Folk Songs of China's Tajik & Russian Minorities

FOLK MUSIC OF CHINA VOL. 6

Folk Songs of China’s Tajik & Russian Minorities FOLK SONGS OF CHINA’S TAJIK & RUSSIAN MINORITIES

TAJIK 1 Power of Love 4:17 2 Adorable Mang Gu Li 4:04 3 Flowers of Xingong 3:44 4 Endless Longing 3:34 5 In a Cluster of Flowers 3:16 6 Looking Smart 2:07 7 The Yellow Head Scarf 2:06 8 Why are the Flowers so Red? 3:15 9 Like Flowers (Birds Chirp Happily) 7:20 10 My Beloved 2:12 11 Peach Blossoms 4:58 12 A Flying Eagle 3:47 13 Your Bright Face 2:29 14 Bird’s Greetings 2:11

RUSSIAN 15 Was it My Fault? 1:25 16 A Riverside Log Cabin 3:42 17 Kardelen (Russian folk dance music) 2:26 18 Millions of Roses 5:18 19 Destiny 3:30 20 Harsh Winter 2:40

TOTAL PLAYING TIME: 68:56

Nezerbay – Vocals 1 , 5 , 9 • Rawap 1 – 14 • Mardan – Satar 1 – 14 , Vocals 9 Shahmat – Hand drum 1 – 14 • Maryamhan Adil – Vocals 2 , 4 , 10 Pahtiyek – Vocals 3 , 6 , 11 – 14 • Rehimbay – Vocals 7 , 8 Lidia Luniauv – Vocals 15 , 18 , 20 • Balalaika 15 • Vladimir Mokilin – Vocals 16 , 17 , 19 Bayan 16 – 20 • Zazulina Vera – Vocals 18 , 20 FOLK SONGS OF CHINA’S TAJIK & RUSSIAN MINORITIES

A brief introduction to the region and the folk music styles

This album features folk songs from the Tajik and Russian ethnic minority groups living in the western and northwestern areas of Xinjiang, China. If you are familiar with music from the Xinjiang region at all, you are probably thinking of the type of background music played in restaurants serving Xinjiang cuisine, and may assume that the music found here is of a similar style. That’s not the case: the best-known songs from Xinjiang, the pop songs and dance music that would likely be played in such restaurants, are from the area around Ürümqi. However, this album collects western Xinjiang folk songs that are rather distinctive.

As Xinjiang is trifurcated by the Altay, Tianshan and Kunlun mountains, it has a wide variety of types of terrain and micro-climates, and thus the lifestyle (including folk music) in one area is different from another. Meanwhile, thanks to the delicate ties among the tribes (sort of a miniature ‘silk road’) there are commonalities, and fusions of style in Xinjiang folk songs. For example, the Rewap, a musical instrument which looks like a guitar or a banjo, is used in folk music all across Xinjiang. However, the Tashi Ku’ergan (that is, the western Xinjiang, or ‘Tashi’) Rewap looks rather different from the northern Xinjiang Rewap – the Tashi Rewap has ‘a pair of wings’ on the body of the instrument, to symbolise the eagle, the totem of Tajik people living in Tashi.

Those unfamiliar with the folks songs of this part of Xinjiang may at first find some tunes on this album tough on the ears. Nowadays we are used to the patterns and scales used in pop music, jazz or modern classical, but not those on display here. For example, when you listen to A Flying Eagle 12 for the first time, the beats may sound disordered, even rough. Technically, this is just because the song was composed with 10 beats in a bar, which is quite rare in pop music. Please mind the ‘toughness’ because it is why these songs are precious. Although they are rather different from what many of us may be used to, they have an earthy beauty that is theirs alone.

The songs featured in this album come from two areas: Tashi-Ku’ergan County (Tashi) and Yining City (Yining). Tashi is located to the dry territory east of Pamir Plateau – 4,500 metres above sea level, where the rainfall is minimal while sunshine is plentiful. The people in Tashi mainly subsist by planting crops and raising livestock for a living. Yining is more temperate and humid as it is in the mountain basin. The grass for herding is relatively poor in quality, and so shepherds and their herds must be outdoors for long stretches. During the long stretches tending to their flocks, people sing love songs.

The people of Tashi (most of whom are ethnic Tajik) are very fond of love songs. Despite the dry and windy air, the Tashi are known to be passionate and warmhearted. One Tajik tradition is ‘kissing’ – a man kisses his brother’s hand, a woman kisses her sister’s chin, a youngster kisses an elder’s hands and the elder kisses the youngster back on the forehead. You will find many love songs in this album, including Power of Love 1 ; Endless Longing 5 ; My Beloved 10 . Indeed, singing love songs makes us happy during long spells of lonely travelling, and thinking about love helps people overcome the endless cold winter on the plateau.

