The Transmission Process of Mulao Folk Songs in Zoupo Festival in Luocheng, Guangxi, China

Abstract

The objective of this study were to: 1) Investigate the singing of Mulao folk songs in the Zoupo Festival in Luocheng; 2) Analyze the musical characteristics of Mulao folk songs in Zoupo Festival; 3) Propose guidelines for the transmission of Mulao folk songs in the Zoupo Festival. This is a qualitative study that includes relevant literature research, surveys, interviews, and transcriptions. The data were collected through fieldwork with two Mulao folk song researchers, three Mulao folk song transmitters, ten Mulao folk singers, six Mulao Zoupo Association members, and four Mulao folk song enthusiasts.The researcher used musicological and ethnomusicological methods to analyze the data.

The results of this study are as follows: 1) The singing of Mulao folk songs sung in Zoupo Festival are analyzed and studied, and the history and singing forms of Mulao folk songs are summarized, and the significance of Mulao folk songs sung in contemporary Zoupo Festival is to adapt to the development and progress of culture. 2) The singing forms of Mulao folk songs sung in Zoupo Festival are richer, and there are three types of solo singing, antiphonal singing, and unison singing; their vocal part types are monophonic and polyphonic diatonic; the number of participants can be one, two, four, a dozen, or even dozens of people. 3) The transmission of Mulao folk songs in Zoupo Festival is the transmission of music culture, the embodiment of national culture transmission, and the carrier of rural revitalization. Mulao folk songs are rich in content, beautiful tunes and various singing forms, and they are the representatives of minority folk songs in southern China, and the transmission of Mulao folk songs in Zoupo Festival today is of great significance.

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