ALL
festivals
ICH Elements 161
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Ca trù singing
Ca Trù singing has other names such as: A Dao singing, Dao nuong ca, Co Tou singing, Nha tro singing, communal house singing, Nha To singing..., derived from folk songs, folk music plus a number of performances and games. folk dance. From the way of worshiping at the communal house door, singing the congee, singing the crowd... Ca trù has gradually been professionalized. Belonging to a folk performance art form, the uniqueness of Ca Trù is that it is an art that combines poetry, music and sometimes dance and performance. The performance space of Ca Trù is diverse, each with its own singing style and performance method. Ca Trù singing has 5 main performance spaces: hát cửa đình (hát thờ), hát cửa quyền (hat cung đình hay hát chúc hỗ), singing at home (hát nhà tơ), singing Thi, and singing ca quan (hát chơi). The performance form of ca trù is a chanting consisting of three main components: a female vocalist (called "dao" or "ca Nuong") using a percussion set to take the beat; a male musician (referred to as "kép") plays the bass lute to accompany the singing, sometimes singing and dancing in both hat su and hat giai singing styles; people who enjoy ca trù (called "quan vien", connoisseurs of sound law, vocal music, and dance) beat drums to punctuate sentences and express their satisfaction with drum sounds. Both the singer, the man, the listener participate in the singing. Ca Trù's greatest contribution to Vietnamese culture is the birth of spoken poetry. In terms of music, the characteristic of Ca Trù is that there are three types of musical instruments: bottom lute, beat and drum, which have contributed to making Ca Trù become a special musical genre of Vietnam.
Viet Nam 2009 -
Drametse Ngacham: The Masked Drum Dance of Drametse
The Masked Dance of the Drametse community is a sacred dance performed during the Drametse festival in honor of Guru Padmasambhava, a Buddhist master. The dance performance also commemorates the founder of the Tegchok Namdroel Ogyen Choeling Monastery, Ani Choeten Zangmo; and venerable Khedurp Kuenga Gyeltshen (1505-/) who introduced the Masked Dance. These two are the eldest daughter and the fourth son respectively of the great treasure revealer, Terton Pema Lingpa (1450-1521). According to oral accounts, Drametse Ngacham was introduced in 1518, just three years before the death of Pema Lingpa. The name of the mask dance is derived from the Drametse village community, which falls within the Drametse gewog village block of Mongar Dzongkhag district in the eastern part of Bhutan. The term Ngacham refers to the dance implements held by performers, a hand-held circular flat drum and mallet. Tegchok Namdroel Ogyen Choeling Monastery was established in 1530. The three-day Drametse Tshechu festival takes place twice a year, organized by the monastery administration. The dancers include monks from the monastery as well as laymen. The origin of the mask dance, its characteristic choreography, masks, and costumes are specified in detail in the Kabum, Collected Works, of Pema Lingpa. Pema Lingpa have seven siblings and Sangdag is one of his sons who fathered Tenzin Chogyal and gave birth to Ani (Nun) Choeten Zangmo. Therefore, Ani Choeten Zangmo is the great grand daughter of Pema Lingpa. Though Ani Choeten Zangmo has no intention to indulge in the leading a family, she was forced to marry Yeshey Gyalpo, son of Sumthrang Choeje Sherab Drakpa. Driven by her destiny, she became renunciate and later established her permanent seat at Drametse where she recognized a place of peace and tranquility, Dra-me “No Obstructions” to her meditational practices at the summit of a Tse, small ridge. During her stay, her brother Kuenga Gyeltshen who is popularly known as Khedrub Kuenga Wangpo visited her. Kuenga Wangpo is highly revered by spiritual masters for his outstanding philosophical knowledge and realization of the true nature of mind, thus he was given a title of Khedrup, great and realized scholar. He encountered Guru Padmasambhava several times while in meditational states, and had visited Zangdok Pelri, the Copper Colored Mountain, spiritual realm of Guru Padmasambhava. While staying at Drametse, an auspicious event happened in his early morning meditation on the 17th day of the 8th month of Iron Male Tiger year 1530—while the Drametse Lhakhang Monastery was under construction. In this state, three khadroma celestial maidens with white complexion, decorated with colorful silken robes, ornaments and flower garlands, invited Kuenga Wangpo to Zangdok Pelri, saying they had come to take him for a tour of the realm’s palaces. He asked, “What should I take for the long journey?” The maiden responded, “While you are experiencing pure vision without