Muqam of the Uygur Minority
The Uygur minority inhabits the Xinjiang Uygir Autoroncnu Region in the northwest part of China.The Uygurs tike singie and dancing in festivalIs and leisure times, In fact, singing an dancing are important parts of their lives, ns they are crucial ways for them to express their emotions, They are quoted a saying:"We are frequently sing and dance in our lives just like people of other ethnic groups must put salt in their meals,Wecan sing and dance anywhere, anytime,"The graceful Uygur songe and dances are so popular around the world,especially muqam a type of traditional Uygur music that is known for its abundant content, colorful melodies and diversified musical structures. Muqam consists of songs, dances and music in a unique style and has distinctive regional features.It is known for having beautiful melodies,lively tones, and simple but abundant forms of expression worldwide and so it is reputed as the "oriental gem."
It has been proven that muqam can be traced back to1500 BC. After it was spread by music masters, recorded and collected by numerous folk musicians, it flourished until 1600 BC.
According to its spread in the region and style, muqam can China is a united nation consisting of 56 ethnic groups.Apart from the Han nationality, there are 55 ethnic groups, with a comparatively smaller population,and so they are known as "minorities."
People of all ethnic groups are known for their singing and dancing accompanied by a distinct folk music. Each ethnic group has its own history of development and cultural background. On that basis, folk music with characteristics of each ethnic group was developed into a distinct style. Similar with the Han nationality,al ethnic groups also created their own folk songs, such as Flower, a song of the Hui minority, andLong Tone and Hoomei songs of Mongolia;special music types like Muqam of the Uygurs, and Dongjing music of the Naxi minority; folk dances like long-dram dance of the ethnic Korean people, timbal dance and tap dance of the Miao,Yao and Yi minorities,Andai dance of the Mongolians, Muqam of the Uygurs and Caicha dance of the Zhuang minority; and such folk operas as Tibetan Opera, Baiju Opera of the Bai minority and Zhuangju Opera of the Zhuang minority. These songs,music types, dances and operas make up of the brilliant music culture of the Chinese nation and have an important place in Chinese music history.
