Luoluodong

01 · Historical Records

Luoluo dong is a kind of paddy-field work chant circulating in Jianli county, Hubei province. Jianli lies in the south of Hubei province, facing Honghu lake to the east and the Yangtze River to the south; it has belonged from ancient times to the Chu land of the Jianghan region, following the customs of Chu and using the sounds of Chu. Its historical source can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and it may be regarded as a survival of the old Chu voice; its relay style of passing the sound from singer to singer is very similar to the answering transmission of the Jieyu Song. In the earliest singing of paddy-field chants the drum was the only accompanying instrument, and later the singing was led entirely by the singer who gave the head note.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Luoluo dong is a kind of paddy-field work chant circulating in Jianli county, Hubei province. Jianli county, in the south of Hubei province, faces Honghu lake to the east and the Yangtze River to the south; it has belonged from ancient times to the Chu land of the Jianghan region, following the customs of Chu and using the sounds of Chu. The historical source of luoluo dong can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and it may be regarded as a survival of the old Chu voice; its relay style of passing the sound is very similar to the answering transmission of the Jieyu Song. Luoluo dong mainly sings the libretti of folk opera; its formal structure has the features of polyphonic music and of unaccompanied natural harmony, popularly known as da hexin. The singing is divided into the head voice, the second voice and the third voice, and after the third voice comes the xian douzi, that is the chorus, which brings the performance to its climax. Luoluo dong has a wide range and a high, resonant melody, showing a primitive wildness. It belongs to the Chu shang and Chu zhi system of folk songs; the melody takes 5, 1 and 2 as its skeleton tones, with the altered tone lowered 7 also appearing. This structural form draws freely on speech, is novel and unusual, and is often interlaced and overlapping, one voice rising as another falls, full of subtle delight. Luoluo dong has the character of the mountain songs of the plain regions, with free rhythm and a drawn-out melody. It is marked by leaps of fourths and fifths; its phrasing rises and then falls, and it often uses colouristic altered tones in the high register. In the earliest singing of luoluo dong paddy-field chants, the drum was the only accompanying instrument. In its later development, the singing was led entirely by the singer who gave the head note. Representative works of luoluo dong include Hua Luo Luo Dong, Ye Luo Luo Dong and Cu Dao Tui Zhi Ge.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Luoluo dong is sung in the Jianli southern dialect, in which many ancient Chu sounds of the xiapingsheng Liu final are preserved. By structure the lyrics fall into two kinds, a simple one-sentence structure and a more complicated multi-stanza structure, the latter being the more frequent. As a form of folk art formed in long centuries of agrarian labour, luoluo dong has marked local colour and broad popular appeal, and is one of the important points of entry for the study of Chu culture.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

At present the old people in the Jianli area who could sing luoluo dong have died in succession, and this ancient folk song form is close to disappearing; rescue and protection can no longer wait.

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

1. Luoluodong (Jianli, Hubei) · China ICH Official Project Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