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Dong's Grand tradition
February 27, 2011, Sunday
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THE Dong people in Guizhou Province in southern China have a tradition of passing on culture and knowledge in music exemplified in Grand Song, multi-part singing performed without instrumental accompaniment or a leader.
The repertoire includes a range of genres such as ballads, children's songs, songs of greeting and imitative songs that test performers' virtuosity at mimicking the sounds of animals. Taught by masters to choirs of disciples, Grand Song constitutes a Dong encyclopaedia, narrating the people's history, extolling their belief in the unity of humans and nature, preserving scientific knowledge, expressing feelings of romantic love, and promoting moral values such as respect for one's elders and neighbors.
Grand Song is performed widely today, with each village boasting various choirs divided by age and even gender. In addition to disseminating their lifestyle and wisdom, it remains a crucial symbol of Dong ethnic identity and cultural heritage.
Grand Song of the Dong ethnic group was inscribed on the Representative List of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.
The repertoire includes a range of genres such as ballads, children's songs, songs of greeting and imitative songs that test performers' virtuosity at mimicking the sounds of animals. Taught by masters to choirs of disciples, Grand Song constitutes a Dong encyclopaedia, narrating the people's history, extolling their belief in the unity of humans and nature, preserving scientific knowledge, expressing feelings of romantic love, and promoting moral values such as respect for one's elders and neighbors.
Grand Song is performed widely today, with each village boasting various choirs divided by age and even gender. In addition to disseminating their lifestyle and wisdom, it remains a crucial symbol of Dong ethnic identity and cultural heritage.
Grand Song of the Dong ethnic group was inscribed on the Representative List of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.
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