ALL
music
ICH Elements 139
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Teochew Puppetry
The Teochew Puppetry tradition of Penang is a distinct and increasingly rare form of puppetry that narrates folk tales and legends through a skillful play of marionette puppets. It is a more traditional and challenging form of opera, requiring fast and fluid animation of puppets to imitate human-like gestures. Traditionally, puppetry troupes consist of nine members divided into groups of three to handle puppets, sing and play musical instruments. The orchestra comprises of gongs, drums, er hu and cymbals. Each puppet takes about two to three weeks to make and are hand-crafted from wood, clay and paper, weighing several kilograms each. Older puppets are made of tightly-packed bundles of hay. The puppets are controlled by iron-rods attached to the back and limbs. Each character would have its own newly-made costume, richly detailed, just like those of a regular Chinese opera performer.
Malaysia -
Circular breathing technique of the Limbe performance
The Limbe is a side-blown wind instrument, mostly made of hard wood or bamboo. It is considered as one of the valuable traditional musical instruments among Mongolians for its unique technique and characteristics such as hidden tune associated with circular breathing, and its performing techniques of skilful and delicate movements of fingers and tongue. The "Circular breathing" is a great achievement of nomadic Mongolians derived from their creativity, result of the exploration and necessity of their daily life. The origin and development of circular breathing is closely bound up with the skills and knowledge of ancient craftsmen or metalsmiths who specialized in gold and silver. Early Mongolian craftsmen used circular breathing techniques for crafting various decorative and ornamental items including valuable jewelleries.
Mongolia 2011
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Lullaby
Lullaby is a unique and independent form of traditional folk song, which reflects the traditional knowledge and wisdom for bringing up the children, relationship between mother and child, and various practices and manners of Mongols. Lullaby is a song with specific meanings and independent melody, poetic system as well as character and description dedicated for calming and pacifying the baby. Its lyrics encompass meaning of convincing and fondling the baby and detailing his/her lineage. The tradition of Lullaby has transmitted in 2 different names as “Song of Cradle” and “Cradle-Song” or Lullaby. The Lullaby does not have a specific narratives, it is more dedicated melodies that lull a child for calm down. There are various different lullaby are sung by mothers depending on their emotion, instinct, range of throat and way of singing.
Mongolia -
Aitys – the art of improvisation
Aitys is a contest centred on improvised oral poetry spoken or sung to the accompaniment of traditional musical instruments – the Kazakh dombra. Two performers (akyns) compete with one other to improvise verses on topical themes in a battle of wits that alternates between humorous ripostes and penetrating philosophical reflections. During the competition, the performers sit opposite one another improvising a dialogue on topics chosen by the audience. The winner is the performer considered to have demonstrated the best musical skills, rhythm, originality, resourcefulness, wisdom and wit. The most meaningful and witty expressions often become popular sayings. The element is practiced on a variety of occasions, ranging from local festivities to nationwide events, where practitioners often use the contest to raise important social issues. Although it was traditionally performed only by men, many women now participate in Aitys and use the contest to express women’s aspirations and viewpoints. Akyns compete with each other without any preparation, minutely composing poems mutual answers to questions of concern to society. Deep philosophical reflections in the witty, bubbly manner often turn into a form of poetic ridicule and criticism. Akyns compete in their resourcefulness and originality.
Kazakhstan 2015
ICH Stakeholders 1
ICH Materials 358
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Main Puteri
Main Puteri (the play of the spirits) is a ritualistic healing ceremony in which Tok Puteri—a Malay Shaman serves as an intermediary between the inhabitants of the real and the nether worlds. In this ceremony, the puteri (spirits) are able tone act a play to treat the patients who usually need to revitalise their psychic energy (angin) and spirit (semangat). Many Kelantanese believe that illnesses purportedly due to ghost, evil spirits or witchcraft are the ones that are most susceptible to this ceremony. Patient of these illness commonly lack soul substance and are manifested by their state of depression and general withdrawal. Auditory hallucinations are taken to be evidence of ghost possession.\nThis ceremony employs the performance elements of traditional musical ensembles, dance movements and dramatic dialogue during the process of healing. The musical ensemble resembles those of a Mak Yong musical ensemble: rebab, a pair of gendang, and a pair of gongs. Additional instruments such as serunai, gedombak, geduk, canang from the Wayang Kulit performance are also used in some ceremonies. These musicians play to accompany the chanting, singing and the movements of the Tok Minduk and Tok Puteri. Tok Minduk—nwho can also be the Rebab player—is Tok Puteri’s partner and sounding board tone gage and guide Tok Puteri to the relevant spirits.
