative Items of This Bearer
- Mupamipa Ⅰ-4
Profile
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