Xihe Dagu Drum Balladry
01 · Historical Records
In the course of its transmission this art has borne the names 'da gu shu', 'meihua diao', 'Xihe diao', 'Hejian dagu' and 'xianzi gu'. In the 1920s it was definitively named 'Xihe dagu' in Tianjin, and that name has been used ever since. Xihe dagu developed out of wooden-board dagu (muban dagu). Its founder is generally taken to be the famous performer of wooden-board dagu, Ma Ruihe ('Ma the Madman'), and it originated around the Daoguang and Xianfeng reigns of the Qing dynasty.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Xihe dagu is a comparatively canonical drum ballad form of the north; it is widely popular within Hebei Province and also circulates in the neighbouring provinces and regions of Henan, Shandong, Beijing, Tianjin, Inner Mongolia and the northeast. In performance a single performer strikes the bronze plates and the story drum himself while narrating and singing, and a separate musician accompanies on the sanxian. Its vocal style is plain and vigorous, half speaking and half singing, with a highly distinctive flavour. The traditional repertoire covers long, medium and short works: more than 150 medium and long works are known, together with over 370 shumao opening pieces and short passages. The content is mainly stories of historical warfare and popular folk romances, with intricate plots and vivid language, and it is an outstanding heritage of Chinese folk art. From the day of its birth Xihe dagu was loved by the masses wherever it circulated. It produced famous performers such as Ma Ruihe, Zhu Hualin ('Zhu the Great Official'), Mao Ben ('Wang Zhenyuan'), Wang Zaitang ('Zhanyan Wang'), Zhang Shuanglai, Hao Yingji, Zhao Yufeng, Ma Liandeng, Wang Shuxiang, Li Quanlin, Ma Zengfen, Wang Yanfen and Duan Shaofang, as well as classic repertoire works such as Xiangma Zhuan (The Tale of the Mounted Robbers), Hujia Jiang (The Generals of the Hu Family), Xuejia Jiang (The Generals of the Xue Family), Liu Gong'an (Judge Liu's Cases), Shi Gong'an (Judge Shi's Cases), Qianhou Qiguo (The Seven Kingdoms Before and After) and Xiao Liangkou Zhengdeng (The Young Couple Contesting the Lamp).
Ma Ruihe
The genre's founder, a famous wooden-board drum singer nicknamed Mad Ma San, around the Daoguang-Xianfeng reigns.
Bronze plates, drum and sanxian
One singer strikes bronze plates and a drum while a second player accompanies on sanxian; the vocal style is terse and forceful, half speech and half song.
Notable performers
A line of celebrated singers including Zhu Huaxin, Wang Zaitang, Zhang Shuanglai, Hao Yingji, Zhao Yufeng and Ma Zengfen.
Classic tales
Classic titles from a repertoire of over 150 long and medium works and some 370 short pieces and preludes, mostly historical war tales.
Court-case and historical tales
Court-case and historical titles that complete a system of long, medium and short pieces.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Xihe dagu originated in the Hejian area of Hebei Province and takes its name from the popular name 'Xihe' used for the Daqing River; Hejian City is recognised as its place of origin. In the early period it was sung at the rural markets and temple fairs of Hejian, Renqiu and Gaoyang, and performers formed troupes mostly through family ties or master-and-apprentice bonds, travelling along the Daqing River to enter Tianjin; on that account it was given the name 'Xihe dagu' on the posters. Among the performers of Hejian itself the most influential was the founder Ma Ruihe ('Ma the Madman'), followed in turn by Zhu Hualin ('Zhu the Great Official'), Mao Ben ('Wang Zhenyuan'), Wang Zaitang ('Zhanyan Wang') and Zhang Shuanglai; Zhao Yufeng, Ma Liandeng, Wang Shuxiang, Li Quanlin, Ma Zengfen, Wang Yanfen, Duan Shaofang and the rest carried the genre on to Tianjin, Beijing and every part of the northeast. The Cultural Centre of Hejian City is the protecting unit for this item; it keeps the genre alive by running training classes, making recordings and sending song books into the countryside.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Xihe Dagu Drum Balladry · Xihe Dagu Drum Balladry.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Since the middle and latter part of the 20th century, the transmission and development of Xihe dagu has faced an unprecedented crisis: creation and performance have declined and the line of inheritors has been broken, so that the art is in great danger of disappearing and urgently needs rescue and protection.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Wu Zhenying 02-0714
- Zhang Lingdi 02-0715
- Hao Xiujie 05-2477
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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