East Asia on Music Theory Print

Aak

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Background#

Aak is one of three types of Korean court music; the other two are dangak and hyangak. Aak is similar to dangak in that both have Chinese origins. All the instruments used in aak are derived from Chinese originals, and very few of these are used in other kinds of traditional Korean music. The music is now performed by members of the Kungnip Kugagwon National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts in Seoul, Korea.

Akishibu-kei

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Examples of Akishibu-Kei anime songs#

“Let me be with you” by ROUND TABLE featuring Nino (Opening theme of Chobits.Composed by Kitagawa Katsutoshi)
“Onnanoko ♡ Otokonoko” by Yuko Ogura (Ending theme for School Rumble Composed by Yasuharu Konishi)
“Neko Mimi mode” by Dimitri from Paris (Opening theme of Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase)
“Dramatic Market Ride” by Aya Suzaki (Opening theme of Tamako Market Composed by Tomoko Kataoka)
“Yukitoki” and “Harumodoki” by Yanagi Nagi (Both opening theme of My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected Composed by Kitagawa Katsutoshi)
“Your Voice” by Rhodanthe
(Ending theme of Kin-iro Mosaic. Composed by Takeshi Nakatsuka)
“Rocket Beat” by Kiyono Yasuno (Ending theme of Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Composed by Kitagawa Katsutoshi)
“The Girls Are Alright!” by Saya (Opening theme of A Place Further than the Universe. Composed by Mito of Clammbon)

Anime song

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

1930–1970: Early influences#

The Dull Sword (1917), by Jun’ichi Kōuchi, is regarded as the earliest surviving animated film in Japan. Noburō Ōfuji’s Kuroi Nyago (1929) is the first Japanese animated work to include music. The film includes characters dancing to a prerecorded song, retroactively seen as the prototype of anime songs. Following World War II, the 1950s and 1960s saw a revival in entertainment and cultural development. In 1963, Astro Boy premiered and subsequently, the theme song “Theme of Astro Boy” became well-known to the Japanese public due to it being used as the departure song at Takadanobaba Station. The song was also notable due to the lyrics being written by poet Shuntarō Tanikawa.

Asian hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Philippines#

The Philippines is known to have had the first hip-hop music scene in Asia since the early 1980s, largely due to the country’s historical connections with the United States The intimate relationship between hip-hop culture and the large Filipino American community along the United States West Coast naturally resulted in the exportation of rap music back to the Philippines. Numerous cassette tapes, videos, books and magazines concerning hip hop issues and popular rap artists would be sent out by Filipinos to family members back in the islands. The towns and barrios surrounding the numerous American military bases that were scattered throughout that country such as Clark Air Base in Angeles City and Subic Bay Naval Base in Olongapo were among the earliest to be exposed to the culture; as contact with African-American, Filipino American and Latino servicemen resulted in some of the earliest exposure the locals had to the new musical genre. In 1980, singer and stand-up comedian Dyords Javier would record “Na Onseng Delight”, and Vincent Dafalong “Ispraken Delight”. They are known to be the first rap records from Asia. Hip hop films such as Wild Style (1982), Breakin (1984) and Krush Groove (1985) were also major influences; and as early as 1982 local break-dancing crews were starting to emerge. Local parks and malls in and around the Metro Manila area became mainstays and training grounds for future recording artists.

Beompae

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Description#

There are three kinds of beompae: * anchaebi sori (), “indoor chant”, musically simple, sutra chants, mainly in Chinese, sung by a monk, usually inside a temple. * baggatchaebi sori (), “outdoor chant”, the solemn recitation of specific Chinese poems, either as hotsori () “simple chant”, or jitsori () “long chant”. Sung in a characteristic high pitch by a trained professional singer and monk, for special ritual occasions. The term boempae sometimes refers specifically to these kinds of chants, the most ancient of Korean Buddhist ritual chants. * hwacheong (), secular Buddhist ritual chants, in vernacular Korean, easily understood by listeners.

Campus folk song

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Cantopop

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1920s to 1950s: Shanghai origins#

Western-influenced music first came to China in the 1920s, specifically through Shanghai. Artists like Zhou Xuan () acted in films and recorded popular songs. After the People’s Republic of China was founded by the Chinese Communist Party in 1949, the new government quickly denounced pop music—particularly Western pop—as decadent. As a result, many first generation Cantopop artists and composers hail from Shanghai.

1960s: Cultural acceptance#

By the 1960s, Cantonese music in Hong Kong was still limited largely to traditional Cantonese opera and comic renditions of western music. Tang Kee-chan, Cheng Kuan-min (), and Tam Ping-man () were among the earliest artists releasing Cantonese records. The generation at the time preferred British and American exports. Western culture was at the time equated with education and sophistication, and Elvis Presley, Johnny Mathis and The Beatles were popular. Conversely, those who preferred Cantonese music were considered old-fashioned or uneducated. and Chan Chai-chung () were two popular Cantonese singers who specifically targeted the younger generation. Connie Chan Po-chu is generally considered to be Hong Kong’s first teen idol, mostly due to her career longevity. Josephine Siao is also another artist of the era.

Chinese heavy metal

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Tang Dynasty (1988–1990)#

Chinese heavy metal had its origins in hard rock (硬摇滚音乐, Yìng yáogǔn yīnyuè) and Heavy Metal (重金属, Zhòngjīnshǔ) music genres, which had emerged and gained popularity around the 1980s in the western world. The genre of Chinese Heavy Metal music emerged with the formation of the Chinese band, Tang Dynasty as they were the first band to emerge in China with Heavy Metal oriented music. Following their formation in 1988 Tang Dynasty utilized both elements introduced in the new wave of British heavy metal as well as elements of classical Chinese music in the music they wrote. In 1990 Tang dynasty was hired to play at the, ‘Festival of modern music / 90’s Modern Music Concert’, where they were met with extremely positive responses from the crowd of nearly 18,000 spectators. The success gained from their performance eventually led to them obtaining a record contract with the Taiwanese record label, Magic Stone. In December 1992 Tang Dynasty released their debut album, titled A Dream Return to Tang Dynasty, marking the first release of a heavy metal album in China by a Chinese band.

Chinese rock

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The Northwest Wind (1980s)#

The birth of Chinese rock was a rather unique phenomenon. The Asian country had closed its borders and didn’t allow anything Western that might cause disunity or cultural confusion to enter, so the government only promoted art with communist aims. They didn’t want anything Western within their walls, much less a musical genre like rock. The high command believed that this genre had an anti-revolutionary character that could easily infect the Chinese masses. A clear example is the Soviet Union, where a Chinese politician mentioned that the end of the USSR came “when children started listening to rock.” The dakou was one of the main causes of the yaogun phenomenon. Because the practice went beyond its literal meaning of “cutting” or “tearing,” young people found a form of mental escape through their ingenuity. At that time, China had a kind of vast continental landfill, where a lot of waste was transported, including music cassettes. Many people who worked in these garbage dumps salvaged tapes that had been discarded by Western countries because they were damaged. Many Chinese saw this as an opportunity, so some skilled young people, rebuilt the audio tapes so they would work again and then sold them on the underground circuit or simply listened to them with friends. Despite the entry of some films and their positive reception among young people, the Chinese communist government completely stigmatized Western music, especially rock, because they knew it was the sound of rebellion in the West. This stigma was partly due to a rather curious incident: a young rocker wanted to assassinate Mao Zhedong. In the early 1970s, Lin Liguo, nicknamed “the Tiger” (son of Lin Biao, a military officer and one of Mao’s main collaborators), planned to kill the founder of the People’s Republic of China because of the discontent and oppression his family suffered at the hands of Mao. He even once said, “One day I will let the Chinese people know that there is such wonderful music in the world!” His plan was later discovered, and he and his father fled to the USSR, but two hours later, their plane crashed, and they were burned to death. Thanks to their vision of rock and this precedent, they had logical reasons to prohibit the genre, or at least censor it. Rock music did not take hold in Mainland China until the end of the Cultural Revolution and the onset of the Reform and Opening. Peking All-Stars were a rock band formed in Beijing in 1979, by foreigners then resident in the Chinese capital. While the first rock band in China, they were not Chinese. The following year, Wan Xing, Li Shichao, Ma Xiaoyi, and Wang Xinbo formed their first rock band, Wanli Ma Wang, at Beijing Second Foreign Languages College (now Beijing Foreign Studies University), playing Western classic rock. Chinese rock had its origins in Northwest Wind style of music, which emerged as a main genre in Mainland China. The new style was triggered by two new songs, “Xintianyou” () and “Nothing To My Name” (), both of which drew heavily on the folk song traditions of northern Shaanxi. They combined this with a western-style fast tempo, strong beat and aggressive bass lines. In contrast to the contemporary mellow cantopop style, Northwest Wind songs were sung loudly and forcefully. It represented the musical branch of the large-scale root-seeking (, xungen) cultural movement that also manifested itself in literature and in film. Cui Jian’s Northwest Wind album Rock ‘N’ Roll on the New Long March, which included “Nothing To My Name”, has been called “China’s first rock album”. Many Northwest Wind songs were highly idealistic and heavily political, parodying or alluding to the revolutionary songs of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), such as “Nanniwan” and “The Internationale”. It is associated with a non-Communist national music perspective instead of CCP revolutionary fervor. The music reflected disillusionment among Chinese youth, as well as the growing influence of Western concepts such as individuality and self-empowerment. Both the music and lyrics articulated a sense of pride in the independence and power of the northwest’s peasantry. Songs such as “Sister Go Boldly Forward” () came to represent an earthy, virile masculine (Yang) image of Mainland China, as opposed to the soft (Yin), civilized, polished urban gangtai Hong Kong style.

City pop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Definitions#

Definitions of “city pop” have varied and many of the artists labelled with the genre have played in styles that are significantly different from each other. In 2015, Ryotaro Aoki wrote in The Japan Times: Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone concurred that city pop was “less a strict genre term than a broad vibe classification”. while Pitchforks Joshua Minsoo Kim called it “a vague descriptor for Japanese music that incorporated jazz and R&B”. Wax Poetics Ed Motta wrote, “City pop is really AOR and soft rock but with some funk and boogie too. Because when you hear funkier city pop tunes, you hear not only the influence, but in some parts they steal from groups like Skyy, BB&Q Band, and those kinda American boogie and funk groups.” An Electronic Beats writer characterized city pop as Japan’s “answer to synth pop and disco”.

Daechwita

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Instrumentation#

Instruments used include nabal (brass horn), nagak (seashell horn), and taepyeongso (shawm), with jing (gong), jabara (cymbals), Ulla (xylophone), and yonggo (; drum painted with dragon designs and played with hard mallets). This style of Korean military music is often used in the reenactment of the Guard Changing Ceremony at Seoul’s Gyeongbokgung Palace, as well as in Deoksugung Palace. Special daechwitas today is under the service of the Ministry of National Defense Traditional Band and the Traditional Guard Unit, 3rd Infantry Division, Republic of Korea Army, and are the only ones that also has the Ulla (small tuned gongs), Pungmul-buk and Galgo in its instrumentation. This is the same case for traditional Korean bands outside the homeland, which also have a pungmul marching percussion battery (with kkwaenggwari, janggu and pungmul-buk drums) at the rear with distinguishing uniforms between the two ensembles. Few modern bands based in schools sport bass drums together with the kwaennggwari, galgo and janggu, as well as the daegeum flute, as part of their instrumentation. Uniforms in the band are in royal gold or red and white, as these were connected in the Imperial period to the Imperial family and the armed forces of the Korean Empire. Most bandsmen in ensembles today wear the royal gold full dress. The Bandmaster of the ensemble, called a deungchae, carries a long baton to direct the ensemble during performances. Today, the Ministry of National Defense Traditional Band and Traditional Honor Guards participate in official welcome ceremonies for foreign heads of state and in other state or special events, with the band playing daechwita and the honor guards carrying out ceremonial duties.

