Hubei Dagu Drum Balladry
01 · Historical Records
Hubei dagu was formerly called “gushu” (drum book), “dagu shuoshu” (drum-beat storytelling), “dagu jingqiang” (drum-beat Jingqiang) and “shuanshan shu” and the like; it took shape during the Daoguang reign period of the Qing dynasty and has a history of more than two hundred years up to the present.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Hubei dagu is accompanied by a drum and clappers, is equally strong in speech and song, and is witty and humorous. Its sung texts consist mainly of seven-syllable and ten-syllable lines, with some five-syllable lines interspersed among them. The main vocal style used in singing is called the “Siping diao”; its manner is steady and plain, and it carries the marked colouring of the folk music of northeastern Hubei. It can both narrate and express feeling, and according to what has to be expressed it can be varied into more than ten vocal styles of different metric forms and different emotions, such as “fast Siping”, “slow Siping”, “Siping bei peng”, “Siping shuban”, “fast Siping liushui ban”, “huixie qiang” and “tight-ban urgent style”. Besides this, colourful and varied named drum patterns frequently appear between the sung sections, striking the audience as fresh and novel. In the past Hubei dagu was sung by a single performer who beat the drum and clappers himself; from 1958 onwards, when short pieces were sung, accompaniment by instruments such as the erhu and the sanxian was added and the singing carried the main emphasis. When medium-length and long works were performed, no stringed instruments were used, speech and song were given equal weight, and the performance was assisted by gestures, glance, body and steps. In the course of its transmission Hubei dagu gave rise to three schools: the northern route, the southern route and the north-south route. The northern route is high-pitched and rugged and is at its best in works about plain swords and cudgels, with pieces such as “The Flower Monk” and “Luo Cheng Substitutes for the Bride”; the southern route is delicate and lingering and is at its best in works on family cases and disputes, with pieces such as “Marriage Sworn in Blood” and “Wandering Henan”; the north-south route combines the strengths of the northern and southern routes alike, has a very large repertoire, and is especially skilled in historical romance works such as “Revolt against the Tang”, “Expedition East”, “Nanjing” and “Beijing”. Through long development and transmission, performing artists such as Wang Mingle, Chen Qianwen and Zhang Mingzhi appeared in the field of Hubei dagu, bringing this quyi form to further maturity.
The Flower Monk
The northern route is high-pitched and rugged and is at its best in works about plain swords and cudgels, with pieces such as “The Flower Monk” and “Luo Cheng Substitutes for the Bride”; the southern route is delicate and lingering and is at its best in works on family cases and disputes, with pieces such as “Marriage Sworn in Blood” and “Wandering Henan”; the north-south route combines the strengths of the northern and southern routes alike, has a very large repertoire, and is especially skilled in historical romance works such as “Revolt against the Tang”, “Expedition East”, “Nanjing” and “Beijing”.
Luo Cheng Substitutes for the Bride
The northern route is high-pitched and rugged and is at its best in works about plain swords and cudgels, with pieces such as “The Flower Monk” and “Luo Cheng Substitutes for the Bride”; the southern route is delicate and lingering and is at its best in works on family cases and disputes, with pieces such as “Marriage Sworn in Blood” and “Wandering Henan”; the north-south route combines the strengths of the northern and southern routes alike, has a very large repertoire, and is especially skilled in historical romance works such as “Revolt against the Tang”, “Expedition East”, “Nanjing” and “Beijing”.
Marriage Sworn in Blood
The northern route is high-pitched and rugged and is at its best in works about plain swords and cudgels, with pieces such as “The Flower Monk” and “Luo Cheng Substitutes for the Bride”; the southern route is delicate and lingering and is at its best in works on family cases and disputes, with pieces such as “Marriage Sworn in Blood” and “Wandering Henan”; the north-south route combines the strengths of the northern and southern routes alike, has a very large repertoire, and is especially skilled in historical romance works such as “Revolt against the Tang”, “Expedition East”, “Nanjing” and “Beijing”.
Wandering Henan
The northern route is high-pitched and rugged and is at its best in works about plain swords and cudgels, with pieces such as “The Flower Monk” and “Luo Cheng Substitutes for the Bride”; the southern route is delicate and lingering and is at its best in works on family cases and disputes, with pieces such as “Marriage Sworn in Blood” and “Wandering Henan”; the north-south route combines the strengths of the northern and southern routes alike, has a very large repertoire, and is especially skilled in historical romance works such as “Revolt against the Tang”, “Expedition East”, “Nanjing” and “Beijing”.
