Nasi music

According to the 2000 census, the number of Nashi is 309,000 people ^[1] . The bulk of the Nashi live in Yunnan, in particular, in the Yulong-Nassisk Autonomous County, they make up the majority of the population. Historically, the Nashi elite received education in classical Chinese , and after the conquest of the capital of Lijiang by the Han people in 1723, the interpenetration of the Han and Nassian cultures increased even more ^[2] . In Nashi music, Chinese elements of the times of Tang , Song and Yuan , as well as Tibetan influence, are preserved ^[3] .

One of the most common forms of Nashi music is the accompaniment that accompanies a variety of mass dances common among Tibetan-Burmese peoples. Such dances consist of simple repeating elements; they are performed by groups of mixed sexual composition with singing, the sounds of a flute, or a male ensemble. Dance melodies are usually non-halftone, pentatonic ^[4] . Mass dances differ not only between nations, but also within the Nashi people, some of them demonstrate the influence of Tibetans , fox and people and . You can see traditional dances at festivals and celebrations: “Beginning of summer” in May, “Torch Festival” in August, New Year's Day on January 1, May 1 , some weddings also include dance numbers ^[5] .

Nashi's musical culture experienced several blows in the 20th century, firstly, from several political movements aimed at destroying the traditions and culture of small nations, the main of which was the so-called “Cultural Revolution” ; secondly, from the liberalization of China in the late 1970s, which led to the spread of popular Chinese culture, more fashionable than traditional music. In rural areas, young people continue to perform ancient works in the vicinity of the ^[6]

The most famous Nashi folk song is called "guts" ( Nashi Gguq qil , Chinese. 谷 气 ; pall. Guzi) [ ɡ u tɕ ʰ i ]. It is saturated with ornaments of sound , long notes are performed with strong vibrato . It is suitable for performance by one person of any gender or duet alternately; words are improvised, the theme of the lyrics is chosen arbitrarily ^[6] . Vibrato on long notes is generally characteristic of Nashi vocal music ^[4] .

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  Mass Nasi Dance in Lijiang Old Town

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  Singing old nashi

Musical instruments

The simplest “tool” of Nashi is a fresh leaf of a tree that is brought to the mouth and makes sounds, blowing to its edge. Another similar instrument is a barley stem pipe ^[6] .

Vargan kuekue ( nashi guegueq , the Chinese name is Chinese. 口 弦 , pinyin : kǒuxián , pall .: Kousyan ) has two main varieties: monolingual and trilingual; both of them are used to imitate the words of the Nashi language, especially in a festive atmosphere ^{[6] [4]} .

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  Plates

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  Sona

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  Erhu

Music genres

One of ’s most famous genres of music is the funeral ( nashi Bbesheeq xilli ) , which includes songs, dances and instrumental music performed by an ensemble of flutes, reed wind instruments with a double cane, stringed and plucked string instruments, and possibly including 12 string zither. In the 20th century, Baisha Siyue almost disappeared, but in 1962, musicologists studied and restored part of the repertoire of this genre with the help of older musicians. According to the most probable theory, this music was originally performed at court and has Mongolian roots; according to legend, she came to Yunnan in the 13th century during the invasion of Kublai Khan ^{[6] [3]} .

Another famous genre is the religious music of the priests and shamans. Dunba rituals include recitations, dances, and playing instruments such as gongs , cymbals , drums, bells, conch and horn. Shamans use recitative, gongs, drums and iron rattles. The authorities banned religious music in the 1950s and 1980s, but subsequently interest in it increased ^[7] .

Dianju

The upper social classes of the Nashi historically maintained ties with the Han, which led to the borrowing of musical culture. In XIX in Lijiang one often saw opera performances of wandering Han Han musicians; during the existence of the Republic of China (1912-1949), amateur groups performing - the Yunnan variety of Chinese opera ; Since 1961, a professional dianju troupe has been operating in Lijiang ^[8] .

Dongjing

Nashi is one of the few peoples who accepted the complex and highly intellectual ritual music of the han ^[7] . There is a local genre created with a strong influence of Chinese ritual music: , and it is closely associated with the worship of the god of literature Wenchang and the god of war and wealth Guan-di ^[8] .

Dongjing appeared during the reign of Ming and Qing , it includes elements of local folk and Buddhist music ^[3] . At the beginning of the 19th century, there were several bands in Lijiang performing this music; at the beginning of the 20th century, there were already several secular ensembles among them ^[9] . In 1949, by decree of the government, religious ensembles of Dongjing were banned, secular existed until the Cultural Revolution. The return of the popularity of this genre began in 1979, when the alternative name “ancient Nasi music” appeared ( Chinese trade .. 古樂 , ex. Р 纳西乐 , pinyin : nà xī gǔyuè , pall .: Nasi guyue ) ^[9] . Dongjing is actively used by the tourism industry, its most famous ensemble is called "Dayan Lijiang Association of Ancient Music" ^[9] .

The repertoire of Dongjing music varies, but there are always singing, recitative and instrumental compositions; many Chinese musical instruments are used, in particular flutes, drones , bowed and plucked instruments ( erhu , pipa, and similar sanxian sugudas, zin and zheng zither), as well as a variety of percussion instruments: wooden fish , drums, cymbals ^[3] . Dongjing is performed in a simple two-unit meter ^[4] . The orchestra consists of either 10 or 64 people, usually older men ^[3] . The Chinese notation ^[4] .

Other

Until 1949, in the vicinity of the old town of Lijiang, there were other ritual genres adopted by the Han people: Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist. They disappeared after the ban on the performance of religious music ^[7] .

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  Performance at the Lijiang Theater

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  Dongjing Orchestra

Since the early 1950s, China has pursued a policy of creating state folk vocal and dance ensembles that combine westernized music with folklore elements and propaganda texts. At the same time, the central government sent funds to the region for the scientific study of local music ^[10] .

In 1970-1990, televisions and cassette recorders appeared in Lijiang, weakening interest in folklore; on the other hand, in the mid-1980s, Lijiang became a popular tourist destination, which had a positive effect on interest in Dongjin music and other genres ^{[10] [11]} . In 1996, an educational institution was opened for children who want to learn Dongjing music ^[4] .

• Volume 7: East Asia: China, Japan, and Korea // Garland Encyclopedia of World Music / edited by Robert C. Provine, Yosihiko Tokumaru and J. Lawrence Witzleben. - Taylor & Francis Group. Routledge, 2001 .-- 1192 p.
• Alan R. Thrasher, et al. China, §II: History and theory // Grove Music Online . - Oxford University Press . (subscription required)
• Alan R. Thrasher, et al. China, §IV: Living traditions // Grove Music Online . - Oxford University Press . (subscription required)
• S.A. Komissarov, O.A. Khachaturian, G.V. Dzibel, M.V. Esipova. Nasi // Big Russian Encyclopedia. - Great Russian Encyclopedia , 2013. - V. 23. - S. 102-103. - ISBN ISBN 978-5-85270-358-3 .
• Cynthia Wong. Reviewed Work: Naxi Music from Lijiang by The Dayan Ancient Music Association, Robin Broadbank (Eng.) // Asian Music. - University of Texas Press, 1998. - Vol. 30 , no. 1 . - P. 203-205 .

• Helen Rees. Echoes of history: Naxi music in modern China . - Oxford University Press , 2000. - ISBN 9780195351620 .