Danmono

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Musical style#

Each danmono piece consists of a number of movements, or variations (“dan” in Japanese means “step”). Each dan consists of 104 beats, except for the first. The first dan is preceded by a four or eight-beat introduction, called kandō. The few pieces that make up the danmono repertoire are all very similar in musical style. Listeners unfamiliar with the danmono style have trouble distinguishing one piece from another. The reason for the strong similarities between the danmono pieces is that originality was unusual for seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Japanese composers.

Denpa song

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Terminology#

The Japanese term originally arose in the 1990s to describe quirky individuals who often daydream and live in their personal fantasies, and was derived from the in 1981. The assailant, Kawamata Gunji (川俣軍司), was using illicit substances when he slashed random bystanders in broad daylight, killing two housewives and two toddlers and injuring many others. When confronted in court, he explained that electromagnetic waves were telling him to kill people, and pleaded insanity. By the early 1990s, the term denpa began to appear throughout music and literature, and the phrase was used to refer to delusional, creepy people or crazed lunatics as a derogatory euphemism, based on the idea that such people could hear voices, see things and communicate through telepathy as a result of electromagnetic waves. Examples of such usage at the time include songs by Japanese metal band Kinniku Shōjo Tai, which made references to the murder incident. In regards to music, the term obtained a negative connotation, and was mainly associated with music that was considered creepy and had incomprehensible lyrics, often of otaku origin. Since otaku were often seen as strange people who behaved differently from the rest of society, denpa became widely associated with otaku culture in Japan and the Akihabara scene. Eventually, the term denpa began to encompass anyone who seemed quirky or out of tune with reality, as if these people were being hypnotized or controlled by electromagnetic waves. As time progressed, the denpa categorization of music began to take form, and such music became popular amongst otaku circles as a niche interest separate from the mainstream.

Eurobeat

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Use of the term#

British record producer Ian Levine’s Eastbound Expressway, released the single “You’re a Beat” in recognition of the slower tempo of hi-NRG music emerging from Europe. Many European acts managed to break through under this new recognition, namely the likes of Modern Talking, Bad Boys Blue, Taffy, and Spagna. The term “Eurobeat” was subsequently used commercially to describe the Stock Aitken Waterman–produced hits by Dead or Alive, Bananarama, Jason Donovan, Sonia, and Kylie Minogue which were heavily based on the British experience with Italo disco. During 1986–1988, it was used for specific Italian 1980s Eurodisco imports, such as Sabrina Salerno, Spagna, and Baltimora but was also used in the United States as a catch-all term for UK-based dance and electropop groups of the time such as Pet Shop Boys, purported to have a “European beat”, hence Eurobeat. By 1989, with the advent of Eurodance and Euro house, the term was dropped completely in the UK. In Japan, starting in the mid-1980s, the term Eurobeat used to refer to Italo disco imports from Italy. When Japanese label Alfa Music offered a deal with Italo disco singer, songwriter and producer Mauro Farina, he happily accepted and thus the That’s Eurobeat compilation series was born. Its name comes from Farina’s answer to a question by a spokesperson of Alfa’s. The spokesperson asked in English the name of the genre in which the songs Alfa was interested in belonged, but because they chose songs that Farina’s team tucked away worried that they would not sell well in Italy, he did not have an answer ready and so in a hurry he improvised a reply by combining the fact that he was located in Europe and the word beat, which he though was appropriate with the style of those songs, and answered to the spokesperson with that’s Eurobeat.

Footwork (genre)

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Etymology#

The name “footwork” given to the genre refers to the footwork dance that accompanies it and is characterized by very fast structured dance footwork. The arguably first mention of the term “footwork” within the ghetto house scene of Chicago was WaxMaster’s “Foot work” track in 1995. The term juke, as being applied to particular styles of ghetto house, came into use from DJ Puncho and Gant-Man in the late 1990s Sometimes, the combined terms juke and footwork (or footwork and juke) are used to describe the single musical scene or musical movement, born from Chicago ghetto house.

Gagaku

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The term originated in Japan in the year 701 when the Gagaku-ryō, a government bureau which oversaw music education and performance in the Japanese Imperial Court, was established. The word comes from the Chinese word yayue, originally meaning Confucian ritual music. is the Japanese reading for yayue, but by the time the word was introduced in Japan, its meaning had changed to be Chinese popular music and foreign music. Because was built on elements from foreign music, the Japanese application of the term to this repertoire aligned with how the word was being used in China at the time.

Gagok

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Musical characteristics#

Gagok is performed by male singers (namchang) and female singers (yeochang), either solo or in duets. Vocal lines are characterized by very long vowels, few syllables and a range limited to about two octaves. Songs are structured in multiple sections combining vocal and instrumental parts. The repertoire includes 41 compositions, collectively known as Mannyon changhwanjigo (“Song of Long-Lived Joy”), with 26 pieces for male voices and 15 for female ones. Pieces are performed in different modalities conveying varying emotions: pyeongjo (peaceful), ujo (energetic), and gyemyeonjo (melancholic).

Gōshū ondo

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Form#

Gōshū ondo is a lot like Kawachi ondo in that the structure of the tune is quite fluid. There are no set lyrics, the themes used in the song vary from region to region, and the song’s structure is variable. There is only a set theme which performers can improvise on, and a returning chorus which is sung back by singers, or the audience. The returning chorus is sung in pitched notes, but the singers consider this a kakegoe. Said to have evolved from a religious song game, the song incorporates a lot of call-and-response, where listeners who know the song are encouraged to participate shouting back kakegoe. The tune of Gōshū ondo can be used to tell stories, or talk about current events. There is even a version of Gōshū ondo that names all the prefectures and capitals in Japan. The staple instruments are always a taiko drum and a stringed instrument, be it an electric guitar or a shamisen, though the song can be sung with just the drum alone.

Group sounds

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

External links#

Cutie Morning Moon - Dedicated to Japanese 1960s garage punk
The Video Beat - What are the Group Sounds?
Showapop - Group Sounds Record & CD articles in English
Trans World ’60s Punk:Cutie Morning Moon - Provides Information Mostly About Garage Bands From Outside the United States

Guangdong music (genre)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Instrumentation#

The gaohu is the most common lead instrument used in performing Cantonese music. It was invented by Lü Wencheng (吕文成, 1898–1981) in the 1920s. Prior to this, the erxian was the most common lead bowed string instrument in the Cantonese ensemble. Ensembles led by the erxian and also featuring the tiqin are called yinggong (硬弓, literally “hard bow”) ensembles, while those led by the gaohu are called ruangong (软弓, literally “soft bow”) because the erxian and tiqin have thick bamboo bows, while the gaohu has a thinner, flexible bow. Guangdong music gradually evolved into a string ensemble format by the 1960s, led by the gaohu with ruan, qinqin, yangqin, sanxian, yehu, tiqin and various woodwind (including houguan) and percussion instruments. Alto saxophone, xylophone, violin, piano, electric guitar, and drum set may also be used, in combination with traditional instruments.

Gunka

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Meiji Restoration period#

During the Meiji Restoration Period, Western composers and teachers taught Japanese people to write and make music in the Western classical tradition. Military marches were adopted in Japan, as part of a trend of Western customs integrating into the Japanese culture. Gunka was one of the major Western-influenced musical forms that emerged in this period and were used to encourage patriotism in the post-restoration era.

Empire of Japan#

In 1871, Japan founded the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy band. During the late nineteenth century, Japanese conductors japanized the band repertoire. Japanese gunka were consciously constructed to engender loyalty and warm feelings towards the nation. In 1921, a disarmament agreement signed at the Washington Conference of 1921 obligated Japan to reduce its army during the Taishō Era (1912-1926) and the first years of Shōwa, which included the suspension of five of six army bands. As the Japanese Navy was not affected by the agreement, the Navy bands remained without problems. In this peace period, the main topic of gunkas was the importance of working hard, such as happened the songs “Battleship Duties” (Kansen Kinmu, by Setouguchi Tōkichi), and “Monday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Friday” (Getsu Getsu Ka Sui Moku Kin Kin, by Egucho Yoshi). Up until the surrender of the wartime Japanese government in 1945, gunka were taught in schools both in Japan proper and in the larger Empire. Some gunka songs derived from children songs called shōka. In 1893, the Japanese educator Isawa Shūji released the shōka public school song “Come, Soldiers, Come” (Kitare ya Kitare). This song became a melody in military marches, called “Defense of the Empire” (Mikuni no Mamori), and was also included in the song “Kimigayo March” (Kimigayo Kōshinkyoku). Another gunka derived from a shōka was War Comrade (Sen’yū), released in 1905 and remains popular. The song talks about loyalty and friendship and advocated assisting a fellow soldier in battle, which was against the Japanese military code. For that reason, the song was banned during the Asia-Pacific War. Shōka songs “Lieutenant Hirose” (Hirose Chūsa, 1912), “The Meeting at Suishiying”, (Suishiei no Kaiken, 1906) are other examples of public school songs that became part of the gunka repertory.

Guoyue

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Names#

The term appeared in various ancient texts and had various different meanings before the 20th century. It was used as early as the Sui-Tang period to refer to court music or . In the Music Record section of History of Liao, it was used to distinguish the music of the Khitan rulers from that of the Han Chinese. During the Qing dynasty it was used to refer to the kind of ceremonial court repertoire that was seen as a representation of China. Later, after Communist victory in 1949, a new term , short for (民族音乐) meaning national or people’s music, was used in mainland China to encompass all compositions and genres for traditional instruments including music of ethnic minorities. In Taiwan it continues to be known as , but in other Chinese communities, it may also be referred to as (for example in Singapore and Malaysia) or (in Hong Kong).

Haimen folk song

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Essential information#

Cultural heritage name: Haimen folk songs
Subordinate area: Jiangsu · Nantong · Haimen
Haimen folk heritage Numbers: II-3
Heritage category: Folk music
Filing date: 2006
Claimants/declaration units: Nantong Haimen
Heritage levels: Province

Development history#

Haimen folk song has been recorded in Haimen county annals in Ming Dynasty (AD 958). At that time, people in the labor life produced haimen early folk song which was known then as the folk songs. In 1957, Haimen folk song Rice Remember () was regarded as the national folk song to perform in Beijing, which received Zhou Enlai () and Zhu De’s () kind interview. In 1958, the county government established Haimen folk song troupe in order to protect the inheritance haimen folk songs and large optimize local culture. Each year, the troupe performed more than 100 games in Beijing, Shanghai and surrounding counties. In 1987, Haimen Folk Song Anthology (海门山歌选) was published by China federation press. Besides, it has emerged a great number of outstanding works of folk songs. Little Aig Sister Saw YaoChuan Lang (小阿姐看中摇船郎) was one of the representative works. The edited folk song sang well into the Beijing and the MTV music television was broadcast in Europe TV. In 1984, the production condition of the folk song was established. In August 1985, haimen county held the first folk song party. More than 50 folk singers sang more than 40 songs. Guangming Daily and Xinhua Daily reported this. In July 1986, Song WeiXiang sang Haimen folk song Little Aig Sister Saw YaoChuan Lang (小阿姐看中摇船郎), followed Nantong folk art to perform in Beijing. In 1987, Haimen Folk Song Anthology (海门山歌选), included more than 250 folk songs, was published by the China folk literature and art publishing house. In 1993, the troupe went to Beijing for the second time and succeeded in performing The Green Dragon horn(). In 2207, the folk song entered into the list of Jiangsu province intangible cultural heritage protection. On August 19, 2007 to 21, China. Haimen folk festival was held, which marked the folk culture developed to a new stage of development. On June 14, 2008, haimen folk song officially listed in national “intangible cultural heritage”.

Hakka hill song

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The original composers of Hakka hill songs can be difficult to find out as the songs, being a kind of oral literature, have been widespread and orally passed from generation to generation. The tradition, however, most likely originated from Classic of Poetry (The Book of Songs), which influenced Chinese literature for thousands of years. Other than its original influence, Hakka hill songs had continually developed during the migration of the Hakka. Many different cultures during their migration have influenced these songs, such as the cultures of Wu State and Chu State, as well as the culture of the She peoples and the Yao peoples.