Revolt against the Tang
The northern route is high-pitched and rugged and is at its best in works about plain swords and cudgels, with pieces such as “The Flower Monk” and “Luo Cheng Substitutes for the Bride”; the southern route is delicate and lingering and is at its best in works on family cases and disputes, with pieces such as “Marriage Sworn in Blood” and “Wandering Henan”; the north-south route combines the strengths of the northern and southern routes alike, has a very large repertoire, and is especially skilled in historical romance works such as “Revolt against the Tang”, “Expedition East”, “Nanjing” and “Beijing”.
Expedition East
The northern route is high-pitched and rugged and is at its best in works about plain swords and cudgels, with pieces such as “The Flower Monk” and “Luo Cheng Substitutes for the Bride”; the southern route is delicate and lingering and is at its best in works on family cases and disputes, with pieces such as “Marriage Sworn in Blood” and “Wandering Henan”; the north-south route combines the strengths of the northern and southern routes alike, has a very large repertoire, and is especially skilled in historical romance works such as “Revolt against the Tang”, “Expedition East”, “Nanjing” and “Beijing”.
Nanjing
The northern route is high-pitched and rugged and is at its best in works about plain swords and cudgels, with pieces such as “The Flower Monk” and “Luo Cheng Substitutes for the Bride”; the southern route is delicate and lingering and is at its best in works on family cases and disputes, with pieces such as “Marriage Sworn in Blood” and “Wandering Henan”; the north-south route combines the strengths of the northern and southern routes alike, has a very large repertoire, and is especially skilled in historical romance works such as “Revolt against the Tang”, “Expedition East”, “Nanjing” and “Beijing”.
Beijing
The northern route is high-pitched and rugged and is at its best in works about plain swords and cudgels, with pieces such as “The Flower Monk” and “Luo Cheng Substitutes for the Bride”; the southern route is delicate and lingering and is at its best in works on family cases and disputes, with pieces such as “Marriage Sworn in Blood” and “Wandering Henan”; the north-south route combines the strengths of the northern and southern routes alike, has a very large repertoire, and is especially skilled in historical romance works such as “Revolt against the Tang”, “Expedition East”, “Nanjing” and “Beijing”.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Hubei dagu takes Wuhan, Xiaogan and Huanggang as its three main centres of activity; performers of the northern and southern routes often meet and perform together at the storytelling venues of the market towns of eastern Hubei.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Hubei Dagu Drum Balladry.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
In the past it was popular in Wuhan, Xiaogan, Huanggang and other places; after long development it is now popular throughout Hubei Province. Hubei dagu is a platform for displaying the folk culture, local dialect, everyday customs and social character of Hubei, and it has high research value in sociology, folklore, art, history and culture. At present, however, this excellent folk art lacks successors, is on the decline, and urgently needs rescue and protection. Zhang Mingzhi (as recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Male, of Han nationality, born in May 1943, native of Xiaogan City, Hubei Province. National first-class actor. His representative works include “The Biological Son Makes Trouble in the Bridal Chamber”, “Such a Daughter-in-Law”, “Farmhouse Delight” and “Looking for the Family”. He recorded close to fifty cassette tapes of Hubei dagu and travelled to the Taiwan region three times for exchange performances. In recent years Zhang Mingzhi and his disciples have sung throughout the towns and villages of Hubei. Representative inheritor of Hubei dagu among the third batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage projects. In 1995 he took part in the invited performance at the second China Quyi Festival and received the Peony Award issued by the China Quyi Artists Association and the People’s Government of Pingdingshan City, Henan Province. Fu Qungang (as recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Male, of Han nationality, born in December 1956, native of Tuanfeng County, Hubei Province. National first-class actor. In 1975 he was specially recruited to the Yingcheng County Revolutionary Cultural Work Troupe, where he formally took the stage to sing Hubei dagu. In 1980 he was admitted to the Hubei Provincial Quyi Troupe. Later, on the strong recommendation of the famous quyi artists Xu Guohua and Jiang Jingsheng, he became a disciple of Chen Qianwen and learned to perform traditional medium-length and long dagu works, remaining active on Hubei’s quyi stage throughout. His representative works include “Filing a Complaint”, “A Whole Plate of Winter Melon”, “The People’s Mediator”, “Four Dishes and One Soup” and “Three Sons-in-Law Paying Birthday Respects”. Representative inheritor of Hubei dagu among the fifth batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage projects. In 2009 he was awarded the title of outstanding young and middle-aged quyi artist in the 60 years of quyi in New China by the China Quyi Artists Association. For many years he has been devoted to the performance, the collating and the training of inheritors of Hubei dagu; the free Hubei dagu teaching classes he presided over have trained a large number of Hubei dagu performers.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Zhang Mingzhi 03-1178
- Fuqungang 05-2509
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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