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. Each Dolan Muqam consists of five parts, the Muqaddim, the Cheqtuman, the Sanam, the Selekis and the Selirma, forming a song-and-dance suite of varying metre and rhythm that is prefixed by a free-rhythm prelude song. Each Dolan Muqam lasts about six to nine minutes, and the nine suites together about half an hour and a half. The sung texts of the Dolan Muqam are all Uyghur folk ditties widely current in the Dolan area; they fully express the joy, anger, sorrow and happiness of the Dolan Uyghurs, while at the same time reflecting every aspect of Uyghur social life; their content is rich and varied, their tunes high and bold, and their feeling plain and sincere. As culture is spread and merged, people grow ever more indifferent to the memory of traditional culture; the function of the Dolan Muqam as a form of cultural expression in the festival ceremonies and life rituals of the Uyghur people has gradually weakened, and its transmission has therefore met with a crisis.
Bashi Bayawan Muqam
One of the nine existing suites of the Dolan Muqam.
Zil Bayawan Muqam
One of the nine existing suites of the Dolan Muqam.
Chol Bayawan Muqam
One of the nine existing suites of the Dolan Muqam.
Five-part dance-suite structure
Each Dolan Muqam consists of five parts, the Muqaddim, the Cheqtuman, the Sanam, the Selekis and the Selirma, forming a song-and-dance suite of varying metre and rhythm that is prefixed by a free-rhythm prelude song; each lasts about six to nine minutes.
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. The Dolan Muqam is distributed mainly in the Dolan area in the north-west of the Tarim Basin, centred on the river basin running from the Yarkand River to the Tarim River, and is especially flourishing in Mekit county. The Uyghur Dolan Muqam of Mekit county in Xinjiang is a folk culture with a local character peculiar to Mekit county; it is linked in a thousand ways both with the Dolan Muqam current in other places and with the various Uyghur muqams within Xinjiang, while at the same time having relatively independent artistic features and considerable artistic value.
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 Dolan Muqam is said to have originally had twelve suites, of which nine can now be collected, among them the Bashi Bayawan Muqam, the Zil Bayawan Muqam and the Chol Bayawan Muqam. The competent departments must therefore take rescue and protective measures so that it is transmitted in an orderly way. Yusuyin Yaya (as recorded in the official dossier of an associated inheritor): also known as Yusuyin Yaya, male, Uyghur, born in 1941, a native of Mekit, Xinjiang. He can sing and accompany in full all nine Dolan Muqam, is skilled in playing Dolan instruments, is familiar with the performance of Dolan Meshrep, has taken part many times in performances at home and abroad, has trained a batch of Dolan Muqam transmitters, and has been honoured with such titles of the autonomous region as “Outstanding Folk Artist” and “Golden Hand Drum”. Representative inheritor of Uyghur muqam art of Xinjiang (Dolan Muqam), a national-level intangible cultural heritage project in the second national-level batch. Abudoujilili Rouzi (as recorded in the official dossier of an associated inheritor): also known as Abujili Rouzi, male, Uyghur, born in 1934, a native of Mekit, Xinjiang. Representative inheritor of Uyghur muqam art of Xinjiang (Dolan Muqam), a national-level intangible cultural heritage project in the second national-level batch. He can sing and accompany nine Dolan Muqam, has taken part many times in performances at home and abroad, and has been honoured with such titles of the autonomous region as “Outstanding Folk Artist” and “Golden Hand Drum”.
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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