doubts, come along with us.” They took him to the realm, and into a palace called Pema yoe ki Phodrang where Kuenga Wangpo saw King Indra Bhuti. Then the maidens took Kuenga Wangpo to the majestic palace of Zangdok Pelri, where he saw Guru Padmasambhava in a youthful form smiling and telling him “I am happy to see you here.” Instantly, Guru manifested to a Jalue, Rainbow Body, and thereupon Kuenga Wangpo was entertained by a splendid dance performed by many gods and goddesses transforming themselves into Dampa Rigja (Hundred Guardian Deities); forty-two peaceful forms, and others in wrathful appearance or in human form with various animals’ heads. All wore exquisite robes and a melodious sound of Choe-ngai dra, Buddhist teachings, resonated from the beating of their drums. It is also believed that the sound of the drum signifies victory over evils and celebrates joy as Buddha’s teachings flourish. Kuenga Wangpo was then told to introduce this dance in Jigten me-yul, the human realm, and that conducting the Masked Dance would liberate sentient beings. Coming out of this meditation, he jotted down the detailed choreography, masks, and costumes. The first introduction of this Masked Dance was at the sacred place of Drametse, thus giving it the name Drametse Ngacham. Due to the significance embedded in the dance, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594-1651) who unified Bhutan as a country, the successive Je Khenpo spiritual leaders, as well as the Druk Desi temporary leaders—these spiritual masters and farsighted monarchs all propagated the Masked Dance across various monasteries and Dzong fortresses around the country.
Bhutan 2008 -
Shawa Sha-khe/che Chham: The Dance of the Stag and Hounds
Shawa Sha-khe/chi Chham (the mask dance of the stag and the hounds) or also called as Acho Phen-to (the Hunter and the servant) by its character is one of the mask dances that falls under the Nam-thar zhi-chol gi gar-chham (biography-based mask dances) category of three broad classifications of mask dances in the Bhutan. This mask dance has a characteristic of theatrical play extracted from the life story of Milarepa (1052-1135) and has various characters and episodes basically conveying the Buddhist principals of compassion, arising faith and human values that lead to a harmonious life. The origin of the mask dance dates back to the 11th century when Jetsun (venerable) Milarepa the great yogi from Tibet, converted Gonpo Dorji, a fierce hunter as his disciple who later listed as became one of his principal followers named as Khe-rawa Gonpo Dorji. In brief, the story goes as follows: While Milarepa was meditating in a cave known as Katya in Nyishangkurta (on the present-day border between the Tibetan autonomous region of China and Nepal), he heard a couple of hounds barking somewhere near to his hermitage. In a short while, a stag glistening with sweat and exhausted bounds into his cave indirectly seeking refuge from the lean and thin meditator Milarepa. Out of great and compassion and pity, Milarepa sangs a song to calm the terrified stag, which eventually laid down peacefully near to the great yogi in the cave. Led by the scent of the stag, two ferocious hounds; a red and a black-coloured appeared in lightning speed, rushed inside the cave in pursuit of the stag. Milarepa also calms them by singing yet another stanza of song dedicating to the hounds which subsides its rage and calmly sits beside Milarepa waggling its tail alike to their owner. Subsequently, the merciless hunter, the owner of the dogs, Gonpo Dorje soon arrives in pursuit of his target, the hounds, and steped into the cave frustrated, drenched in sweats, tired and a bow and arrow ready to release the trigger. The sight of his hounds and the stag calmly sitting together with Milarepa infuriates him, thinking that the yogi has used some kind of black magic on the animals. Dragged by his rage, he shoots an arrow at Milarepa which in-turn slips the arrow from his bowstring. Milarepa then sings the hunter a song to calm his mind and open it to the Dharma, but the hunter remains uncertain whether Milarepa is a great saint or else a black magic practitioner. Gonpo Dorje inspected Milarepa’s cave, and upon noticing nothing in it but an empty bowl surprised him. Overwhelmed by feelings of profound respect for Milarepa, feled deep remorse for all his past sinful actions and thereafter vowed never to commit such acts and became a faithful disciple. The mask dance has various characters such as; Shawa (the Stag), Sha-khi/che (two hounds), Acho (the hunter), Phen-to (servant), Milarepa (the Saint) and a package of Atsa-ra (clowns). The mask dance is performed only during the annual Tshe-chu (Mask Dance Festival) with several episodes portraying different scenes. The element is still vibrant in the country.
