侗族大歌 Grand Song of the Dong Ethnic Group

Grand Song of the Dong Ethnic Group 侗族大歌 dòng zú dà gē
 
A popular saying among the Dong people in Guizhou Province in southern China has it that "Rice nourishes the body and songs nourish the soul"(饭养身，歌养心 fàn yǎng shēn gē yǎng xīn ). The Dong people have never had an autograph of its own, and did not have a writing system until 1958. Before that the Dong Culture, the history and stories were all recorded and handed down by means of songs. For this reason, the Dong culture, though having experienced ups and downs in history, has been well preserved and is gradually drawing attention from the world.

Their tradition of passing on culture and knowledge in music is exemplified in the Grand Song of the Dong ethnic group(侗族大歌 dòng zú dà gē ), also called Kam Grand Choir, multi-part singing performed without instrumental accompaniment(乐器伴奏 lè qì bàn zòu ) or a music conductor(指挥 zhǐ huī ). The repertoire(曲目 qǔ mù ) 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 Songs are performed formally in the drum-tower(鼓楼 gǔ lóu ), the landmark venue for rituals, entertainment and meetings in a Dong village, or more spontaneously in homes or public places. They constitute a Dong encyclopedia, 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 sometimes gender. In addition to disseminating their lifestyle and wisdom, it remains a crucial symbol of Dong ethnic identity and cultural heritage.

[dòng zú dà gē] 侗族大歌 Grand Song of the Dong ethnic group
[yuè qì bàn zòu] 乐器伴奏 instrumental accompaniment
[yīn yuè zhǐ huī] 音乐指挥 music conductor
[qǔ mù] 曲目 repertoire
[yuè tuán] 乐团 orchestra

Related Words:

[chuán tǒng yīn yuè] 传统音乐 traditional music
[gǔ diǎn yīn  yuè] 古典音乐 classical music
[qīng yīn yuè] 轻音乐 light music
[liú xíng yīn yuè] 流行音乐 pop music
[mín zú yīn yuè] 民族音乐 folk music 
[xiāng cūn yīn yuè] 乡村音乐 country music
[jué shì yuè]  爵士乐 Jazz
[yáo gǔn yuè] 摇滚乐 rock-&-roll
[lán diào] 蓝调 blues
[mín yáo]  民谣civic ballad 
[mín gē]  民歌 folk songs