Shifan Music
01 · Historical Records
Hakka shifan music of western Fujian took root in western Fujian as the Hakka people migrated south from the central plains, and in the course of its transmission it absorbed melodic and sung sections and quyi works from the operatic genres of successive dynasties, gradually taking shape. The genre is named for the ten instruments it plays, made of silk, bamboo, hide, wood and metal; it is also known as “shiban” or “wudui”, and it circulates mainly in Longyan city, Fujian Province, and in the Hakka counties and districts under it, being especially popular in the Changting and Liancheng area.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Shifan music is also called “shiban” or “wudui”, named for the ten instruments it plays, made of silk, bamboo, hide, wood and metal. In addition, Hakka shifan music has absorbed melodic and sung sections and quyi works from the operatic genres of successive dynasties. Neither the number of players nor the instruments of a western Fujian Hakka shifan band is strictly prescribed; such a band generally has from five or seven members up to ten or several dozen. The most basic instruments of Hakka shifan music are the qudi, the luguan, the pipa, the sanxian, the erhu, the xiao panghu, the da panghu, clappers and the like, the flute being the leading instrument. The performing forms of Hakka shifan music are divided into seated performance and processional performance, the clapper leader acting as conductor. The flute leads and dominates, and the wen chang, the civil section, and the wu chang, the martial section, alternate with one another.
Bi Shui Shan Ya
A traditional piece of western Fujian Hakka shifan music; its title depicts scenery of mountains and waters.
Hu Guang Liu Se
A traditional piece of western Fujian Hakka shifan music; its title depicts the light on the lake and the shade of the willows.
Hao Hua Yuan Yue
A traditional piece of western Fujian Hakka shifan music, taking as its theme the wish for fine flowers and a full moon.
Mei Lan Ju Zhu
A traditional piece of western Fujian Hakka shifan music, taking the “four gentlemen” as its theme.
Ying Ge Yan Wu
A traditional piece of western Fujian Hakka shifan music, taking as its theme the joy of a spring scene.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Neither the number of players nor the instruments of a western Fujian Hakka shifan band is strictly prescribed, ranging from five or seven members to ten or several dozen. The most basic instruments are the qudi, the luguan, the pipa, the sanxian, the erhu, the xiao panghu, the da panghu, clappers and the like, with the flute as the leading instrument. Performance is divided into seated and processional forms, with the clapper leader as conductor, the flute leading and the wen chang and the wu chang alternating; the titles of the pieces mostly depict scenery of mountains and waters and the customs and pleasures of Hakka life.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Shifan Music · Shifan Music · Shifan Music · Shifan Music · Shifan Music · Shifan Music · Shifan Music · Shifan Music.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Hakka shifan music is folk instrumental music handed down by Hakka folk artists through the generations; the titles of its pieces mostly depict nature and the customs and pleasures of Hakka life, such as Bi Shui Shan Ya, Hu Guang Liu Se, Hao Hua Yuan Yue, Mei Lan Ju Zhu and Ying Ge Yan Wu. At present the western Fujian Hakka shifan music is short of successors, and it urgently needs rescue and protection. Li Zhenyu (as recorded in the official dossier of an associated inheritor): male, Han, born in August 1948, a native of Liancheng county, Fujian Province. The western Fujian Hakka shifan music he plays has flowing melodies, a steady rhythm and a style tending towards the lyrical, relaxed and even; it brings out the character of western Fujian Hakka shifan music as neither agitated nor noisy, and his representative works include Nan Ci and Bei Diao. Representative inheritor of Shifan music (Hakka Shifan music of western Fujian) in the fourth national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage projects. He is devoted to training successors for western Fujian Hakka shifan music and has brought up dozens of excellent performers.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Chen Yingmu 02-0286
- Louzhengshou 03-0843
- Wang Rongtang 04-1524
- Li Zhenyu 04-1525
- Fang Yuanwang 04-1526
- He Hanpei 05-2076
- Liu Guangrong
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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