Sound: Opening of Naxi Nationality’s “Thousands of Pear Blossoms (Qian Duo Wan Duo Li Hua Kai)”
Speaker 1: Hi! Which Chinese folk song has impressed you the most??
Sound: The recording provided by Friend 1 “Xian Qi Le Ni De Gai Tou Lai)”. The sound gradually fades and then Speaker 1/2’s introduction to the song is added.
Speaker 1: “Lift Your Veil (Xian Qi Le Ni De Gai Tou Lai)” by Mr. Wang Luobin, adapted from the Uyghur folk song “Arya.”
Speaker 2: It’s based on a local game in Southern Xinjiang. During harvest time, old men dress in women’s clothes, put on veils, and act coquettishly. A young guy would sing and dance next to them, and at the end, when the veil is lifted, there was an old man underneath. Everyone laughs and then goes back to work.
Speaker 1: Which Chinese folk song has impressed you most?
Sound: The recording provided by Friend 2, “Unity is strength”. The sound gradually fades and then speaker 1’s introduction to the song is added.
Speaker 1: “Unity is Strength” was created in June 1943. This song captures the essence of unity and overcoming adversity during a pivotal period in Chinese history.
Song: The recording was provided by friend 3, “Lao Si Ji Dai Dai Wo”. The sound gradually fades and then speaker 1’s introduction to the song is added.
Speaker 1: It’s adapted from a Yunnan folk song. The lyrics are about flirting between men and women, full of teasing and fun.
Speaker 1: Which Chinese folk song has impressed you the most?
Sound: The recording provided by Friend 4, “Kangding Love Song”. The sound gradually fades and then speaker 1’s introduction to the song is added.
Speaker 1: “Kangding Love Song,” originally called “Running Horse Mountain,” is a folk song popular in Kangding, Sichuan. It’s one of the most famous Chinese folk songs. It expresses the passion of young men and women for love and a free and happy life.
Speaker 1/2: Which Chinese folk song has impressed you most?
Sound: Recording provided by Friend 5, “Wa Ga La”. The sound gradually weakens.
Speaker 1: Haha, along with some other quirky folk songs.
Sound: The recordings provided by friends 6, 7, and 8 are all “Mo Li Hua”, a combination of the different voices of the three people. The sound gradually fades and then speaker 1’s introduction to the song is added.
Speaker 1: “Jasmine Flower (Mo Li Hua)” has a long history, dating back to the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty. Originally called “Xian Hua Diao,” it has always been a popular folk melody.
Speaker 1/2: Which Chinese folk song has impressed you most?
Sound: Recording provided by Friend 9, “Da Di Zhi Ge”. The sound gradually fades and then speaker 1’s introduction to the song is added.
Speaker 1: “Song of the Earth (Da Di Zhi Ge)” was composed by Zheng Nan specifically for the “Guangxi Folk Song Festival” in early 1999. It highlights the minority groups’ love for singing and their gratitude and joy for their improving living standards.
Sound: The recording provided by friend 10, “Ganxu Guilai Ali Li”. The sound gradually fades and then speaker 2’s introduction to the song is added.
Speaker 2: “Ganxu Guilai Ali Li” is a Yi ethnic folk song with lyrics by Gu Di and music by Huang Youyi, composed in 1969. This song expresses the deep love and admiration of the Yi people for their homeland and life. It vividly portrays the joyous mood of the Yi people returning from the market, showcasing their vibrant and joyful spirit.
Speaker 1/2: Which Chinese folk song has impressed you the most?
Sound: Recording provided by friend 11, “Zou Xi Kou”. The sound gradually weakens and then speaker1/2 introduces the song and Chinese folk songs.
Speaker 1: “Zou Xi Kou (means Walking to the Western Pass)” is a local folk song from Hequ, Shanxi, that tells the story of a newlywed couple’s tragic separation and the hardships faced by modern Shanxi people in earning a living. This song reflects deep social, historical, natural, and geographical reasons.
Speaker 2: In China, folk music is categorized into five types: folk songs, folk dance music, narrative music, opera music, and folk instrumental music. Folk songs can be classified in various ways. For instance, by theme and content, they can be divided into labor, life, love, and legendary stories; by period of origin, they can be traditional folk songs, revolutionary historical folk songs, and new folk songs; by ethnicity or region, they can include Han, Mongolian, Tibetan, Miao folk songs, or those from Hunan, Hubei, Qinghai, and other regions. Han folk songs are further divided into three styles: folk songs, sacred songs, and tunes, categorized by region. In minority areas, some songs are classified by their social function, like hunting songs, banquet songs, pastoral songs, hymns, homesick songs, ceremonial songs, narrative songs, religious songs, lullabies, and rock songs. They can also be classified by musical form, such as long and short tunes. “Walking to the Western Pass” is a love-themed North-Western folk song and a narrative song. It has many different versions, and the lyrics also vary, but the overall meaning is the same.
Sound: Recording provided by friend 12, “Tian Ya Ge Nv”. The sound gradually fades and then Speaker 2’s introduction to the song is added.