Hayashi (music)

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Hokkien pop

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Terminology#

The historical origin of Hokkien pop comes from a Japanese enka base instead of a Chinese shidaiqu base. Because it developed from traditional Japanese enka, it has become diverse in its varieties.

Origin#

Under Japanese rule (1895–1945), Taiwanese music continued and developed its new form from the previous period. By the 1930s, vinyl records of traditional music, such as Taiwanese opera, Peking opera, Nanguan, and Beiguan were popular. The first Hokkien record to have “pop song” printed on its label was . Sung by Chiu-chan and released in March 1929, the song featured Taiwanese opera-style seven-character lines with a Western orchestral instrumentation. In March 1932, a Hokkien-language promotional jingle recorded by Sun-sun to advertise the film The Peach Girl was released, and achieved wider popularity. A new business model of the popular music industry emerged when Kashiwano Seijiro, who led the Taiwan branch of Columbia Record Company, started to market their records in new ways, such as marketing songs with silent movies. Kashiwano also recruited and made popular musical talents such as Teng Yu-hsien, , , Lee Lim-chhiu and Sun-sun. They produced important titles such as Bāng Chhun-hong (Longing for the Spring Breeze) and The Torment of a Flower (Flower of a Rainy Night). The Taiwan branch of Victor Records was an equally competitive company, delegated by the influential Lin Ben Yuan Family and headed by Chang Fu-hsing. With talents such as Chen Ta-ju, Victor produced important titles such as . This new business was led by a new generation born under Japanese rule. This generation received modern Japanese education at that time and was exposed to western musical styles and ideas. Some were active in the new music industry because of their interest in politics. Music helped them demonstrate their disapproval against the Japanese ruling and support of native culture. However, Hokkien pop was soon set back. As Second Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937, non-Japanese songs were banned, and talents were required to write songs (and change previous songs) for military propaganda. The situation worsened in 1941 when the Pacific War broke out. The bombings of Taiwan (called Formosa at the time) by the United States, poverty, and the shortage of raw materials hit the music industry hard, a situation which drove many talents away. This period ends with the end of World War II and the handover of Taiwan to the Republic of China in 1945.

Hong Kong English pop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

As English was the only official language from 1843 to 1974 in Hong Kong, it was spoken widely, especially in formal contexts, by Hongkongers in the 20th century. As a result, pop songs performed in English language were very popular among both ethnic Chinese and British Hong Kong citizens.

Pre-WWII#

Many of the bandleaders and musicians were Filipinos. Lobing Samson, who led the house band at Ciro’s in Shanghai, China for many years, later made his way to Hong Kong as did Fred Carpio, Vic Cristobal and many others.

Imsil pilbong nongak

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Pilbong Nongak was made by Park Hak-sam from Lee Hwa-chun who was a famous performer of kkwaenggwari at that time. and Yang Soon-yong have developed further. (of Philbong-gut until his death, his son Yang Jin-sung followed.)

Features#

The characteristics of Imsil Pilbong nongak, unlike other nongak, are: * Regular intervals from ilchae (one strike) to * Performers perform movements as they play to increase their excitement, revealing their artistic qualities. * The second half of a nongak performance shows a series of shamanistic and artistic performances with different people who do not play.

Japanese metal

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1970s: Early acts#

Originally formed in 1967 as a cover band of British and American psychedelic rock titled “Yuya Uchida & the Flowers,” Japan’s Flower Travellin’ Band have been credited as one of the progenitors of heavy metal music. After changing their name, having almost a complete personnel change and moving to Canada, they produced their first album of original material in 1971. Satori, which was released a little over a year after Black Sabbath’s debut album, has been called “proto-metal” and noted as having “traces of early heavy metal.” Their previous album, Anywhere (1970), included what is believed to be the first recorded cover of a Black Sabbath song, the self-titled “Black Sabbath”. Additionally, Satori and Flower Travellin’ Band vocalist Joe Yamanaka and guitarist Hideki Ishima’s work on Kuni Kawachi’s first solo album Kirikyogen (1970) have been credited as “honing the formidable and ominous sound that would become the essence of doom metal.” Japanese heavy metal bands started emerging in the late 1970s, pioneered by Bow Wow (1975), 44 Magnum (1977) and Earthshaker (1978). In 1977, Bow Wow supported Aerosmith and Kiss on their Japanese tours. They performed at both the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and the Reading Festival in England in 1982. After some member changes resulted in a more commercial sound, they changed their name to Vow Wow and relocated to England. Although formed by schoolmates in 1977, Lazy saw a rift between their managers/producers, who wanted to create a pop rock idol band, and the musicians themselves who slowly took control and moved the band to the hard rock and heavy metal they always desired to play by their final album Earth Ark in 1980.

Japanese reggae

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Japanese rock

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1960s: Western music adaptation#

Rockabilly had a brief surge in popularity in Japan during the late 1950s. Suppressed by authorities, elements of it nevertheless managed to reach the mainstream through singers such as Kyu Sakamoto. In the 1960s, many Japanese rock bands were influenced by Western rock musicians such as the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones, along with other Appalachian folk music, psychedelic rock, mod and similar genres: a phenomenon that was called Group Sounds (G.S.). John Lennon of the Beatles later became one of the most popular Western musicians in Japan. By the late 1960s, Group Sounds bands such as The Tempters, the Tigers, the Golden Cups, the Ox, the Village Singers, the Carnabeats, the Mops, the Jaguars, the Wild Ones and the Spiders had big hits. After the boom of Group Sounds, there were several folk singer-songwriters. They were influenced by Bob Dylan and American folk music. The Tigers were the most popular Group Sounds band in the era. Later, some of the members of the Tigers, the Tempters, and the Spiders formed the first Japanese supergroup, Pyg. 70s “New Rock” group such as the Power House, the Blues Creation, Murasaki, Condition Green, and Bow Wow released rock albums. After seeing a show by then-upcoming artist Jimi Hendrix during a visit to Europe, Yuya Uchida returned home and formed Yuya Uchida & the Flowers in November 1967 in order to introduce a similar sound to Japan.

Japanese ska

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Artists#

Having been formed in the 1980s and enjoying international success (including extensive touring in the United States and Europe), the group Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra is arguably the original and best-known Japanese ska ensemble. 175R, Beat Crusaders, The Boom, Kemuri, Kojima, Lisa, Mongol800, Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re, Shaka Labbits, Gelugugu, Potshot, Yum!Yum!Orange, Yukihiro Takahashi, Ska Ska Club, Kasutera and Oreskaband are other Japanese artists that have performed ska (though not all exclusively). Japan has had a proliferation of album-making ska bands. Besides those mentioned elsewhere in this article, one source lists the Clippers, Coke Head Hipsters, the Drops, Duck Missile, Fruity, Gelugugu, La Ppisch, Life Bal, Mustang AKA, Nicotine, Oi-Skall Mates, Piala, Rude Bones, Shoulder Hopper, Scafull King, Skatroits, Sprocket Wheel, Dallax, The Rollings, Step by Step, Sk@ymate’s, Skapontas, Tropical Gorilla, midnightPumpkin, SPYZZ, and Young Punch.

Japanoise

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History#

On May 8, 1960, six young Japanese musicians, including Takehisa Kosugi and Yasunao Tone, formed the Group Ongaku with two tape recordings of noise music: Automatism and Object. These recordings made use of a mixture of traditional musical instruments along with a vacuum cleaner, a radio, an oil drum, a doll, and a set of dishes. Moreover, the speed of the tape recording was manipulated, further distorting the sounds being recorded. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Merzbow took Lou Reed’s album Metal Machine Music as a point of departure and further abstracted the noise aesthetic by freeing the sound from guitar based feedback alone, a development that is thought to have heralded noise music as a genre. According to Paul Hegarty (2007), “In many ways it only makes sense to talk of noise music since the advent of various types of noise produced in Japanese music, and in terms of quantity this is really to do with the 1990s onwards … . With the vast growth of Japanese noise, finally, noise music becomes a genre”.

Jiangnan sizhu

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Name#

The name Jiangnan sizhu () is made up of two parts. Jiangnan is the traditional name for the area south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze river in southern Jiangsu, Shanghai, and northern Zhejiang. Sizhu, literally “silk and bamboo”, refers to string and wind musical instruments, silk being the traditional material from which strings have historically been made in China, and bamboo being the material from which the Chinese flutes such as the dizi and xiao are made. The term sizhu by extension also came to refer to instrumental music in general, especially that played indoors. Other sizhu traditions also exist, particularly along China’s southeastern coastal regions of Fujian and Guangdong.

Jiuta

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Introduction of the and origin of#

It can be regarded that introduction of the and the birth of occurred at the almost same time; therefore, has the longest history amongst varieties of music. The (Chinese lute) arrived in Japan at Sakai, Osaka via Ryukyu near the end of the Sengoku period. Blind musicians known as at Tōdōza improved the instrument and created what would be the . They used the plectrum of the Japanese to play the , thus creating the beginning of as music. Ishimura-Kengyo is particularly regarded as originator of music. After that, musicians, mainly at Tōdōza, performed, composed and handed down . The existing oldest piece is considered as a work of the early years of Edo period.

Kagura

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Types of#

There are two major types of : and . consists of slow circular movement, stressing quiet and elegance, while consists of quick leaping and jumping, stressing activation and energy. The two types can be understood as two phases of : is a preparation process for trance and is the unconscious trance stage. During , the female shaman, surrounded by a group of priests, holds a (a ceremonial wand used to cleanse or purify) as well as sound-producing instruments and engages with circling movement to summon deities. Once the female shaman enters a possessed state, she switches into the spontaneous leaping movements of .

Kawachi ondo

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Form#

“Kawachi Ondo” is a fluid form of traditional folk music. It has a common melody and a returning chorus, but the lyric is fluid. This folk tune is used to tell epic tales, usually about historic people, lore, and/or geography, even yakuza. It can be used to talk about current events, and expert singers are able to improvise lyrics on the spot, as well as sing words directly from a newspaper. There is varying instrumentation for Kawachi Ondo, though the staples are always a taiko drum and the shamisen. Sometimes modern instruments are used in the Kawachi Ondo ensemble, such as electric guitars and electric basses.

Kawaii metal

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History and characteristics#

Japanese heavy metal idol group Babymetal are considered the inventors of the kawaii metal genre. The concept of kawaii metal started with Key “Kobametal” Kobayashi, the producer behind the group Babymetal. In an interview conducted by Billboard, Kobayashi explains that he was “just trying to do something no one had heard before”. Kawaii metal gained international popularity in 2014, when the group Babymetal uploaded a song to Youtube called “Gimme Chocolate!!” Angelica Wallingford of City Times opined that Babymetal’s eponymous debut album had pioneered the kawaii metal musical genre. Wallingford also defined the genre, and album, as a “mixture of varying genres including pop, rock, heavy metal, electronic dance music, industrial and symphonic death metal”. A guest contributor at The Independent believed that the genre was a derivative of J-pop and various extreme metal genres, namely “speed metal, power metal, black metal, and industrial metal”. While discussing Babymetal, The Sydney Morning Heralds Rob Nash stated that the genre consisted of “sugary pop melodies over thrash metal”. Nash also believed that the group’s song “Awadama Fever” exemplified the genre, with its “slabs of angry guitar and undanceably fast breakbeats, while the girls Babymetal squeak about ‘bubble ball fever’ and chewing gum”. Babymetal has remained extremely popular. In 2019, Babymetal became the first Asian artists to top Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart, with their third studio album, Metal Galaxy. Murray Stassen in Music Week commented that “Babymetal is, without a doubt, a genuine cross-genre musical phenomenon” and that, despite how the juxtaposition of metal and J-pop might not seem to make sense on paper: " Babymetal has proved that it can, and does work, and resistance to the Babymetal phenomenon is futile." Discussing Ladybeard, and Ladybaby, Jake Cleland of The Sydney Morning Herald defined the genre as “saccharine pop with his heavy metal growling”. Alex Weiss of Paper defined the genre as “hard rock with sugary sweet pop hooks”. Weiss also used Babymetal’s songs “Karate” and “Road of Resistance” as examples to explain the differing lyrical perspective between the kawaii metal and other metal genres, stating that kawaii metal songs “offer a perspective often missing from the hyper-masculine, aggressive lyrics usually present in most of the metal genre’s hits”. Felix Clay of Cracked.com also believed that the genre had less aggressive lyricism, citing the genre had lyrics about “pop music topics like kittens, chocolate, and fun”.