The Yining peoples live in the basin area of the Tianshan mountains. The living conditions here are more hospitable and people do more planting. As Yining is on the west border of China close to Kazakhstan, their music fusion turns to a Kazakh style, and sometimes even referred to as a Russian style. Bayans, as well as ‘Russian Scales’, are used in the Yining folk songs in this album. Yining people are passionate and thus you may find some dancing songs such as Kardelen 17 .

Gu Li

Many of the Tajik songs reference ‘Gu Li’. In many Xinjiang local languages, ‘Gu Li’ means flowers. Gu Li is also a popular girls name in the region. Flowers are not so commonly seen on high plateaus and snowy mountains. When people see flowers in the harsh wilderness, they take it as strong sign of hope and of a persistent will to live. Gu Li is the Xinjiang symbol of hope and longing for better living and a stronger life.

Xinjiang plucked music instruments and hand drums

As you will hear in this album, string-plucked instruments are widely used in folk music across Xinjiang. The sound is similar to that of an acoustic guitar, but the tone is brighter and more elastic. This is the sound of the instrument mentioned earlier, the Rewap. The Rewap is an ancient instrument made of mulberry trunk and strings. The Rewap is typical of many similar Xinjiang plucked instruments: mulberry and plum trees are commonly used for such instruments as the wood has a low density. Thus, the sound is light and lacks low-frequency sounds compared with acoustic guitars which are usually made of higher density woods like sequoia or spruce. Unlike guitars, which are made in factories nowadays, Rewaps are still made by hand in small workshops and so they are not standardized. As a result, many Rewaps cannot get a stable pitch, which might be ‘tough’ to your ears, comparing with modern pop music.

The hand drum used in these songs is generally called a Xinjiang Hand Drum. It is also typical in folk music of the Xinjiang area. The appearance of the hand drum is very similar to a tambourine. Usually it consists of a shallow chamber and snake-skin as drum skin. Similar to Rewap, this hand drum is good for high frequencies but lacks a bass frequency. In this album, hand drum dancing songs are common, such as Wow, the yellow head scarf 7 . You will find these hand drum songs very suitable for dancing, the drum player may even dance vividly during their playing.

An Laining MONGOLIA

Beijin Xinjian

CINA

NEPAL

INIA MYANMAR

TAILAN LYRICS

TAJIK 6 Looking Smart Lyrical outline: The song praises others 1 Power of Love for dressing up smart and handsome. Lyrics: I keep thinking about my girl every day but she doesn’t know. 7 The Yellow Head Scarf Lyrics: Wow, your yellow head scarf is 2 Adorable Mang Gu Li so cute! Oh, how come your yellow head Lyrics: A bird hovers over my head and I scarf is so ragged and covered with dust? am deep in my own thoughts. As it flies happily in the sky, my wish comes true and 8 Why are the Flowers So Red? I finally find the right person for me. Introduction: This is an old Tajik tune which was later adapted and popularized 3 Flowers in Xingong as the theme tune of the 1963 Chinese spy Lyrics: Sweet love, I need you. You are a thriller, Visitors on the Icy Mountain. flower blooming in Xingong and I cannot live without you. Lyrics: Why are the flowers so red? They’re as red as burning fire. Why are the flowers 4 Endless Longing so red? Is it because they symbolise pure Lyrical outline: A young lad died in a friendship and love? Why are the flowers battle. Ever since then, his mother has so bright? Oh, so bright! They’re so bright waited on his departing trail every day, that people cannot bear to leave them looking into the distance for her son. She behind. They’re bright because they are misses him for each and every moment. watered with the blood of the youth.

5 In a Cluster of Flowers 9 Like Flowers Lyrics: I have selected many flowers and Lyrics: I set off early in the morning and wish to court you in a romantic cluster of toil in the field. A bird chirps happily above flowers. Though without commitment, I my head. It must be a loving greeting from still believe in our love. my dearest girl. 10 My Beloved Lyrics: I need you and I dream of you. My beloved, I yearn for you so much.

11 Peach Blossoms Lyrics: I praise you, my beloved girl. You are my peach blossom.

12 A Flying Eagle Lyrics: Each of your hairs is black and white. If you always stay in the remote land, I might forget that I miss you so.