Bhutan -
Traditional skills of crafting and playing Dotār
The element is recognized as one of the main elements of cultural and social identity for the regions in which it is crafted and played. The bearers and practitioners are mostly farmers including men as crafters and players and women as players, and recently a number of them are young researchers of both genders. Its traditional knowledge of crafting and playing is informally transmitted through generations by the master-student method. This element is seen in local, oral and written literature (including local poems, proverbs, chants and lullabies) which constitute a part of nature, history, and background of the bearers. As this element is shared by a number of communities, groups and individuals, it brings mutual respect and understanding amongst the communities concerned. Dotār is a folkloric plucked-string musical instrument that has been played in social and cultural events/spaces such as weddings, parties, celebrations, ritual ceremonies etc. Dotār has a bowl which is pear-shaped and made of dried wood of dead mulberry tree and its neck is made of apricot or walnut wood. It has two strings traditionally made of silk which been replaced with metal wires nowadays. Some believe that one string is male and functions as accord and the other is female which plays the main melody. The crafters also repect nature as they use dead and dried wood for making Dotār. It is not in opposition toward the national and international instruments like Universal Human Rights Declaration, sustainable development , etc.
Iran 2019
ICH Stakeholders 17
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The Koryo Saram Dance Troupes of Uzbekistan
The Koryo Saram living in Uzbekistan are descendants of Koreans who resettled from Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk Krai in Russia to Central Asia around 1937. However, unlike the majority of Korean diaspora communities that were formed through voluntary migration, the Koryo Saram of Central Asia were forcibly resettled as a consequence of political decisions. And as a result the Koryo Saram who settled in Central Asia faced huge challenges adapting to their new geographical and sociocultural environment, and as ethnic minorities these challenges were intensified. The establishment and growth of the Korean diaspora community of Uzbekistan took place within this context. nOf the post-Soviet activities to safeguard and transmit intangible cultural heritage, the efforts of the Koryo Saram dance troupes deserve special mention, especially with the somewhat recently established Samjiyeon Dance Troupe, Asadal Dance Troupe, and Koryo Dance Troupe under the Central Koryo Saram Culture Association of Uzbekistan (Koryo Association). Established in 1998, Koryo Dance Troupe is the oldest of the three while the Samjiyeon Dance Troupe and Asadal Dance Troupe were established in 2014 and 2015, respectively. With the exception of Koryo Dance Troupe, young people (in their twenties and thirties) head up these troupes and the dancers are in their teens and twenties. Key activities of all the troupes include both dance education and performance.\nThese Koryo Saram dance troupes perform at various events, including the traditional Koryo Saram festivals of Chuseok (a harvest holiday) and Seolnal (Lunar New Year), and thus play a central role in the continued transmission of intangible cultural heritage. The dance troupes also perform at events alongside various other ethnic groups, promoting the Koryo Saram community’s place within Uzbek society as an ethnic group with a unique and honorable heritage, living harmoniously with its neighbors.y of Uzbekistan took place within this context.
Uzbekistan -
Buryat Ethnic Group
Yohor, a singing round dance of the Buryat ethnic group in Mongolia, the Buryat Republic of the Russian Federation, and the People’s Republic of China (Shineheen Buryats), is a complex synchronized expression of poetry, melody, and movement. Yohor is performed in the traditional manner with vocal singing and the modern way with playback music. Elders generally opt for the traditional way and have rich repertoire on Yohor songs. They say that the old way of singing is very important in the traditional way of dancing Yohor and that song can also affect the way of dancing.\nthe Yohor dance reflects a cultural uniqueness and a unity of Buryat people in three countries. Separated because of a long history and complicated political situations, Buryat people’s culture, tradition, and language changed. The Buryat language, an official dialect of Mongolian, has already been included in the category of severely endangered languages by the 2010 UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger. With this language loss, the number of elders who know the song narratives and old Yohor song repertoire are decreasing, and this brings the Yohor dance under the risk of disappearance as its complexity of song and movements but also of language. The annual and biennial cultural festivals, such as Altargana, Yohor, Night Yohor, and Global Yohor, show how Buryats have been trying to revive the traditional culture and art for long time. Even though, the collective memory and living experience of Buryat people is under the risk of disappearance due to rapid modernization and globalization with language loss.
