Yongfu County, Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is a mixed settlement of Han, Zhuang, Yao, Hui and other ethnic groups, these ethnic groups have lived together for a long time, and their living habits, life concepts and ideals collide with each other and blend with each other, forming a folk song with unique Yongfu charm. The Yongfu Yao folk song is one of them, the Yao people use this way of singing to inherit the history of their own nation from generation to generation, express sincere feelings and indomitable will, Yao folk songs are also a bright pearl in the treasure house of national culture and art in the mainland.
Growing up in Yindong Village, Yongfu Town, Jin Jinfu is a well-known local Yao singer, 57 years old this year, Jin Jinfu's parents are veteran lovers of Yongfu Yao folk songs, when he was eleven or twelve years old, he followed his family up and down the mountain to work. Between busy farming, adults will always relieve their fatigue by singing. At that time, there was no superfluous way of entertainment in the countryside, and the simple Yao folk songs planted a small seed in the heart of Jin Jinfu.
Yongfu Yao folk song inheritor Golden Fu. Photo by Qiu Gangcheng
Yao folk song, yao language called "saihua handle", translated as "the language of sai flower", is the second language of the Yao people to transmit information and communicate with each other. Yongfu Yao folk songs are peaceful and gentle, singing eloquently, like a clear spring stream, soft and long, the content of the song is also very extensive, from astronomical geography to mortal trivia; large to historical changes, small to agricultural weddings and funerals, casually out of mouth, all become articles.
Jin Jinfu, the inheritor of the representative project of the autonomous region-level intangible cultural heritage (Yongfu Yao folk song), told reporters that many of their older generation, although there is not much culture, but when singing mountain songs, they can export into chapters, chai rice oil salt sauce vinegar tea, and the daily life can become a moving melody. In those difficult years of wandering and migrating, Yao folk songs accompanied the Yao family through many difficult days, adding joy and color to their lives, and Yao folk songs gradually became the best way for them to express their love and hate.
Golden Fu was singing with the children. Photo by Qiu Gangcheng
With the gradual migration of the Yao people from the mountains to the plains, the living conditions of the Yao people have improved, and the Yao folk songs are declining due to the impact of multiculturalism. The younger generation no longer teaches Yao to the next generation, let alone Yao songs. Yongfu Yao folk songs should be sung in the local language of the Yao people, the generation that knows how to sing Yao folk songs is gradually aging, the younger generation lacks interest in learning, and the current situation of mountain song talents "green and yellow" makes Jin Jinfu worried. As the inheritor of the Yongfu Yao folk song autonomous region-level representative project, in order to let more young people pay attention to the Yongfu Yao folk songs, Jin Jinfu often goes to the school, sings with the children, and on the basis of the traditional singing voice, boldly innovates, and attracts more teenagers to fall in love with the Yao folk songs with the creation and performance methods that conform to the atmosphere of the times.
Yongfu Yao folk songs not only need to be sung, but also need to be inherited and developed. In recent years, Yongfu County has vigorously implemented the strategy of "culturally strong county", Yongfu Yao mountain songs have been listed as intangible cultural heritage music, and Yao folk songs have been included in the "Yongfu County Folk Music Integration", and the protection and inheritance of Yao folk songs have been strongly supported by the party committee and government. In order to allow more Yao compatriots to join the inheritance team, the Yongfu County Cultural Center builds a platform for Yao compatriots to show themselves twice a year, holds a concert of "Yongfu Yao Folk Songs", and more and more singers participate. Nowadays, Jin Jinfu's worries are becoming more and more light, and he uses "cultural propaganda throughout the world, and now culture changes the sky" to envision the beautiful future of Yongfu Yao mountain songs and Yao people.
Jin Jinfu said that as an inheritor, he hopes to pass on the Yao folk songs forever, so that the broad masses of the people can hear them one by one, and carry forward the Yao folk songs. (China Daily Guangxi Reporter Station)