Speaker 1: “Tian Ya Ge Nv (The Wandering Songstress)” was adapted by He Luting from the Suzhou folk song “Zhi Xin Ke.” Released in 1937, it tells a love story. This song is famous for its beautiful melody and poignant lyrics, capturing the essence of a woman’s longing and emotions, whose life and love are as fleeting as her songs.
Speaker 2: Alright, the first part was some friends of different ages sharing the Chinese folk songs that made the big…biggest impression on them.
Speaker 1: Everyone sang really well, haha!
Speaker 2: The most mentioned folk song was “Jasmine Flower.” It really left a deep impression in our childhood and in music classes.
Speaker 1: It’s definitely one of the most famous folk songs.
Speaker 2: Next, I’m gonna talk about some of the earliest recordings of Chinese folk songs. This one’s called “Song of the Seasons,（Si Ji Ge）” sung by Zhou Xuan. Chinese folk songs often use a narrative sequence like the twelve months, four seasons, or the five”geng”(one “geng” means two hours during nighttime). This song uses the sequence of the four seasons and is set to the tune of Singing of the Spring. Let’s have a listen.
Song: “Si Ji Ge” fades in, playing
(The song volume lowers, becoming background music)
Speaker 1: Really beautiful, even though the sound quality is quite dated.
Speaker 2: It’s got a bit of an opera vibe too.
Speaker 1: Yep. Next up is a really famous erhu piece called “Moon Reflected on the Second Spring,” composed by the blind artist Abing.
Speaker 2: Yeah, super famous. Whether you like it or not or have heard it intentionally, it’s very well-known.
Speaker 1: This piece conveys the thoughts and emotions of a blind artist who has experienced life’s bitterness and pain. It was recorded in Wuxi in 1950 by Yang Yinliu and Cao Anhe from the Chinese Academy of Arts using a steel wire recorder.
Speaker 2: It’s a really early and valuable recording.
Speaker 1: Yeah, let’s keep listening.
Song: “Er Quan Ying Yue” fades in, playing
(Song volume lowers, becoming background music)
Speaker 1: So poignant and melodious, the erhu sounds so expressive.
Speaker 2: Right, that’s the charm of the erhu. Now, let’s enjoy the last song, another erhu piece. This one’s called “Groaning in Illness, (Bing Zhong Yin)” a work by Liu Tianhua.
Speaker 1: He was self-taught, really talented.
Speaker 2: Yeah. “Groaning in Illness” is a pun – it was actually composed while he was sick, but it also reflects the inner turmoil and melancholy of Chinese intellectuals during the May Fourth period, dissatisfied yet holding onto bright ideals.
Speaker 1: Let’s keep listening.
Song: “Bing Zhong Yin” fades in, playing
(Song volume lowers, becoming background music)
Speaker 2: Speaking of early recordings, in the early 20th century, the German-American sinologist Berthold Laufer (1874-1934) recorded about 1,500 minutes of Chinese folk singing, melodies, and instrumentals on wax cylinders. He captured some really precious sound archives. In Shanghai, he recorded Wu-language folk songs, Tanhuang plays, Qin opera, and various other traditional genres. Most of the Beijing part was recorded live, showing the early incorporation of local folk tunes into narrative singing in the Beijing and Tianjin area. His collection also includes instrumental recordings of Liu Tianhua and A bing.
Speaker 1: Laufer’s field recordings from 1901 and 1902 captured the end of an old era, providing invaluable early resources for the history of Chinese music.
Speaker 2: Definitely, very precious. These recordings, due to their age, location, and materials, might not have the clarity of modern sound, and there’s a lot of ambient noise. But that’s what gives them a real sense of being there.
Speaker 1: From his collection, you can see the evolution of Chinese music at the time. It includes the tunes of operas before they were formally established and the process of how a folk song or tune evolved. You can see the early forms of various musical genres.
Speaker 2: So, what do you think about the development of folk music nowadays, or how do young people think about folk music?
Speaker 1: “Well, I did a survey, and it seems like most young people are kinda lukewarm about folk music. But, our parents’ generation tends to love it more. Most of us last heard folk music at community square dances, on TV music variety shows, or at festival celebrations on TV. I think folk music still has room to grow. We need to promote it more through social media and TV, educating young people about the stories behind these songs. Plus, injecting some modern pop elements into it while keeping its essence could help it evolve I think.”
Song: Connecting to the previous music, play the Mongolian band’s song “Jangger Heroes” as background music
Speaker 2: “True. This year, the Mongolian bands on TV shows have really caught everyone’s attention.”
Speaker 1: “And let’s not forget the folk songs with funny, satirical, or even 18+ lyrics and tunes that everyone loves, haha.”
Speaker 2: “Hahaha, yeah, a lot of the old folk songs were pretty straightforward and simple.”
Speaker 1: “Okay, guys, time’s up. Thank you for your listening! See you all!”
Speaker 2: “See you! Bye!”