Tibetan Folk Songs
01 · Historical Records
The chanting tune, also called the “six-syllable mantra song”, is a kind of song sung by Buddhist believers when they worship the Buddha and the bodhisattvas in a monastery. It has a long history. Historical records and the oral accounts of folk artists show that as early as before the eighth century CE there already existed a folk song genre called “lu”, the earliest form of the Tibetan mountain song.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
In the Ü-Tsang region the mountain song is called “laglu”, in the Kham region “glu” and in the Amdo region “le”; it is a song sung freely in the mountains and wilds. In Tibetan the work song is called “lexie”; there are many kinds of them, and almost every kind of labour has its own particular song. Love songs include love songs proper and love-tea songs, while customary songs include wine songs, courtship duets, wedding songs, arrow songs, farewell songs and so on. Kham Tibetan mountain songs were created by the Tibetan people while herding, gathering firewood and working in the fields, to drive away fatigue and give vent to their feelings; they arose and are still current in such places as Luhuo County of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and in parts of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture such as Ma'erkang and Jinchuan. In Tibetan the mountain song is called “laglu” or “glu”; it is a purely folk form, which the singer improvises according to the mood of the moment. The rhythm of the Kham Tibetan mountain song is very free. Its melodic structure basically takes the strophic form: a period generally consists of two phrases, an upper and a lower one, or of two to three phrases, and the second phrase is repeated over and over, or repeated with variations, in the course of the singing. The common modes of the Tibetan mountain song are the yu, shang and zhi modes; all the melodies are pentatonic, the compass is very wide and the intervals leap widely. It has been praised as “the drifting of clouds, the easy grace of wind”; people call it “Kham Angdian”, meaning the Kham mountain song that flowers by its own nature, and it is also called “Kham Angren”, meaning the Kham long tune. Its lyrics usually run to three stanzas; the first two commonly employ the figure of comparison, and the subject is named only in the third. The singing of the Kham Tibetan mountain song looks simple but is in fact quite difficult: dense groups of notes often appear in the middle of a phrase to form varied rhythmic figures, which few ordinary singers can manage. To sing the Tibetan mountain song really well calls not only for a fine, ringing and sweet voice but also for flexible and accomplished singing technique.
Mountain and herding songs
One of the main types of Tibetan folk song, called “laglu” in the Ü-Tsang region, “glu” in the Kham region and “le” in the Amdo region; it is a song sung freely in the mountains and wilds.
Work songs (Le-xie)
One of the main types of Tibetan folk song. There are many kinds of them, and almost every kind of labour has its own particular song.
Love songs
One of the main types of Tibetan folk song, including love songs proper and love-tea songs.
Customary songs
One of the main types of Tibetan folk song, including wine songs, courtship duets, wedding songs, arrow songs, farewell songs and so on.
Chanting tunes
One of the main types of Tibetan folk song: the song sung by Buddhist believers when they worship the Buddha and the bodhisattvas in a monastery.
Kham long tune
The common modes of the Tibetan mountain song are the yu, shang and zhi modes; all the melodies are pentatonic, with a very wide compass and wide interval leaps. It has been praised as “the drifting of clouds, the easy grace of wind”, and people call it “Kham Angdian”, meaning the Kham mountain song that flowers by its own nature; it is also called “Kham Angren”, the Kham long tune.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Tibetan folk song is the principal form of folk music in Tibetan areas; it may be divided into mountain songs (herding songs), work songs, love songs, customary songs, chanting tunes and other types.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Tibetan Folk Songs · Tibetan Folk Songs · Tibetan Folk Songs · Tibetan Folk Songs · Tibetan Folk Songs · Tibetan Folk Songs · Tibetan Folk Songs · Tibetan Folk Songs · Tibetan Folk Songs.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The Tibetan mountain song is a vivid reflection of the history and culture of the Tibetan people and has high value for ethnological study. For a long time the Kham Tibetan mountain song has been handed on among the people by spontaneous transmission, but in the course of modern civilisation this folk music now has no successors; it is in a highly endangered state, and a plan for its full protection is urgently needed.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Ma Jianjun 03-0871
- Hua Ergong 03-0872
- Dawazhandou 03-0873
- Jiangbaqizha 05-2122
- Wudefen 05-2123
- Majinlian
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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