Shifan music (Foshan Shifan)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Shifan music (Foshan Shifan)

Applicant: Foshan City, Guangdong Province

Project No.: 75

Project No.: Ⅱ - 44

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: Traditional Music

Region: Guangdong Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Foshan City, Guangdong Province

Protection unit: Nanhai District Museum, Foshan City

Introduction to Shifan music (Foshan Shifan)

Applicant: Foshan City, Guangdong Province

Shifan music, also known as "Shiban" and "wudui", is named after 10 musical instruments made of silk, bamboo, leather, wood and gold. This kind of music is relaxed and lively, with strong sense of rhythm, harmonious rhythm and pleasant to the ear. It is widely spread in Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and other places in China. Most of Shifan tunes come from folk ditty and huapai (suona tune). At the same time, they also absorb a lot of nutrients from opera, quyi and song tunes. Their performance forms include sitting, walking and dancing. Generally speaking, they are conducted by the person in charge of the board.

Foshan Shifan is a kind of folk instrumental music playing form with local characteristics. It is distributed in Foshan Town, Nanhai District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province, with a radius of 56 kilometers. It has a history of 600 or 700 years. According to the legend of Laoyi, Foshan was introduced into the local area from Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang about 200 years ago. There are two forms of "Su Shifan" and "mixed Shifan" in the original ensemble of gongs and drums. Now there is only one form of "Su Shifan", which is closely related to the Shifan gongs and drums in southern Jiangsu. Foshan Shifan has preserved the northern and southern Qupai of Yuan Dynasty, which is closely combined with folk activities in the process of spreading. It has absorbed the flying cymbals and the local eight tone gongs and drums, forming a folk instrumental form with strong local color.

The biggest characteristic of Foshan Shifan is that the light and thin cymbals don't strike according to the routine. The performer holds the cymbal crown in one hand and swipes the other cymbal on the rope in the other hand. Eight of 10 people perform various styles at the same time, showing strong dancing and observability, so they are called "flying cymbals". This kind of flying cymbal performance is unique in China at present. Foshan Shifan, as a kind of festive percussion and drum music, is mostly played in the Dragon Boat Festival, Tanabata, Mid Autumn Festival and other folk festivals, as well as God's birthday and "autumn scenery" (also known as "autumn scenery") activities. At present, there are two sets of Foshan Shifan Qupai with complete recording and music score, one set is "star Yingying" of "hangtag", "Changluo" and "broken brocade", the other set is chaji village of "playing money", "heguyin", "taoguqi" and "Changluo".

Foshan Shifan has its own style, which has a high value in art and folklore research, and can also provide important materials for the study of the evolution of the South Jiangsu Shifan gongs and drums. In the 1930s, due to the destruction of the war, Foshan's ten meetings stopped. After the founding of new China, some local organizations were restored. At present, many old artists have died one after another, and few inheritors can inherit this traditional skill. In this case, Foshan Shifan is in danger, so we need to actively formulate measures to quickly carry out systematic protection work.