Xinjiang Uygur Muqam Art (12 Muqam)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Xinjiang Uygur Muqam Art (12 Muqam)

Applicant: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Project No.: 101

Project No.: Ⅱ - 70

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: Traditional Music

Region: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Type: new item

Applicant: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Protection unit: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Art Research Institute (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Research Center)

Introduction to Xinjiang Uygur Muqam Art (12 Muqam)

Applicant: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Xinjiang Uygur Muqam art is a large-scale comprehensive art form integrating song, dance and pleasure. It is mainly distributed in the Uygur inhabited areas of southern, northern and eastern Xinjiang, and also widely spread in Urumqi and other large, medium and small towns.

Uighur Muqam art originated from folk culture and developed in the palaces and official residences of oasis city states. Through integration and development, it has formed an artistic style of diversity, comprehensiveness, integrity, improvisation and popularity, and has become an outstanding form of expression of Uighur.

Xinjiang Uygur Muqam art lyrics include philosopher's admonition, Prophet's admonition, rural slang, folk stories, etc., in which there are folk songs and literati's poems, which are the vivid expression of Uygur people's mind. The music form of Uygur Muqam art is rich and diverse, with a variety of temperament, complex modes, beat, rhythm and combination of various accompaniment instruments, showing distinct national characteristics and strong appeal.

Xinjiang Uygur Muqam art has formed the most representative twelve Muqam, Turpan Muqam, Hami Muqam and Daolang Muqam schools in the development of its cultural space.

Twelve Muqam is composed of twelve sets of large-scale music, each of which includes three parts: "dome naierman" (meaning "Daqu", a series of chants, instrumental music, song and dance music), "Dastan" (a series of narrative songs, instrumental music) and "maixirep" (a series of song and dance music). Each set contains 20 to 30 pieces of music, 12 sets of nearly 300 pieces, and it takes more than 20 hours to sing completely. Although the "Twelve Muqam" in Kashgar, Hotan, Aksu and Ili have the same origin, they have their own characteristics in structure mode, melody style and musical instrument use. Twelve Muqam is the most popular art form of Uygur people, singing and dancing in various public or family gatherings.

Due to the gradual change of Uighur's relatively independent oasis living environment, people's mode of production and living customs also change, so there is a crisis of inheritance of twelve Muqam art.