Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang
01 · Historical Records
Uyghur muqam art began in folk culture and developed in the courts and official residences of the oasis city-states; through integration and development it formed an artistic style that is diverse, comprehensive, complete, improvisatory and popular, and became a distinguished form of expression of the Uyghur people.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The sung texts of Uyghur muqam art of Xinjiang include the maxims of sages, the admonitions of prophets, village ditties, folk tales and the like, comprising both folk songs and the poetry of men of letters; they are a vivid expression of the mind of the Uyghur people. Uyghur muqam art is rich and varied in musical form, with many kinds of tonal system, elaborate modes, and accompanying instruments of many different metres, rhythms and combinations of formation; it displays a distinctive national character and a strong power of appeal. The Hami Muqam is a large suite of Uyghur music of long history, great length and complete structure, current in the Hami area of eastern Xinjiang. It comprises twelve suites, among them the Qongur Muqam and the Ulug Duttar Muqam; seven of them contain two movements (that is, two sets of pieces), the whole comprising 258 pieces and several thousand lines of lyrics. In the course of its formation and development, the Hami Muqam, on the basis of the “Yizhou music” of the Western Regions, absorbed to varying degrees the artistic nourishment of the music of the Central Plains, of Central Asia and of West Asia, and so shows the character of cultural diversity in its lyrics, style and structure. Each muqam suite is composed of a free-rhythm prelude song and a structural sequence of a number of songs in 4/4, 7/8 and 5/8 rhythm together with several song-and-dance pieces in 2/4 rhythm, exemplifying the typical quality of completeness.
Qongur Muqam
One of the twelve suites of the Hami Muqam.
Ulug Duttar Muqam
One of the twelve suites of the Hami Muqam, its name retaining the traditional Uyghur appellation.
Hayhay Yolam Muqam
One of the twelve suites of the Hami Muqam, distinctive among the muqams of the various parts of Xinjiang in the way it is named.
Janikem Muqam
One of the twelve suites of the Hami Muqam.
Prelude and multi-metre song sequence
Each suite is composed of a free-rhythm prelude song, a number of songs in 4/4, 7/8 and 5/8 rhythm and several song-and-dance pieces in 2/4 rhythm, exemplifying the typical quality of completeness.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Uyghur muqam art of Xinjiang is a large comprehensive art form that combines singing, dancing and instrumental music; it is distributed mainly in the Uyghur settlements of southern, northern and eastern Xinjiang, and is also current in large, medium and small towns such as Urumqi. In the course of its development within its cultural space, Uyghur muqam art of Xinjiang formed the schools of the Twelve Muqam, the Turpan Muqam, the Hami Muqam and the Dolan Muqam, which are the most representative of them.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang · Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang · Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The Hami Muqam historically passed through a process of transmission and integration from the people to the royal palace and finally back to the people, and through the continual singing and the sorting out and standardising of folk artists it took on the form of a suite with a complete structure. The naming of the Hami Muqam keeps to the Uyghur tradition: the name of each muqam suite has retained its Uyghur name to this very day, such as the Ulug Duttar Muqam, the Hayhay Yolam Muqam and the Janikem Muqam, which makes it highly distinctive among the muqams of the various parts of Xinjiang. Under the influence of the process of modernisation the aesthetic tastes of contemporary Uyghurs keep changing, and the younger generation in particular knows little of the cultural value of the Hami Muqam, so every kind of effective measure must be taken to protect and transmit it. Aisaiti Mohtar (as recorded in the official dossier of an associated inheritor): also known as Aisaity Muhtar, male, Uyghur, born in 1938, a native of Hami, Xinjiang. Representative inheritor of Uyghur muqam art of Xinjiang (Hami Muqam), a national-level intangible cultural heritage project in the second national-level batch, and an officer of the cultural station of Taojiagong township, Hami city, Xinjiang.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Yusufu Tuoheti 02-0315
- Abulaitisailai 02-0316
- Tunisha Salayiding 02-0317
- Wusiman Aimaiti 02-0318
- Maimaiti Wulayin 02-0319
- Tuerxun Simayi 02-0320
- Aisaiti Mohetaer 02-0321
- Yusuyin Yaya 02-0322
- Abudoujilili Rouzi 02-0323
- Yigaimubaierdi Aisan 05-2089
- Sayitijiang Sidike 05-2090
- Aihaiti Tuoheti 05-2091
- Aimaitisupi
- Yushan Maihemuti
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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