Kayōkyoku

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Characteristics#

Kayōkyoku music has simple melodies that are easy to follow and play along to. The lyrics of kayōkyoku are simple and attempt to relate to an everyday Japanese individual. Kayōkyoku singers also relate to common Japanese listeners by appearing as cute and approachable, with many aspects about their appearance and actions dictated by production companies. The base of kayōkyoku songs aims towards a sentimental feeling. The music draws on being able to relate to listeners and tries to voice the feelings that they keep bottled in due to social appearances. Kayōkyoku ’s style has become prominent due to the karaoke boom that occurred in the middle of the 1970s. A large focus of karaoke revolves around mimicking not only the song being sung, but also the image of the singer and the image brought out by the lyrics. The simple rhythm and lyrics of kayōkyoku made these songs very popular to sing at karaoke. An NHK survey conducted in 1982 revealed that around 80% of males over thirty years of age sang kayōkyoku songs through karaoke machines.

Komagaku

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History#

Komagaku emerged during the early Heian period as part of reforms to the Japanese court music system. These reforms reorganized earlier imported musical styles, incorporating musical elements from the Korean peninsula and neighboring regions into a formalized court repertoire. Komagaku was distinguished from other gagaku categories by its geographic origins and instrumentation, and it became closely associated with specific ceremonial and dance traditions at the imperial court.

Musical characteristics#

Komagaku is characterized by its exclusive use of wind and percussion instruments. Typical instruments include the komabue (a transverse bamboo flute), taiko, kakko, and shōko. The absence of string instruments gives Komagaku a distinctive timbre compared to togaku, another major gagaku style. Rhythmically, Komagaku pieces often feature lively tempos and strong percussive patterns, reflecting their historical use in dance accompaniment.

Korean ballad

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Background#

Stemming from the international sentimental ballad, the Korean popular ballad has become a nationally recognized and supremely popular music style in Korea. Power ballads from the West, including songs from Barbra Streisand and Lionel Richie, nurtured the growth and popularity of ballads as a genre in Korea. However, it was not until the 1980s that the ballad song style became popularized in mainstream Korean culture. From its popularity throughout Korean media, the Korean ballad has influenced and evolved into many different music styles. According to an analysis of ballad songs in Made in Korea: Studies in Popular Music, ballads tend to have the following music style: “intro-A (verse)-A-B-chorus-interlude-A (B)-chorus-bridge-chorus-outro….. where …The verse, or section A, was usually composed of eight bars, and its repetition was labeled as A. Section A usually began quietly and transitioned into section B, or the chorus. The bridge before the last chorus helped to escalate the emotions by modulating to a different key or through a grander arrangement. Lastly, in the outro, the accompaniment would come to a full stop or fade out.” Lyrically, ballads often call upon tragic themes of love revolving around topics such as: A breakup, death of a lover, or unrequited love. While still maintaining themes relating to love and loss, songs at the intersections of ballad and other genres can include nontypical instruments or vary in musical style and level of expression. Popular ballad singers in Korean history include Lee Moon-se, Hye Eun-yi, and Lee Sun-hee.

Korean court music

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History#

Korean court music and its origins have been traced as early as the Unified Silla period (668–935); however, the three categories commonly began their spread across Korea during the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), mainly due to Chinese influence.

Aak#

The genre of aak refers to Korean court ritual music originating from China. This created the growth in popularity for aak within Korea; however, the genre saw an eventual decline afterwards. The Yi dynasty during 1392–1910 then allowed for a completely finalised version of the aak system to rise across Korea, as the year 1430 saw the revival of the genre through a more modern reconstruction of traditional aak melodies. Instruments used within the genre are all of Chinese origin and are mostly used for the purpose of playing aak music, as opposed to being used for other genres of traditional court music. There are only two current surviving melodies of aak, both of which are played very slowly, and last around four minutes. Each piece contains 32 notes, and each note is played for at least four seconds, with the instruments rising in pitch at the end of every note.

Korean indie

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Background#

South Korea’s first modern wave of indie music began after the end of the military regime in 1987, coinciding with the rise of South Korea’s popular culture during the early to mid-1990s. While experienced rock musicians tried to revive their musical careers, the younger generation developed a new punk and rock community in the Hongdae area of Seoul. As a punk rock group, Crying Nut was formed in 1993 and is “Korea’s most successful indie band”, selling over 100,000 copies of their debut album in 1998. After the late 2000s, alongside the Korean wave, came a second wave of Korean indie, with notable bands including Kiha & the Faces, Broccoli, You Too?, and 9 and the Numbers. Kiha & The Faces were able to connect with a new audience thanks to their 2008 hit single, “Ssaguryeo Keopi” (English: Cheap Coffee). An indie rock group influenced by retro sounds, 9 and the Numbers, was also successful with their eponymous debut album in late 2009. By the time the second wave occurred, indie music in South Korea had become more diverse compared to its rock-dominated past. Mellow, acoustic sounds began to gain popularity. Due to globalization, young rock groups started incorporating English lyrics into their music, in contrast with the former nationalistic era, when musicians were accused of copying Western-style music. Although Korean indie is often considered subculture, influence from mass and viral media has made the internet the primary platform for indie music, giving individuals who wish to create music an easy opportunity to do so while also providing them a chance for viral success. Additionally, more financial support is being given to indie musicians in the form of concerts and festivals hosted by large corporations. Korean indie has also spread to other countries; Jambinai, the most successful overseas Korean indie band, and an increasing number of other indie groups have been performing abroad in locations such as Asia, Europe, and North America.

Korean rock

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1950s#

Rock music was brought to South Korea in 1950 by U.S. soldiers fighting in the Korean War. After the war ended in 1953, many U.S. soldiers remained in South Korea, stationed on military bases, where local musicians and singers performed. One girl group called The Kim Sisters debuted on the U.S. military base stage, practiced their talents and skills, and then started their musical career in the United States.

Kōshiki

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Origins#

The exact beginnings of kōshiki are unclear. The earliest known work in the genre is “Nijügo zanmai shiki”, written by Genshin in 986. This work became a model for future works in the style. By the 12th and 13th centuries, kōshiki became popular among many Japanese Buddhists.

Form#

Kōshiki is a liturgical ritual performance, which talks about an object of devotion. The object’s history, virtues, and importance are described, and the ritual connects object with those present for the performance. The general structure of kōshiki begins with an intention statement, followed by prose sections. The prose sections discuss the intention statement, and are sometimes in Chinese. Each section finishes by transferring merit. A work of kōshiki ends with a chant or verse about the theme.

Kouta (music)

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History#

The Japanese term has been used for a number of inconsistent musical styles throughout Japanese history, though the term is used in the modern day exclusively to refer to the style of short, informal songs first developed in the late Edo period (1603–1867) and popularised in the early Meiji period (1868–1912). During the Heian period, the term was broadly applied to court songs performed by women such as () and . This term was used in contrast to the () performed by male court musicians. In later centuries, compilations of short, lyrical songs known as were published; the first of these, entitled , was published in 1518. The first modern piece is said to have been composed in 1855 by puppet theatre singer Kiyomoto Oyō (1840–1901), and was titled (). Performing a piece in the style at a faster tempo, Oyō would go on to compose a number of early , typically through borrowing lyrics from (), () and – a style of music characterised as “classy” and “graceful”, itself having resulted from governmental reforms aimed at suppressing the excessive erotic expression of late 17th century . The conflation of genres in became a key feature of the style, with a number of early having separate versions in both and . In the early Meiji period, were often creatively composed by a number of performers, who, having inserted pieces into their performances, later extracted these sections to be performed alone, composing new pieces in this style with the use of imagery taken from the pleasure quarters. , needing few performers and taking under three minutes to perform, eventually grew into a popular musical tradition of its own right in the Meiji period, forming an independent genre.

Lhamo

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History#

Oral accounts credited the foundation of Ache Lhamo tradition to 14th-century mystic Thang Tong Gyalpo. Lhamo is considered to have both spiritual and non-spiritual roots. The procedure and style in which Ache Lhamo are performed has changed little since the time of inception in the 14th-15th centuries. Today, the same opening rituals are enacted prior to the commencement of every performance, authentic costumes are worn, singing, dance and musical tradition are strictly adhered to. Little is known about the development of Lhamo troupes until the time of fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (1617-1682 A.D). There are murals of lhamo stories on the walls of the Potala Palace that are believed to have been painted between 1695 and 1705. According to some oral narratives, the costumes and mask of Hunter or Fisherman (Tibetan: Ngonpa) were designed by the fifth Dalai Lama, based on his personal dream. By the turn of the 19th century, Ache Lhamo performances were found throughout Tibet, each major district having a permanent amateur troupe performing for the local community at various formal occasions throughout the year. Some notable troupes including Tashi Sholpa, Chongye Phundun, Shangpa, Gyalkhara, Chungpa and Kyormulung are much sought after and are always a regular part of the official festivals at Norbu Lhingkha, Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery. The performers are monks and lay people who love lhamo. Many Tibetans are familiar with and frequently sing the arias (Tib. namthars) for themselves or for entertainment at social gatherings. All styles of the lhamo tradition fundamentally rely on the drum and cymbal. In the Tibetan language, the opera is called Al-che-lha-mo, the actor lha-mo-ba and the script khrab-gzhung Tibetan opera is considered to be one example of the crystallization of the cultural wisdom of Tibetan people for thousands of years. It is regarded as the “living fossil” of Tibetan culture, and was included as a 2009 UNESCO inscription on the “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”

Long song

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Description#

The Mongolian long song folk music tradition has ties to other national traditions and customs, including Mongolian history, culture, aesthetics, ethics and philosophy. The main feature of the long song is the shuranhai (prolonged, tenuto notes with deeply modulated vibrato on the vowels). The Mongol aizam long songs are ancient grand songs that possess extensively broad vocal diapason and diverse vocal movement techniques, elaborate singing elements and vocal improvisations such as dan (single) and davkhar (double) shurankhai (tenuto notes with deeply modulated vibrato on the vowels), nugalaa (sharp notes modulated in lower pitch), various vocal ‘soothing’ long-drawns, upward and downward usrelt (tone leaps or sudden transmission to higher or lower tones), tsokhilgo (vocal modulated pulsation), tsatslaga (sprinkling), khayalga (bestrewing or free improvised tone), shigshree (sifting or repeated vocal vibration) and other unique singing techniques. These features give the long song profound philosophical, meditational character, often depicting the spacious mountain valleys and a sense of tranquility, believed to represent the Mongolian soul. Three major styles are identified in long songs: besreg urtyn duu (“minor long song”), suman urtyn duu (“ordinary long song”) and aizam urtyn duu (“major’ or majestic long songs”). Again, the styles reflect the way of the performance of the shuranhai and other techniques rather than the lengths of the songs. The word ‘Aizam’ comes from the non-lexical vocable of ‘Aya, zee khu’ at the beginning of the grand long song, which features a broad melody with a context of philosophical theme, ceremony and quality of ode, honor, respect or solemnity. The aizam grand long songs are sung in a sequence at the beginning of a ceremony or feast, in accordance with the special ceremonial rules, and constitute the summit of the long songs which test the skills and capability of the singer and morin khuur (horse-headed fiddle) player.

