 |
| Fengyang Huagu |
|
Fengyang Huagu (flower drum), also called Huagu Xiaoluo or Shuangtiao
Gu, is a local Quyi genre in Fengyang County of East China's Anhui
Province. It was formed along the Huahe valley in late years of
the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). At that time, Fengyang County was
plagued by floods and draughts, and many people went out begging,
singing Huagu. Thus, Huagu became a symbol of begging out of poverty
at the first beginning.
Most performers of Fengyang Huagu were female and usually sisters-in-law
sang together. During the performance, the two persons sang together
while sitting on a bench and beat gongs and drums during interval
of two sections without accompaniment of thread or string instruments.
Later, Shuangtiaogu replaced Huagu, i.e. the performer holds a
small drum in her left hand and beats it with a double-drum arrow
in her right hand. Huagu artists brought back many kinds of folk
songs and music from other places, and gradually enriched arias
of Fengyang Huagu and developed several dancing and singing forms
based on the Huagu tune. Fengyang Huagu does not have long traditional
items, its materials are mainly love stories and singing style
is relatively flexible. Fengyang Huagu is widespread and has certain
influence on tunes and performing styles of Quyi arts in other
places.
After China's reform and opening-up in 1979, Fengyang Huagu witnessed
many changes in forms and contents. It became a tool of self-entertaining
for people in Fengyang County and was more popular in townships.
Beating the flower drum, dancing and singing integrated some skills
of modern dances and the forms of Fengyang Huagu became more vivacious
and diversified. Fengyang Huagu became more and more famous and
its artists were invited to perform in countries such as Japan
several times in recent years and won much recognition there.
==
This is a humorous variation:
(Sung by man and woman together)
Zuo shou luo, you shou gu
Shou nazhe luo gu lai chang ge.
Biede ge-er wo ye buhui chang,
Dan hui chang ge Fengyang ge.
Feng la Fengyang ge lai,
Ai-ya-ai-hu-ya!
Drrr-lang-dang piao-yi-piao
Drrr-lang-dang piao-yi-piao
Drrr-piao, drrr-piao yu drrr-piao-piao-yi-piao
(the woman)
Wo ming ku, zhen ming ku,
Yisheng-yishi jiabuzhe hao zhangfu.
Renjia zhangfu zuoguan ye zuofu,
Wo jia zhangfu dan hui da huagu.
Dala-dala-da-da huagu,
Ai-ya-ai-hu-ya!
Drrr-lang-dang piao-yi-piao
Drrr-lang-dang piao-yi-piao
Drrr-piao, drrr-piao yu drrr-piao-piao-yi-piao
(the man)
Wo ming ku, zhen ming ku,
Yisheng-yishi qubuzhe hao laopo.
Renjia laopo xiuhua you xiuduo,
Wojia laopo yishuang da hua jiao,
Liangla-liangliang yi chi duo,
Ai-ya-ai-hu-ya! Left hand a gong, right hand a drum
With gong and drum we sing a song.
No other song do we know how to sing,
We only know the Fengyang song
Fengyang, Fengyang flower drum
Ai-ya-ai-hu-ya!
Drrr-lang-dang piao-yi-piao
Drrr-lang-dang piao-yi-piao
Drrr-piao, drrr-piao yu drrr-piao-piao-yi-piao
(the woman)
Sad is my fate, oh how sad,
I spend my life with a good-for-nothing man.
Other women's husbands have power and wealth,
My husband only knows how to beat the flower drum
All day long he beats that flower drum
Ai-ya-ai-hu-ya!
Drrr-lang-dang piao-yi-piao
Drrr-lang-dang piao-yi-piao
Drrr-piao, drrr-piao yu drrr-piao-piao-yi-piao
(the man)
Sad is my fate, oh how sad
I spend my life with such an ugly mate
Other men's wives can embroider and sew,
But all my wife can do is show her great big feet
Measuring more than one foot long
Ai-ya-ai-hu-ya!
|
|
