Turn down the volume on your speakers for this one and get
ready for the song and dance of the Yi people of China.
The Yi are one of China’s many ethnic people groups. Their
home is in southwest China in what is today Yunnan Province. The Yi girls are
known for their distinctive style of singing called Haicai (pronounced
“high-tsigh,” oh, never mind) meaning “sea grass.”[1]
Its timbre (tone color) is similar to the forward singing of Bulgarian song
featured in Le Mystere des voix Bulgares.[2]
The Bulgarian singing differs from the Yi in a number of ways, however,
language being one of them certainly, but also in terms of texture and
harmonization.
Some listeners, at least those accustomed to Western
classical music, may find the vocal quality, register, disjunctive melodies,
and driving rhythms of the Yi song jarring or hard on the ears, especially in
the faster sections. If this is you, try to listen to this with an open mind.
It’s also pretty loud throughout, hence the speaker volume warning.
The recording (which you can watch below) begins with a
monophonic introduction. The tempo is free and lacks a consistent pulse. The
next section begins with offstage/recorded accompaniment and a slow, lyrical
duet characterized by glissandi (sliding up or down into pitches, like a
siren). The ornamentation here reminds one of Scottish highland bagpipe
ornaments. The structure of this section functions as call and response and
involves some polyphony as the duet continues to sing over the chorus of the
other girls.
This soon gives way to an energetic, driving section with a
clear rhythmic pulse, frequent repetition of melodic and rhythmic ideas, and a
homophonic texture. Oh, and some really cool choreography, too.
It can be a mistake to (attempt to) directly import the
techniques of another people group’s music into one’s own composition,
especially if members of the particular people group are not available for the
performance. For example, asking for Tibetan throat singing from untrained Western
vocalists will not be terribly effective. Trust me. This said, many
elements of the song of the Yi girls could easily inspire new compositions in a
Western musical context. How would a section of violins sound imitating the
lyrical ornamentation of the duet? Could an ensemble or soloist incorporate the
extremes of register and disjuntive nature of the Yi melodies? There are many
possibilities.
Watch the recording of the Yi song and dance,
then share your thoughts in the comments below.
[1] You can read
more about the Yi girls' song and dance at Dynamic Yunnan’s website by clicking here.
[2] Watch a
performance of Le Mystere des voix Bulgares
on Youtube by clicking here.
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