Mandopop

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Beginning of recording industry in China#

The Chinese-language music industry began with the arrival of the gramophone. The earliest gramophone recording in China was made in Shanghai in March 1903 by Fred Gaisberg, who was sent by the Victor Talking Machine Company (VTMC) in the U.S. to record local music in Asia. The recordings were then manufactured outside China and re-imported by the Gramophone Company’s sales agent in China, the Moutrie (Moudeli) Foreign Firm. The Moudeli Company dominated the market before the 1910s until the Pathé Records () took over the leading role. Pathé was founded in 1908 by a Frenchman named Labansat who had previously started a novelty entertainment business using phonograph in Shanghai around the beginning of the 20th century. The company established a recording studio, and the first record-pressing plant in the Shanghai French Concession in 1914, and became the principal record company to serve as the backbone for the young industry in China. It originally recorded mainly Peking opera, but later expanded to Mandarin popular music. Later other foreign as well as Chinese-own recording companies were also established in China. Early in the 20th century, people in China generally spoke in their own regional dialect. Although most people in Shanghai then spoke Shanghainese, the recordings of the pop music from Shanghai from the 1920s onwards were done in Standard Mandarin, which is based on the Beijing dialect. Mandarin was then considered as the language of the modern, educated class in China, and there was a movement to popularize the use of Mandarin as a national language in the pursuit of national unity. Those involved in this movement included songwriters such as Li Jinhui working in Shanghai. The drive to impose linguistic uniformity in China started in the early 20th century when the Qing Ministry of Education proclaimed Mandarin as the official speech to be taught in modern schools, a policy the new leaders of the Chinese Republic formed in 1912 were also committed to. Sound films in Shanghai which started in the early 1930s were made in Mandarin because of a ban on the use of dialects in films by the then Nanjing government, consequently popular songs from films were also performed in Mandarin.

Manhan folk song

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History#

The word Manhan originates from Mongolian, meaning touradon (sand beaches or desert), a landscape typical of Zhunger Banner (Ordos), which is also the birthplace of the Manhan Folk Song. In 1996, Zhunger Banner was named the “Hometown of Manhan Folk Song of China” by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China. In 2008, Manhan folk song was listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Ordos were predominantly Mongols. The 19th century, while Jiaqing and Daoguang of Qing dynasty were emperors, witnessed the migration of Han Chinese into the Zhunger area where Mongolians gather, following an imperial edict that more people should inhabit that land. The population and economy (agriculture and animal husbandry) supplied material for folk arts and thus gave birth to Manhan Folk Song. Under the Qing dynasty, various Chinese novels were translated into Mongolian Traditionally, Ordos territory was divided into seven banners. The Manhan Folk Song is peculiar to Zhunger Banner for two major reasons. Many songs are named after places and persons there, such as “Shuangshanliang Song”, “Heyanliang Song”, “Heidaigou Song”, “Jvhetan Song”, and “Deshengxi Song”. For example, “The Coquettish Woman”, “A Playboy to Recruit Soldiers” are famous songs of the second kind. Manhan Folk Song singing styles include solo, love duet and unison. The love duet is the most popular. Usually the woman raises a question and the man answers, or vice versa. Lyrics can be improvised and often tell a story about daily life. When a man and a woman sing in duet with co-tune cavity, the man often employs falsetto. The songs are very popular in Zhunger Banner (Ordos). Dalate Banner (county) in Ordos and Tumote Banners (Huhhot and Baotou) of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China.

Min'yō

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Styles#

Many min’yō are connected to forms of work or to specific trades and were originally sung between work or for specific jobs. Other min’yō function simply as entertainment, as dance accompaniment, or as a components of religious rituals. Min’yō are also distinct depending on the area of Japan, with each area boasting its own favorite songs and styles. The songs found in the far northern island of Hokkaidō and sung by the Ainu people are usually excluded from the category of min’yō. In the far south, (especially Okinawa) distinct genres of min’yō, differing in scale structure, language and textual forms, have developed as well.

Mongolian hip-hop

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Motivations and independence#

The communist regime for some time sought to ban access to Western popular music, wary of its ideological message. However, from the mid-1960s, it began to penetrate Mongolia from Mongolians returning to the country, spreading covertly among young people, first in the capital Ulaanbaatar. The Mongolian government then chose to support this musical movement by appropriating it and creating tightly controlled pop music groups. In the mid-1980s, these groups began to emancipate themselves, taking advantage of the political decline. Some of their songs were taken up by young demonstrators who, in 1990, in the midst of the collapse of the USSR, obtained the resignation of the communist authorities without violence. The transition to a democratic nation with a free market economy began. Government control over migration eased considerably and a significant part of the rural population invested in Mongolian cities, notably Ulaanbaatar, profiting from the employment opportunities offered by the new economic system. In 2010, more than two-thirds of Mongolians were urban and almost half the population lived in the capital. Youth quickly took on these influences, moving from consumers of the global popular music scene to producers, experimenting with numerous musical styles, playing with these means of expression while adapting them to local contexts. Around 1990, some artists produced covers of popular Western songs in Mongolian or English. Others have integrated political and societal messages into their songs, such as the defense of democracy and freedom, or cultural ones such as the life of Genghis Khan. The opening of Mongolia to the West has led to the appearance of musical scenes creating a hybrid between foreign influences and typically Mongolian sounds, themes and styles. Foreign languages, notably English, and Mongolian are used together. The economic difficulties resulting from the transition from a centralized and planned economy to a market economy, which notably made musical instruments very expensive, led to the disappearance of many groups in the early 1990s. At the end of this decade, the situation of artists previously dependent on Ulaanbaatar – rural communities not having the means to pay the ticket for a concert – improved with the emergence of computers, cable television, urban radios and the Internet. In addition, many companies have begun sponsoring artists, benefiting in return from association with these artists.

Morin khuur

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Name#

In Mongolian, the instrument is usually called morin khuur or “horse fiddle”. The full Classical Mongolian name for the morin khuur is morin toloğay’ta quğur, (which in modern Khalkh cyrillic is Морин толгойтой хуур) meaning fiddle with a horse’s head. Usually it is abbreviated as “Морин хуур”, Latin transcription “Morin huur”. In western Mongolia it is known as ikil (—not to be confused with the similar Tuvan igil)—while in eastern Mongolia it is known as shoor ().

Music of Hong Kong

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History#

In colonial Hong Kong, pipa was one of the instruments played by the Chinese, and was mainly used for ceremonial purposes. Western classical music was, on the other hand, the principal focus amongst British Hong Kongers with the Sino-British Orchestra being established in 1895. In the beginning of the 20th century, Western pop music became popular. Mandarin pop songs in the 1920s were called Si Doi Kuk (). They are considered the prototype of Chinese pop songs. In 1949 the People’s Republic of China was established by the communist party. One of the first actions taken by the government was to denounce popular music as pornography. Beginning in the 1950s massive waves of immigrants fled from Shanghai to Hong Kong. Along with it was the Pathé Records (Hong Kong) record company, which ended up becoming one of the most significant popular record companies in Hong Kong. The Western music was popular since 1950s as the official language was English at that time. Also, listening to Western music showed a person’s good taste. Cantopop was not popular in 1950s to 1960s since the production of Cantopop was shoddy. During the late 1960s and 1970s, Mandarin pop songs were getting more and more popular and became the mainstream of Hong Kong pop. In the 1970s, Hong Kong audiences wanted popular music in their own dialect, Cantonese. Also, a Cantonese song Tai siu yan yun () became the first theme song of a TV drama. Cantopop was getting popular after that. Cantopop’s popularity increased sharply due to the improved status of the language and the large Cantonese Chinese population in the city. Traditional Chinese Huangmei opera, on the other hand, had peaked in the 1960s amongst the general Chinese population.

Music of Northeast China

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Harbin#

China’s oldest symphony orchestra, the Harbin Symphony Orchestra, was founded in 1908, and China’s first music school ‘Harbin’s No.1 music school’ was founded twenty years later in 1928. a large Jewish diaspora in the region of some 20,000 throughout the 1920s in many ways credited for the city’s rich musical heritage. The Harbin Summer music festival was established in 1958 and in 2010 the United Nations recognised Harbin as a Music City.

Music of Xinjiang

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Muqam#

The best-known musical form of the Uyghur people is the , a complex suite of 12 sections related to Uzbek and Tajik forms. These complex symphonies vary wildly between suites in the same muqam, and are built on a 7-note scale. Instruments typically include the dap (a frame drum), hammered dulcimers, fiddles, and lutes; performers have some space for personal embellishments, especially in the percussion. However, there is much variation on the number and kind of instruments used in the performance of a muqam. In November 2005 the Art of Uyghur Muqam was named a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Naamyam

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

External links#

Cantonese Narrative Song Naamyam: Hong Kong Cultural Treasure

Nagauta

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

It is uncertain when the was first integrated into kabuki, but it was sometime during the 17th century; Malm argues that it was probably before 1650. Many of the “classic” repertoire was composed in the 19th century, which is the time of the best-known composers as well. Many pieces are based on Noh theater, partly due to the number of kabuki plays derived from Noh theater pieces, and many were revived during the 19th century. There is evidence of the influence of Japanese folk music on too. During the 19th century, (concert ) developed as a style of composed for non-kabuki, non-dance performances in which a performer’s skill was emphasized. Two classic compositions of are (1818) and (1845). In the 20th century, a number of composers have integrated Western elements into styles, including playing the at a faster tempo, in violin cadenza style, or by using larger ensembles to increase the volume. is the basis of the Nagauta Symphony, a symphony in one movement composed in 1934 by composer Kosaku Yamada.

Nagoya kei

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Early notable Nagoya kei acts include Silver~~Rose (formed 1989), Kuroyume, and Merry Go Round (both formed 1991). According to Fanatic Crisis guitarist Shun, Silver~~Rose and Kuroyume were the “big two” of the early scene. Keito Ozaki of Japanese pop culture website Real Sound wrote that many Nagoya kei bands eventually diverge into different directions; Kuroyume turned to punk rock and hardcore punk, Laputa turned to a digital sound, Fanatic Crisis went pop, and Merry Go Round went in a “maniacal, ero guro and underground direction.” However, Ozaki wrote that Lynch. has more than a few traits in common with Nagoya kei. Particularly noting how, due to the popularity of Dir En Grey, many contemporary bands have heavier sounds with low-tuned guitars, including those in Nagoya. Despite not being from Nagoya, Arlequin (formed 2013) were influenced by its bands and have labeled themselves the “next generation of Nagoya kei.”

Nanguan music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Repertoire#

Nanguan repertory () falls into three overlapping styles, called , and (, and in Mandarin), differentiated by the contexts in which they occur, by their function, the value accorded them by musicians and by their formal and timbral natures. * () or () literally means “finger set”, is the longest repertoire: it is normally half to one hour in length, of two to five sections usually, each section being known as a or (“piece”). There are currently 48 sets of , consisting of the original 36 sets (inner sets) and the 12 sets (outer sets) added later. It runs through long pieces with a strong timbre, contains a lot of high and long notes, and has no resting sections. Each is associated with a lyric that alludes to a story. The content of the lyrics mainly comes from historical stories, mostly describing the joys and sorrows of love between men and women. Although, this may denote origins in song or opera, today is an important and respected instrumental repertory. However, the song text significantly eases the memorising of the piece. * () or () literally means “notation”, more formally as (“refined notation”), are purely instrumental and typically performed by a 5-instrument ensemble. The content tends to describe the scenery and objects, and express feelings through objects. is considered to be a representative of the elegance and solemnity of Nanguan. * () or () “verse”, is a vocal repertory: two thousand pieces exist in manuscript. The singer is the main character during performance. The tune of each comes from the tune of the Nanguan tune system (). It is lighter and less conservative in repertory and performance than . Most popular pieces today are in a fast common metre and last around five minutes.