Malaysia -
Ca tru and Quan ho artists taking photos together at the celebration ceremony
Viet Nam
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Gendang: Traditional Malay Drums
The gendang is a traditional drum from Sarawak, Malaysia. This video demonstrates the challenges stemming from the discrepancy between the reality of a decreasing number of gendang-makers and the necessity of maintaining the tradi\u0002tion through the lives of two gendang-makers, Umar Tomik and his younger brother Safuan Tomik. \n\nIt also encompasses the methods of producing gendang, the types of wood used, the difference between gendang and drums from other regions of Malaysia, the method of playing the drum, types of drum performances, and stories behind the design of the drum.
Malaysia 2019 -
Kyrgyzstan Komuz&Kalpak Dignifies the Man (Highlight)
The film is dedicated to the Kyrgyz folk instrument komuz. An expert on making and playing komuz shares an komuz origin story. The film shows the interconnectedness between the models and melodies of komuz. Outstanding komuz makers and players as well as komuz beginners present some classical komuz melodies in the film. \nThis film is dedicated to kalpak—a traditional male felt hat. Knowledgeable people (a teacher, a journalist, an activist, and craftswomen) talk about the social functions and spiritual meanings behind kalpak. The film shows traditional and modern methods of making kalpak.
Kyrgyzstan 2017
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Gửi thư (Sending a letter)
This is one of the most lyrical songs with the lyrics sending moving messages. Its lyrics are often poetic sentences with seven or eight words. They are sometimes the six-eight-word verses with the plaintive content. Its tune is clear and calm.
Viet Nam 1997 -
Thinking about mother at dawn
"And at dawn, the ducks and birds are calling\nAs I'm wondering about my mother with an unspoken ache."\n\nLullabies (Ru) within the family environment has a hypnotising function, where it's used to ease the child into sleeping. Southern Vietnam (Nam bộ) lullabies was formed and sustained through the many layers of Nam bộ culture. The environmental ecosystem and culture have given it a distinctive form that is expressed through lyrics, melodies, and rhytms.\n
Viet Nam October, 2021
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Toktogul Satylganov: People’s Artist of KyrgyzstanToktogul Satylganov was a great composer, poet, akyn (singer-improviser), and komuzist (someone who plays komuz, a traditional Kyrgyz musical instrument). Satylganov rendered a great contribution to the Kyrgyz culture. He sang about hardships of the common people, and he is best known for his songs about freedom and independence during the Tsarist Russia’s colonial era. He is one of the founders of Kyrgyz Soviet Literature.\n\nToktogul Satylganov was born in 1864 to a poor family in Toktogul district of the Djalal-Abad region. He never formally learned to write and read, but at the age of 13, he learned to play komuz by himself and started to compose songs about poverty and cruelty of feudalism. In 1898, he was jailed and sentenced to death because of false allegations of him participating in the Andijan rebellion. Eventually, his punishment was reduced to a seven-year imprisonment in Siberia by the mercy of the Tsars. His work at the Siberian labor camp intensified his understanding of social inequality and the inhumanity of feudalism. For that reason, Toktogul Satylganov was the first akyn to welcome the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the revolution by the peasants and working people and led by Vladimir Lenin against Tsar Nicholas II.\n\nAccordingly, Toktogul Satylganov is known for his outstanding works that made a great contribution to the Kyrgyz literature. During the Soviet period, his songs played an important role in shaping public opinion. His songs are informative, vividly depicting the life of ordinary people, the beauty of the motherland, and the Communist Party during the Soviet era. He was the first to depict Vladimir Lenin in What Kind of Woman Gave Birth to a Son Like Lenin? that came out in a time now regarded as the beginning of the Kyrgyz Soviet literary history. His songs predicted the end of tsarism, praising laborers’ rights that encouraged many people. Therefore, many Kyrgyz poets and composers were influenced by Toktogul Satylganov and his work has been translated into many languages.\n\nToktogul Satylganov played a significant role in traditional Kyrgyz art. The art of akyn, the predominant form of cultural expression of nomadic Kyrgyz people, was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008. Tokotogul Satylganov has been and continues to be honored by a number of poets and in books, scholarly works, movies, and discourse around musical heritage. The Kyrgyz National Philharmonic Building in the center of Bishkek is named after him. In addition, a city, streets, districts, parks, schools, libraries, and even the biggest hydroelectric power station and reservoir are named after him as the great composer, poet, akyn (singer-improviser), komuzist who was the most influential figure in traditional Kyrgyz art and literature.\n\nPhoto : Toktogul SatylganovYear2018NationKyrgyzstan
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Memory and ICH in KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan, a landlocked country the territory of which is more than 94 percent mountainous, is among the most attractive lands located at the heart of Asia on the ancient Silk Road trade routes. The cultural heritage of the Kyrgyz people has been greatly influenced by their nomadic history. Kyrgyz people occupy a unique cultural environment and have a rich ICH. The vitality of this cultural heritage is safeguarded and transmitted from generation to generation as collective memory, orally or through practice and expression.Year2021NationKyrgyzstan