13 Your Bright Face Lyrics: My gorgeous darling, you are so pretty. In my eyes, you are the most beautiful in the world.

14 Bird’s Greetings Lyrics: Dear bird, be sure to send my regards to my beloved lady. RUSSIAN and spoons. Often modern performances replace these instruments with guitars, 15 Was it My Fault? but the original instrumentation can be Lyrics: Was it my fault to that I fell in love? heard here. Was it my fault that my voice faltered when I sang to him? My mother let me out 18 Millions of Roses on a star-lit night. Everyone was talking Lyrical outline: A painter has houses and romance in the night. I shouldn’t have land under his name. But he falls in love believed in you or allowed you to kiss me. with a star who treasures flowers. So the Was it my fault? painter sells the houses, the land, all his paintings, and finally his blood in order to 16 A Riverside Log Cabin send millions of roses to the star. Lyrics: Nearby a riverside log cabin, a young man proposes to a girl and kisses 19 Destiny her on the face. I have always believed in Lyrics: No one has ever held a wedding love and I never thought that you would ceremony for us yet a fire is burning in my change your heart. White roses symbolise heart. Why did the Cossacks take me on first meetings, red ones stand for love and a horse and rush towards the grassland? yellow ones mean breakups. I pick up Why did you appear when I was feeding white roses, send red ones as a gift and the horse? You have already won the heart trample on the yellow ones. Now I am full of a Cossack girl. Destiny, please tell me, of youthful vigor. By the time you fall in why did you bring us together and then love with me, time will have wrinkled my pull us apart? face and greyed my hair. It will be too late and no one talks love at that age. Near a 20 Harsh Winter riverside log cabin, a young man is kissing Lyrics: Oh harsh winter, please don’t freeze a girl on her face while I am lonely to death. me or my horse! My beautiful and jealous wife is expecting my return, wishing that I 17 Kardelen (Russian folk dance music) will hug her and feed the horses. Oh harsh Introduction: A long time ago, Russians winter, please don’t freeze me or my horse! invented a kind of dance music called Kardelen. People wearing boots dance to the accompaniment of Bayans, Balalaikas ℗ 2013 & © 2020 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd • Booklet Notes in English Made in Germany • www.naxos.com Also available

NXW76088-2 NXW76089-2 NXW76090-2

NXW76091-2 NXW76092-2 Tajik Russian FOLK SONGS OF CHINA’S TAJIK & RUSSIAN MINORITIES FOLK MUSIC OF CHINA, VOL. 6

This album features folk songs from the Tajik and Russian ethnic minority groups living in the western and northwestern areas of Xinjiang, China. These folk songs have an earthy beauty that is theirs alone. Many of the Tajik songs featured here are accompanied by the Rewap – an ancient stringed instrument made from mulberry trunks. The sound is similar to that of an acoustic guitar, but the tone is brighter and more elastic. Many of the Russian songs feature the Bayan (a type of accordion) and the Balalaika.

TAJIK 12 A Flying Eagle 3:47 1 Power of Love 4:17 13 Your Bright Face 2:29 2 Adorable Mang Gu Li 4:04 14 Bird’s Greetings 2:11 3 Flowers of Xingong 3:44 4 Endless Longing 3:34 RUSSIAN 5 In a Cluster of Flowers 3:16 15 Was it My Fault? 1:25 6 Looking Smart 2:07 16 A Riverside Log Cabin 3:42 7 The Yellow Head Scarf 2:06 17 Kardelen (Russian folk dance music) 2:26 8 Why are the Flowers so Red? 3:15 18 Millions of Roses 5:18 9 Like Flowers (Birds Chirp Happily) 7:20 19 Destiny 3:30 10 My Beloved 2:12 20 Harsh Winter 2:40 11 Peach Blossoms 4:58 TOTAL PLAYING TIME: 68:56

Nezerbay – Vocals 1 , 5 , 9 • Rawap 1 – 14 • Mardan – Satar 1 – 14 , Vocals 9 • Shahmat – Hand drum 1 – 14 Maryamhan Adil – Vocals 2 , 4 , 10 • Pahtiyek – Vocals 3 , 6 , 11 – 14 • Rehimbay – Vocals 7 , 8 Lidia Luniauv – Vocals 15 , 18 , 20 • Balalaika 15 • Vladimir Mokilin – Vocals 16 , 17 , 19 Bayan 16 – 20 • Zazulina Vera – Vocals 18 , 20

Recording Dates: May 2012 1 – 14 ; June 2012 15 – 20 Recording Location: Tashi Ku’ergan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 1 – 14 ; Yining, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 15 – 20 Producer and Publisher: 侯都都 (Hou Dudu), Kuke Music, Shanghai Music Publishing House & Shanghai Literature and Art Audio-Visual Electronic Publishing House Recording Engineer: 李朝 (Li Zhao)