Nanjing baiju

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Baiju has a history of over 600 years, although its earliest performers and tunes are untraceable now. Baiju originated between the end of the Ming dynasty and the beginning of the Qing dynasty, like other folk arts in China which were ignored by the ruling class and literary men. The earliest known of baiju is mentioned in a book by Li Dou (; a Qing dynasty drama writer), A Record of Yangzhou Gaily-Painted Pleasure-Boats (). The book mentions a labelled tune of Yangzhou (), named the “Nanjing Tune” (), which was becoming more and more popular. This “Nanjing Tune” was one tune label in baiju then, and it is still a basic tune label in baiju today. Baiju was transmitted only by the laboring people. It started from workers in brocade workshops. As a derivative of cloud-pattern brocade, the entertainment during breaks in work at the cloud-pattern brocade loom rooms marked the beginning of the baiju art. The brocade workers lived a painful life. It is a complex and monotonous job to weave cloud-pattern brocades, and a journeyman must spend years to finish one. Due to Nanjing’s climate, cold in winter and hot in summer, the workers labored in harsh conditions for low pay. To divert themselves from the monotony of their jobs, workers started singing popular ditties, which developed into baiju. At that time, these workers sang about history, folktales and social news, to the tunes of Ming and Qing dynasty folk songs. They sang tunes which were sung in the loom rooms before asking for monetary reward, and the same tunes they sang there were called “hongju”. Therefore, researchers consider these two labelled tunes as the same art form.

Noh

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

The kanji for means “skill”, “craft”, or “talent”, particularly in the field of performing arts in this context. The word Noh may be used alone or with gaku (; entertainment, music) to form the word nōgaku. Noh is a classical tradition that is highly valued by many today. When used alone, Noh refers to the historical genre of theatre that originated from sarugaku in the mid 14th century and continues to be performed today. Various performing art elements in sangaku as well as elements of dengaku (rural celebrations performed in connection with rice planting), sarugaku (popular entertainment including acrobatics, juggling, and pantomime), shirabyōshi (traditional dances performed by female dancers in the Imperial Court in the 12th century), gagaku (music and dance performed in the Imperial Court beginning in the 7th century), and kagura (ancient Shinto dances in folk tales) evolved into Noh and kyōgen. Studies on the genealogy of the Noh actors in 14th century indicate they were members of families specializing in the performing arts. According to legend, the Konparu School, which is considered to be the oldest tradition of Noh, was founded by Hata no Kawakatsu in the 6th century. However, the founder of the Konparu school, which is widely accepted among historians, was Bishaō Gon no Kami (Komparu Gonnokami) during Nanboku-chō period in the 14th century. According to the genealogical chart of the Konparu school, Bishaō Gon no Kami is a descendant after 53 generations of Hata no Kawakatsu. The Konparu school was descended from the sarugaku troupe which had played active roles in Kasuga-taisha and Kofuku-ji in Yamato Province. Another theory, by Shinhachirō Matsumoto, suggests Noh originated from outcastes struggling to claim higher social status by catering to those in power, namely the new ruling samurai class of the time. The transfer of the shogunate from Kamakura to Kyoto at the beginning of Muromachi period marked the increasing power of the samurai class and strengthened the relationship between the shogunate and the court. As Noh became the shōguns favorite art form, Noh was able to become a courtly art form through this newly formed relationship. In 14th century, with strong support and patronage from shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Zeami was able to establish Noh as the most prominent theatre art form of the time.

Ondo (music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology and description#

The literal translation of “ondo” is “sound head.” Kanji, or the Chinese characters used in the Japanese language, often have literal and abstract meanings, here the kanji for “sound” (音-on) having a more abstract meaning of “melody” or “music,” and the kanji for “head,” (頭) having a more abstract meaning of “beat,” “base pattern.” Hence “ondo” probably refers to a kind of “sound” or “beat pattern.” There are other names used to describe older Japanese genres of music. For example, “fushi” or “bushi” (節), with its literal meaning of “node,” “knuckle,” or “joint,” refers to the nodes found in bamboo, usually found at a steady sequence. Thus “fushi” can also have the abstract idea of “sequence” to refer to notes and beats in a sequence, i.e., a melody. An “ondo,” however, usually refers to a kind of song with a distinct swung 2/2 rhythm. This “swing” can be referred to as “ukare” in Japanese. “Ondo” is a term used in older Japanese genres, but it is still used today when referring to songs written in this swinging style. Sometimes the rhythm is not swung and it is played straight through. This is called “kizami”. Not every old Japanese melody with a swung rhythm is called an “ondo,” as sometimes the term “fushi” or “bushi” is used to refer to a tune with a swung 2/2 rhythm, both of these having more or less the same meaning of “tune” or “melody.” The folk song Goshu Ondo, for example, does not follow this rule, as the rhythm is not played in a swung fashion. The folk song Tankō Bushi has a swung 2/2 rhythm, even though it has “bushi” in its name. In Japanese folk music, “fushi” and “ondo” follow the name of the song. For example, Tokyo Ondo, Mamurogawa Ondo, and Hanagasa Ondo all have “ondo” in their names. Kushimoto fushi, Burabura fushi, and Soran fushi all have a rendering of “fushi” in their names.

Overtone singing

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Mongolia and Buryatia#

It is thought that the art of overtone singing originated in southwestern Mongolia (modern Khovd Province and Govi Altai region). Overtone singing can be found throughout the country and Mongolia is often considered the world’s most active area. The most commonly practiced style, (Cyrillic: ), comes in these varieties: * / labial khöömii * / palatal khöömii * / nasal khöömii * / glottal, throat khöömii * / chest cavity, stomach khöömii * / khöömii combined with long song Mongolians also have many other singing styles, such as (literally, “growling”) and .

Pansori

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Name#

Pansori is a form of musical entertainment that has persisted in Korea from the 17th century to the present day. A related term, “pannoreum,” refers to plays such as Sandae-do Gamgeuk () and geundu (), as well as tightrope walking. The pansori of the Joseon Dynasty included sijo poetry () accompanied by music. Therefore, it is not appropriate to refer to pansori as Changgeuk () or Changgeukjo (). Changgeuk is based on the name of Pansori dramatized after Wongaksa Temple (), but it is not suitable for pure Pansori. Therefore, Changgeukjo is appropriate for the musical term of the song sung in Changgeuk, but it is not appropriate for the form of pansori. “Pansori” as a musical term originated independently from the term “pannol” (pannoreum). Likewise, the literary form of this form of pansori is also called pansori. It is therefore necessary to distinguish between pansori as a musical term and pansori as a literary term, but it is still appropriate to use the term “pansori” to refer to sijo. https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?docId=869187&cid=60544&categoryId=60544#TABLE_OF_CONTENT2

Political music in China

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Political music may be practically viewed at the political and ideology level. There are basically two ends of the spectrum. The light end is the typical “Patriotic Music”. It is usually performed by some collection of instrument or orchestra. It is equivalent to national anthems performed in other countries, perhaps taken more seriously by the Chinese government. The extreme end is termed “Revolutionary Music”.

Origin#

After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the New Culture Movement was initiated to promote a new national culture, including a new national music guoyue, and greater patriotism. Identity and national pride became important during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War throughout the 1930s. A left-wing music movement to promote music with anti-Imperialist and anti-feudal content called New Music (新音乐) began in the 1930s.

Pungmul

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Classification#

Pungmul was first recognized as an Important Intangible Cultural Property in 1966 under the title nongak sipicha (, “twelve movements of farmers’ music”). The designation was changed to simply nongak in the 1980s in order to accommodate regional variations. The Cultural Heritage Administration currently recognizes five regional styles of the tradition, each named for its center of activity, under Important Intangible Cultural Property no. 11: Jinju Samcheonpo nongak, from South Gyeongsang province (designated in 1966); Pyeongtaek nongak, from Gyeonggi province (1985); Iri nongak, from North Jeolla province (1985); Gangneung nongak, from Gangwon province (1985); and Imsil Pilbong nongak from North Jeolla province (1988). Each style is unique in its approach toward rhythms, costuming, instrumentation, and performance philosophy: Jinju Samcheonpo for yeongnam (), Pyeongtaek for utdari (), Iri for honam udo (), Gangneung for yeongdong (), and Imsil Pilbong for honam jwado (). Most scholarly works on pungmul focus on the two distinct styles present in the Honam region encompassing the two Jeolla provinces. In this region, the designations jwado (left) for Imsil Pilbong and udo (right) for Iri are determined according to geomantic principles. Looking southward from the “center” (Seoul, the capital), udo indicates “right”, and jwado indicates “left”.

Pungmul as protest

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origin in the Minjung Movement#

Pungmul, along with other Korean folk arts such as talchum, madang guk, and minyo were important in the minjung movement. It involved a will of the university students and intellectual elites to become and embody the working class, which in the minjung movement was seen as the “ultimate revolutionary subject”. students used pungmul during street protests and demonstration, often shouting slogans such as “Revolution!” and “Down with the dictatorship!” along the beats while in violent altercations with police. Other than the sentiment of performing minjung ideology, pungmul was useful in protests due to its loud volume, as it was easily heard over a long distance and in the presence of large crowds and energized the group. Historically, pungmul was used by farmers to set a working rhythm and create a sense of community. This nature of the art, with basic beats easy to learn and the ability to be strapped onto the player for mobility, also made it accessible to protests.

Quyi

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

While the storytelling art concept has been around for centuries, the narrative art concept was mostly recognized in the 1920s. Only after 1949 with the founding of the People’s Republic of China did the term quyi become widely used. Prior to this, it was just classified as shuochang yishu. This is one of the art category that gained momentum since the New Culture Movement. With the exception of the Cultural Revolution period, a great number of stories written for this art are preserved.

Rōkyoku

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Performance style#

In a rōkyoku performance, the rōkyokushi (singer) will deliver the narrative singing in the centre of the stage, with a blend of sung sections (fushi) and spoken word (tanka). https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/c030226/ The kyokushi (shamisen player) accompanies the singer and plays along. The will try to captivate and engage with the audience.

Instruments#

Yamabushi
Horagai
Shakujo

Origins and history#

Rōkyoku originated from the streets of Tokyo during the early Meiji period. It later evolved into popular entertainment which was watched by various social classes. By the end of the Meiji period, Rōkyoku was gaining attention across Japan and becoming a part of the nations culture. During the Edo period, performers were part of socially marginalized groups called the eta-hinin (穢多非人), or “lowborn people.”

Ryūkōka

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1914–1927: Origin#

In 1914, Sumako Matsui’s song “Katyusha’s song”, composed by Shinpei Nakayama, was used as a theme of the rendition Resurrection in Japan. The record of the song sold 20,000 copies. One theory holds that this was the first ryūkōka song, which was made by Hogetsu Shimamura’s order: “the tune between Japanese popular folk music and Western music”. However, street performers called had been popular until record labels such as the Victor Company of Japan began to produce songs in the early Shōwa period. Although Matsui committed suicide after Shimamura’s death, Nakayama continued to develop his music. During his career, he composed about 3,000 songs such as the 1921 song “Teru teru bozu”. Nakayama transferred Japanese traditional music to staff-style by main force. His 1921 song was later covered by various singers, but was at first best known for being covered by violin enka-shi featuring Orchestra. The pentatonic scale used in this song was “Minor scale without forth and seventh degree”. However, the music based on the scale had difficult in presenting chord and harmony because traditional Japanese music didn’t adopt equal temperament. Nakayama’s songs were based on Japanese folk music called min’yō, but also adopted Western musical style. Therefore, his music was called .

