Miao's Folk Songs and Musical Instruments
Miao people mostly inhabit in Guizhou,Yunnan,Hunan,Sichuan,Guangxi,Hubei and Guangdong provinces in southern China.The Miao minority is said to have originated from the Jiuli,a tribe in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River 5,000 years ago,and later moved to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and formed the Sanmiao tribe.Through the passing of time,Miao people migrated all over the southern part of China and even crossed boundaries to other countries.Today,Miao people are spread over Vietnam,Thailand,Laos,Europe and America.Similar to other ethnic groups,Miao people are also good at singing and dancing,especially in festivals.
There is a great variety of Miao folk songs.As for content,they contain hundreds of types;love songs alone could be divided into 13 types,such as songs for encounters,love,courtship and dupery.In terms of literary form,these folk songs could be composed of long tones and short tones.The long tone mainly consists of narrative epics and ballads in a primitive and bold tone;while the short tone covers all folk songs apart from epics and ballads,such as work songs,canzonets,songs for customs and children's songs.
The Fly Tone,a type of Miao folk songs,is popular in Taijiang,Jianhe and Kaili,Guizhou.Since this type of song is presented in a loud and sonorous tone,singers have to sing in falsetto.The lyrics mostly involve words of admiration,appreciation and encouragement.In celebrating the Miao New Year or Dragon Boat Festival,Miao people always sing fly tones to show their happiness.
Miao folk musical instruments can be summarized as "three drums and one sheng."The "three drums"refer to the bronze,wooden and leather drums;while the "one sheng"is lusheng(a reed wind instrument).The lusheng has many models.The small-sized treble lusheng is merely 33 cm long,and the big base of the lusheng could be as high as 330 cm.They are performed in many forms:several treble lushengs accompany dances,or they are performed in groups,as one group falls,another rises.
Accompanied by the bronze drum,wooden drum and lusheng,Miao dances are named after musical instruments,such as the Bronze Drum Dance,Wooden Drum Dance and Lusheng Dance;of them,the Lusheng Dance is the most popular.The Lusheng Dance is performed with active movements like squatting,jumping and walking in a good order,straightforward and passionate.It is reputed by itshighly challenging movementsmaking a squat vault and dance turn by bending one leg while performing the us.
The Lusheng Dance is performed by a group or an individual: one or a group of performers could dance while playing the lusheng; a male performer could play the lusheng for a female dancer. At the Peach Blossom Festival or other traditional festivals,fully-costumed girls and boys dance cheerfully accompanied by the lusheng and folk songs,turning the flower field or entire village into a sea of joy.