Samul nori

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The term samul originally comes from Korean Buddhism, where it referred to four instruments considered essential for ritual use in temples: the wooden fish (), the temple bell (), the dharma drum (), and the bronze gong (). The term nori means “to play” in Korean. In a later interview, Kim Duk-soo (), the founder and artistic director of the group, claimed that the choice to adapt traditional music to indoor venues was due to political circumstances at the time. The late 1970s saw the last years of the rule of South Korean president Park Chung Hee. During that time, large public gatherings were restricted, and Korean traditional music was associated with the student protest movement. Public performers were subject to arrest. in a small theater in Seoul. Initially, samul nori failed to gain acceptance from traditional Korean musicians; among others, South Korean musicologist Alan Heyman questioned the genre’s link to traditional local bands. Ethnomusicologist Keith Howard noted, “Older musicians saw in the quartet a challenge to what they knew, hence SamulNori was destined to struggle for acceptance from them.” and globally, with the original quartet being invited to perform in Tokyo and at the opening of Disney World Resort’s Epcot Centre in Florida in 1982. In 1984, Kim Yong-bae brought samul nori to the South Korean National Gugak Center. In 1985, the group began touring in Europe. The original samul nori quartet disbanded in 1993, as a result of internal conflicts, burnout, and financial issues. The same year, however, Kim founded a large samul nori orchestra called “Hanullim” (). The orchestra seeks to promote samul nori performance.

Sanjo (music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Composition#

The composition of sanjo varies depending on the people, instruments and time. However, usually sanjo starts with a slow jinyangjo rhythm (hangul: 진양조장단; very slow rhythm used in pansori or sanjo) and becomes faster, ending with a very fast rhythm like a danmori rhythm and creating enthusiasm in the audience. Starting from a slow rhythm, the audience can gradually sink into the melody of the song. Sanjo expresses various aspects of the player. Sanjos are not fixed music. The musician can make new music with original variations. Sanjo has endless melodies in which musicians make new compositions that change with the times.

Shibuya-kei

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

Shibuya-kei ( “Shibuya style”) that developed from the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, a center of youth culture, fashion, and nightlife known for its concentration of fashionable restaurants, bars, record shops, and bookshops. A common misconception holds that the name reflected Shibuya’s status as a fashionable neighborhood; according to scholar W. David Marx, young residents had by then moved from Harajuku designer fashion toward a casual style known as shibu-kaji. Scholar Anne McKnight writes that the term described “an atmosphere” delineated from the mainstream kayōkyoku industry and rooted in a 1970s-era “musical infrastructure … underwritten by an urban street culture of design, public space and commerce”. Although Shibuya-kei is usually described as a music genre, most of the leading acts were not formed in Shibuya and Shibuya’s record stores accounted for more than half of their sales. The exact origin of the phrase “Shibuya-kei” is not definitively known; it was first used in promotional materials by stores like HMV and Wave in 1993 and possibly inspired by the 1992 appearance of visual-kei.

Shidaiqu

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Terminology#

The term literally translates to ‘songs of the era’ in Mandarin Chinese. When sung in Cantonese, it is commonly referred to as ; in Amoy Hokkien, it is known as . These terms incorporate the native names for the dialects. The term is believed to have originated in Hong Kong to describe a genre of popular Chinese music that gained prominence in Shanghai during the early to mid-20th century. This genre emerged as a fusion of traditional Chinese melodies, Western musical elements, and influences from jazz and popular music of the time.

Shima-uta

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Names and concepts#

Although shima-uta is often considered to represent Amami’s musical tradition, it is just one of various music genres. Amami’s traditional songs can be classified into three categories: # kami-uta (religious songs sung by priestesses) including omori, tahabë and kuchi, # warabe-uta (children’s songs), and # min’yo (folk songs). Amami’s min’yo is further divided into three genres: # gyōji-uta (songs for annual events) including songs for hachigatsu-odori, # shigoto-uta (work songs), associated with rice planting, sailing, etc., and # asobi-uta, which are sung at recreational gatherings. In a narrower sense, shima-uta refers to asobi-uta and is also known as sanshin-uta, zashiki-uta (lit. room songs) and nagusami-uta (lit. comforting songs). In a broader sense, shima-uta also covers gyōji-uta and shigoto-uta.

Shōka (music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

In 1872, the Meiji government promulgated the first educational constitution called and set up as a subject in elementary schools. However, the subject was not taught due to the lack of teaching materials. Japanese court musicians composed most of the music for kindergarten, such they were the only musicians with knowledge in Japanese and Western music. In 1878, they composed Kazaguruma (Windfans), commissioned by the Tokyo Women’s Teacher College. In 1890, Musical Investigation Committee changed its name to Tokyo Music School and hired German musicians, and stopped teaching Japanese music. However, music textbooks that mixed Western melodies with Japanese text for school appeared after Shogaku Shokashu. In 1893, the Ministry of Education selected eight shōka songbooks for Imperial Holidays. In this book, songs with traditional Japanese Pentatonic scale were preferred, instead of the western diatonic scale. In this way, shōka songs sounded more familiar to Japanese people and got more popularity.

Shōmyō

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

An early reference to Buddhist chanting in Japanese history is a ceremony being held at the time of the kaigen ceremony for the in 752, and it is believed that chanting was widely practiced during the Nara period (710-794). In the early Heian period (794-1331), Kūkai and Saichō each transmitted chanting styles they had inherited when studying Buddhism in China, which eventually became the basis for the chanting styles of Shingon and Tendai. The Tale of Genji, a crucial work of classical Japanese literature written during this period, frequently mentions memorial services performed by monks from Mount Hiei, where Tendai chanting was utilized. In addition, Buddhist traditions other than Shingon and Tendai also have their own chanting styles, which are still passed down today. Buddhist vocal music introduced from China during the Heian period was called the . This remains the term used for chanting styles in both Chinese and Korean Buddhism, where the same Chinese characters are read as fanbai and beompae, respectively. The study of the Siddhaṃ script, used to write Buddhist texts in Sanskrit, also became popular. Eventually, the term shōmyō came to denote the combination of Siddhaṃ studies and the recitation of texts; from the medieval period onwards, it referred only to the recitation of texts. Because shōmyō was passed down orally, there was initially no equivalent to musical notation in modern music theory. This made transmission extremely difficult. Later, the equivalent of musical notation would be developed, with technical terms referring to the notation varying across Buddhist schools. However, the notations were merely a reference for chanting, and to formally master shōmyō, ), or face-to-face instruction by a teacher, was essential. Without face-to-face instruction, the school could not be maintained or passed on from teacher to student. For this reason, it was essential to train instructors and successors. Before the medieval period, shōmyō was difficult to understand, not only for ordinary Japanese people but also for Buddhist monks. As a result, there was a demand for easy-to-understand shōmyō with lyrics in Japanese, and a form of shōmyō called was created. Because Kōshiki was made up of a musical structure that deviated from the conventions of existing shōmyō, a new method of notation was devised. Kōshiki had a major influence on the development of Japanese music, such as the yōkyoku used in Noh plays.

Stringed music in China

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Guqin#

Guqin is commonly made of paulownia wood, which makes the guqin lighter and its tone sweeter than other woods. In the past, rich families and royalties preferred to use rare woods to make the guqin, such as nanmu, Pterocarpus santalinus, or mahogany

Erhu#

Erhu first appeared during the Tang dynasty. At the beginning, erhu were called huqin since they were invented by an ethnic group that lived in northern China. Their original role was for soldiers in frontier regions. Its timbre is strong, and songs for erhu always describe wars, desert, and for people far from home to tell their how much they miss their families. Erhu have two strings. Modern instruments use more durable metal strings, rather than silk.

Suzhou Pingtan

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Origin and development#

It originated in Suzhou about four hundred years ago. From the middle of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, it was performed in Shanghai. At that time, Shanghai was one of the five treaty ports. Shanghai’s economy was booming and various cultures arrived there. Pingtan absorbed some elements from various cultures and was well developed under the circumstances. The rise of records and radio stations also played an important role in popularizing Pingtan art. Another positive factor was the expansion of performing halls, which were decorated well and spacious. As a result, people like writers, painters, professors gradually became loyal fans. After the founding of People’s Republic of China, 18 performers organized Shanghai People’s Pingtan Troupe, which was the first official troupe. Based on traditional long story-telling, shorter and medium-sized stories were created, reflecting modern life. The form of performance is not limited in Shuchang, which was the traditional performing stage, however, in 1961 Pingtan concert was held which attracted nearly one thousand people to watch in each performance. While its traditional repertoire was banned during the Cultural Revolution, Pingtan still enjoyed a special status as a preferred medium for singing poems by Mao Zedong, making Pingtan known and appreciated throughout China, despite the dialectal barrier. Since the late 1970s, the traditional repertoire has been revived. The old artists undertook the task of passing the tradition on to the new generation. Pingtan is popularized by radio, television and Internet. Meanwhile, it faces challenges as a result of the popular entertainment industry.

T'ong guitar

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External links#

Association for Korean Musical Research newsletter #2
Google cache of a UsefulReference.com page

Taiwanese hip-hop

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Cultural context#

A mid-70s movement titled the Modern Folksong Movement sought to reclaim hip hop for the Taiwanese people. Artists such as Yang Xian and Li Shuangz inspired a new generation of localization of music which strove to strip away the years of American cultural imperialism, which at the time, the United States was supporting Taiwan as Cold War ally. This movement paved the way for more Taiwan-specific music and allowed for new Taiwanese to take from local traditions and language and create their own national music.

Taiwanese rock

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Early listeners to Western rock music in Taiwan were university intellectuals who were often bilingual. The pioneer of Taiwanese rock was Xue Yue, also known as Simon Hsueh (1954-1990), who debuted as part of the campus folk movement prior to the end of martial law in Taiwan. Xue, a part-time drummer in the American Military Club, released his first album The Stage of Rock and Roll in 1984; collaborating with famous contemporary poets such as Chen Ko-hua and Hsia Yu for the lyrics of his later albums. Xue died in 1990, shortly after the release of his fifth album. In 2000, the group was invited to perform at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, which inspired Lim. The band had previously played at the Formoz Festival, then an intercollegiate event held by the Northern Taiwan Rock Association; Lim created a new company, the Taiwan Rock Association, and broadened the reach of the festival. It continued until 2008 and then was reestablished in 2013.

Tanci

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History#

Historically tanci was a popular art form with women in the lower Yangtze River Valley, specifically the Jiangnan region. Women’s tanci often are about their philosophy of literary creation, the sentiments of the author, and descriptions of seasons. During the Qing dynasty it was not only used for entertainment but also for political and social propaganda. The Gengzi Guobian Tanci, a tanci by Li Baojia (Li Boyuan) written about the Boxer Rebellion, is an example of a political tanci.

Taoist music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Music in Taoist ceremony#

Music has long played an integral part in religious ceremonies. In Taoist ceremonies, music has several different functions. Taoists believe that music is a way to speak to the gods, to inspire religious followers and to achieve inner harmony, bringing the listener or participant closer to Tao. To follow Tao is to recognise the inner harmony and balance in all living things. Music is patterned off of “the music of nature”, which was the divine “natural notes of the respiration of the earth and the cosmic breath that inspires everything” that adept Taoists can get in touch with. In the ceremony witnessed at the Evergreen Taoist Church of Australia in Deagon, the birth of Guan Yin, the goddess of mercy was celebrated. Music and instrumentation played a central role in this ritual. The priests sung each chant and prayer to their gods, and accompanied these on musical instruments. The musical expression of a Taoist ceremony supports the core beliefs of the religion. Firstly, the role of music in the ceremony will be described, showing its religious importance to Taoism. Secondly, this relates the structure of the birth of Guan Yin ceremony to the achievement of Tao. The principal doctrines of Taoism and the roles of the various participants in the ceremony will also be described. Following this, the demeanour of participants and the physical setting of the ceremony will be illustrated. Studying the role of music in Taoist ceremony will demonstrate the importance of music in religion as a means to inspire followers, improve and deepen faith, and enable communication with gods. Describing how the music in the ceremony witnessed communicates and confirms the belief systems of Taoism will reveal music is as intrinsic to the Taoist as the path of Tao itself.

Teochew string music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Developed from a fusion of elements, popular song, arias of Chinese opera, ancient melodies and pieces of Buddhist music, string music falls into two styles: () is music of the Confucian school that can be performed as an independent instrumental music genre or at weddings and other ceremonies and that aims at elegance and nobility, while () is principally the music of the theatre, though it may be played independently: it cultivates a sober, rustic style.

Traditional Japanese music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Theatrical#

Japan has several theatrical forms of drama in which music plays a significant role. The main forms are kabuki and Noh.

Noh#

or music is a type of theatrical music used in Noh theatre. Noh music is played by an instrumental ensemble called . The instruments used are the stick drum, a large hourglass-shaped drum called the , a smaller hourglass-shaped drum called the , and a bamboo flute called the . The ensemble is performed along with , vocal music, in Noh theater.

Traditional music of Korea

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Proto-Three Kingdoms of Korea#

Not much is known about music from the Proto-Three Kingdoms of Korea period (before 57 BCE). It is believed that Korean people practiced shamanistic rituals involving music at agricultural festivals.

Three Kingdoms of Korea#

The Three Kingdoms of Korea refers to the period from 57 BCE to 668 CE when the Korean peninsula was ruled by three kingdoms: Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Each kingdom was known for favoring different musical instruments.

Tsugaru-jamisen

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

While it is clear that the originated from China through Okinawa in the 16th century CE, the specific developers of are not known with certainty, largely because written records of its development were not kept, nor did the Japanese government formally recognize it. What is known is that originated from a small peninsula due west of present-day Aomori Prefecture called Tsugaru. In addition, some researchers have conjectured the style’s origins based on available evidence. Some consensus is that the style was developed by homeless and blind individuals called . One scholar, Daijō Kazuo, proposed that the genre originated from a named Nitabō based on interviews with musicians and their families. According to his research, Nitabō acquired and modified a in 1877, for which he adopted a different playing style. Nitabō rounded off the plectrum of the instrument such that it was shaped like a rice paddle. In addition, he adopted a playing style with the held upright, included the area around the bridge as the playing area, and incorporated beating and slapping the strings in contrast to exclusive use of the plectrum. However, other scholars, such as Gerald Groemer, argue that the account advanced by Kazuo may not be entirely accurate due to a lack of documentation. Nitabō had multiple blind students, such as Kinobo and Chōsakubo, who contributed to the development of the style. Nitabō’s last student, Shirakawa Gunpachirō, performed outside of the Tsugaru region as a part of a folk performance troupe. Gunpachirō also performed in professional settings, such as in concert halls in Tokyo. As a result of his successes, became popular in the 1920s, but its popularity waned with the onset of the Second Sino-Japanese War later in the decade. During 1955–1965, a number of genre performers moved to urban centers in Japan, such as Tokyo. This migration was part of a larger movement due to a boom in the traditional arts in Japan. enjoyed another bout of popularity when Gunpachirō performed with star Michiya Mihashi at the Nihon Theater in Tokyo in 1959. As a result of this mass exposure to the genre, younger practitioners emerged. Takahashi Chikuzan, also a , was a highly regarded practitioner of the genre and began touring Japan in 1964.

Visual kei

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The term “visual kei” was derived from one of X Japan’s slogans, “Psychedelic Violence Crime of Visual Shock”, seen on the cover of their second studio album Blue Blood (1989). This derivation is credited as being coined by Seiichi Hoshiko, the founding editor of Shoxx magazine, which was founded in 1990 as the first publication devoted to the subject. However, he explained in a 2018 interview with JRock News that visual kei was technically coined, or at least inspired by, X Japan’s lead guitarist Hide. Hoshiko also said that at the time they were called , “but it simply felt… too cheap… Even though X Japan was a big band and people used the term ‘Okeshou kei’ to describe them, the term was still lacking substance, I didn’t like the term at all! Because of this, I tried to remind all the writers to not use this term as ‘They are not okeshou kei, they are visual-shock kei’. From there, it went from ‘Visual-shock kei’ to ‘Visual-kei’ to ‘V-kei’. After we spread the word, fans naturally abbreviated it to ‘V-kei’. The Japanese love to abbreviate everything as a matter of fact.” Hoshiko considers visual kei a distinctive Japanese music genre and defined it “as the music itself along with all the visual aspects of it.”

Warabe uta

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Tōryanse#

“Tōryanse” is often played as an electronic tune at pedestrian crossings in Japan to signal when it is safe to cross. Japanese: 通りゃんせ通りゃんせここはどこの細道じゃ :天神さまの細道じゃちっと通して下しゃんせ :御用のないもの通しゃせぬこの子の七つのお祝いにお札を納めにまいります :行きはよいよい帰りはこわいこわいながらも通りゃんせ通りゃんせ Romaji: Tōryanse, tōryanse Koko wa doko no hosomichi ja? : Tenjin-sama no hosomichi ja Chitto tōshite kudashanse : Goyō no nai mono tōshasenu Kono ko no nanatsu no oiwai ni O-fuda wo osame ni mairimasu : Iki wa yoi yoi, kaeri wa kowai Kowai nagara mo Tōryanse, tōryanse Translation: Pass through, pass through What is this narrow pathway here? : It’s the narrow pathway of the Tenjin shrine Please allow me to pass through : Those without good reason shall not pass To celebrate this child’s 7th birthday I’ve come to dedicate my offering : Going in will be fine, fine, but returning will be scary It’s scary but Pass through, pass through (When infant mortality was high, people traditionally celebrated when a child survived to reach the age of 7. See Shichigosan) This particular warabe-uta is sung as part of a traditional game identical to “London Bridge Is Falling Down”. Two children facing each other link their hands to form an arch ‘checkpoint’, and the remaining children walk through underneath in a line (and back round again in circles). The child who happens to be under the arch when the song finishes is then ‘caught’. The tune is played at Japanese pedestrian crossings by analogy with this game, i.e., it is safe to cross until the music stops.

Wuxi opera

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origin#

Historically, the Taihu Lake basin area was the location of the ancient Wu Kingdom. Therefore, the local people living in the area have had the custom of singing folk songs since ancient times. This kind of art was called “Wu Yu” in the period of the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States. By the middle of the Ming dynasty, these folk songs had evolved into the art of folk rap and singing performances, such as folk tunes, a type of folk art called Tanhuang, and storytelling, among others. They also re-structured folk song minor tunes into a new form, with 18 and a half rhymes. Nowadays, this type of structure is called “Wuxi Tanhuang”.

Xi'an guyue

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Literature#

Yang Yinliu (ed.): Zhongguo yinyue cidian (Dictionary of Chinese Music). Beijing 1984.
Cheng Yu: Xi’an Guyue - Xi’an Old Music in New China. “Living fossil” or “flowing river” (Dissertation) Department of Music. School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 2005.

Yayue

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

According to tradition, yayue was created by the Duke of Zhou under commission from King Wu of Zhou, shortly after the latter’s conquest of Shang. Incorporated within yayue were elements of shamanistic or religious traditions, as well as early Chinese folk music. Dance was also closely associated with yayue music, each yayue piece may have a ceremonial or ritual dance associated with it. The most important yayue pieces of the Zhou dynasty were the Six Great Dances, each associated with a legendary or historical figure – Yunmen Dajuan (), Daxian (), Daqing (, or Dashao ), Daxia (), and Dahu (), Dawu (). The Book of Rites records a number of situations where yayue might be performed. These included ceremonies in honour of Heaven and Earth, the gods or the ancestors. There were also detailed rules on the way they were to be performed at diplomatic meetings. Yayue was also used in outdoor activities, such as aristocratic archery contests, during hunting expeditions, and after the conclusion of a successful military campaign. Yayue was characterised by its rigidity of form. When performed, it was stately and formal, serving to distinguish the aristocratic classes. It was sometimes also accompanied by lyrics. Some of these are preserved in the Book of Songs. With the decline of the importance ceremony in the interstate relations of the Spring and Autumn period, so did yayue. Confucius famously lamented the decline of classical music and the rites. Marquess Wen of Wei was said to prefer the popular music of Wey and Zheng to the ancient court music, listening to which he may fall asleep. Much of the yayue of the Zhou dynasty continued into the Qin dynasty. However, some pieces appeared to have been lost or were no longer performed by the Han dynasty, and the content and form of yayue was modified in this as well as the succeeding dynasties. For example, the terrace ensemble (dengge) in yayue involved singings but not string instruments in the Han dynasty, and in Sui dynasty, singers and string instruments were added to the court ensembles. During the Tang dynasty components of popular music were added to yayue. However, the dominant form of music in the Sui and Tang court was the entertainment music for banquets called yanyue (), and the term yayue became reserved for the music of Confucian rituals used in temples of the imperial family and the nobility as well as in Confucian temples. During the Song dynasty, with Neo-Confucianism becoming the new orthodoxy, yayue was again in ascendancy with major development, and a yayue orchestra in this era consisted of over 200 instrumentalists with many instruments added to the orchestra. Two important texts from the Song dynasty describing yayue performances are Zhu Xi’s Complete Explanation of the Classic of Etiquette and Its Commentary () and Collection of Music () by Chen Yang (). In 1116, a gift of 428 yayue instruments as well as 572 costumes and dance objects was given to Korea by Emperor Huizong upon request by the Emperor Yejong of Goryeo. As a result, elements of yayue music from previous Chinese dynasties are still preserved in Korea including two melodies. A major research and modern reconstruction of yayue of the imperial court was initiated in Taiwan in the 1990s, and in mainland China a performance of yayue music in 2009 by Nanhua University’s yayue music ensemble in Beijing also spurred interest in this form of music. There are however questions over the authenticity of these revived and recreated yayue music and dances, especially the use of modern forms of instruments and various substitutions rather than the more ancient and original forms, nonetheless some argued that such music and dances have always changed over time through succeeding dynasties, and that any changes introduced in the modern era should be seen in this light.

Zhongguo feng (music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

It is hard to pinpoint the exact origins of Zhongguo feng music, although Jay Chou is largely credited as an influential figure in modern Zhongguo feng music in the early 2000s. Music ethnographers and researchers have also studied Zhongguo feng in relation to the sociocultural and political conditions in different time periods such as the May Fourth movement and the end of Cultural Revolution. Departing from the days of revolutionary and ultra-nationalistic songs during Mao’s dictatorship until the end of the 1970s, the 1980 saw the introduction of rock music into China, with its people beginning to embrace new steady and upbeat rhythms. Featured in his debut album Jay in 2000, “Wife” is one of Jay Chou’s most famous songs in the Zhongguo feng music genre. Leehom Wang is also known for his brand of Zhongguo feng music, known as “chinked-out”, since 2004. Other factors that contributed to the popularity of Zhongguo feng music include the efforts of the Chinese state in building a sense of nationalism, and national pride from the successful 2008 Beijing Olympics.

East Asia on Music Theory Print

Aak

Background#

Akishibu-kei

Examples of Akishibu-Kei anime songs#

Anime song

1930–1970: Early influences#

Asian hip-hop

Philippines#

Beompae

Description#

Campus folk song

See also#

Cantopop

1920s to 1950s: Shanghai origins#

1960s: Cultural acceptance#

Chinese heavy metal

Tang Dynasty (1988–1990)#

Chinese rock

The Northwest Wind (1980s)#

City pop

Definitions#

Daechwita

Instrumentation#

Danmono

Musical style#

Denpa song

Terminology#

Eurobeat

Use of the term#

Footwork (genre)

Etymology#

Gagaku

Etymology#

Gagok

Musical characteristics#

Gōshū ondo

Form#

Group sounds

See also#

External links#

Guangdong music (genre)

Instrumentation#

Gunka

Meiji Restoration period#

Empire of Japan#

Guoyue

Names#

Haimen folk song

Essential information#

Development history#

Hakka hill song

History#

Hayashi (music)

Hokkien pop

Terminology#

Origin#

Hong Kong English pop

History#

Pre-WWII#

Imsil pilbong nongak

History#

Features#

Japanese metal

1970s: Early acts#

Japanese reggae

See also#

Japanese rock

1960s: Western music adaptation#

Japanese ska

Artists#

Japanoise

History#

Jiangnan sizhu

Name#

Jiuta

Introduction of the and origin of#

Kagura

Types of#

Kawachi ondo