Mongolia
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Aibek Baiymbetov
Aibek Baiymbetov graduated from the Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn with a Master's degree in International Relations. He also studied at the University of Tsukuba in Japan as an exchange researcher. Besides, he studied the Chinese language and oriental culture in Guangzhou, China. \n\nAibek Baiymbetov has been working in the field of cultural heritage and journalism for more than 10 years, with a focus on safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage, popularizing the traditional knowledge and practices of nomadic culture, as well as creating a value-oriented, modern creative network in the field of traditional music, journalism, animation, film, and theatre art. \n\nRecently, he has been actively working on preserving the biocultural diversity, adapting the cultural meanings to modern perception - through digital and creative products. Aibek Baiymbetov is a co-founder of the musical project "Kyrgyz Kairyk" which focuses on the safeguarding and popularisation of traditional music, he also acted as a consultant in several projects on the restoration and popularisation of Kyrgyz traditional art. \n\nHe took part in many research expeditionary initiatives to study the traditional culture of the indigenous people of the Tian Shan, Pamir, Himalayas, and Altai. He is a founder of the Public Fund "Peace Dialogue and Holistic Development", which has been working for more than 5 years in the field of safeguarding ICH, as well as creating a network of expert councils in the fields of climate, ecology, philosophy and traditional cultural and spiritual practices. He is an author of a short documentary anthology film "Man - Universe". At the moment, he is a researcher at the Department of Cultural Heritage and Humanities at the University of Central Asia. \n\nAibek Baiymbetov's academic and research interests lie in the area of the religious and cultural heritage of Kyrgyzstan/Central Asia - traditional Islam and traditional practices of the nomadic ideology. In the field of biocultural diversity and traditional cultures of indigenous people. Traditional art - Kyrgyz folklore, epic heritage and music. \n\nHe is the winner of the UNESCO 2021 “Silk Road Youth Research Grant” competition among the young researchers, as well as the winner of international and local film festivals in the field of documentary films about ICH. \n
Kyrgyzstan -
Aidai Asangulova
Aidai Asangulova is one of the famous craftswomen in Kyrgyzstan and the head of the “Kiyiz Duino” Public Foundation. \n\nThe goal of PF “Kiyiz Duino” is to revive and safeguard traditional knowledge and skills related to crafts and the cultural space around it. “Kiyiz Duino” aims to draw general public attention to Kyrgyz traditions and customs; show people how a person can coexist with the surrounding nature in harmony, use its gifts without causing it harm; explain how important it is to take care of nature and preserve its purity for future generations.\n\nThe Foundation holds various community-based events, such as workshops on making Kyrgyz traditional clothing, or festivals to popularize traditional rituals and practices from local to national levels. They also actively cooperate in the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage with governmental and nongovernmental institutions, participate in field trips, conduct research, and document ICH elements. \n\n“Kiyiz Duino” has contributed greatly to the preparation of nomination files as “Ak-kalpak craftsmanship, traditional knowledge and skills in making and wearing Kyrgyz men’s headwear” and “Elechek, Kyrgyz female headwear: traditional knowledge and rituals”.\n
Kyrgyzstan
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THE INSTITUTE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA STUDIES
The Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies (IPNGS) was established under the Cultural Development Act, passed by the Papua New Guinea House of Assembly on 14 October 1974. Papua New Guinea had become self-governing from Australia almost a year earlier, but independence was still about another year in the future. Today IPNGS is a national cultural institution under the National Cultural Commission Act. It moved to its present location towards the end of 1976. The distinctive welded sculptures on the outside walls and gates depict the Orokolo story of Aru Aru and his journey to the moon, as told by Sir Albert Maori Kiki.\nAlthough laws, governments, ministries, and even the location of the Institute have changed over the past four decades, the main focus has remained constant: the documentation, archiving, and promotion of Papua New Guinea cultures. Overseen by the Director, IPNGS is divided into departments for its present three main functions: Music (5 staff), Ethnology (3), Literature (1). There are also two staff in administration, and five casual workers. nResearch staff members under take research in villages and towns, or at festivals. Such research might be on specific topics, such as clan origin stories or the variety of dances performed at a particular festival, or more general survey work, such as documenting musical traditions in a particular village. While the primary focus is on traditional expressions, attention is also given to more recently developed expressions of culture, such as those performed in church or as part of widespread popular forms.\nThe Ethnology Department is responsible for documenting the many myths, legends, and other oral traditions found in the country. Publications have been produced in English as well as local languages, both to promote the maintenance of this important body of knowledge and to encourage vernacular literacy.\nFor many years, the Literature section was responsible for promoting creative writing, especially through the running of the annual National Literature Competition. Many submissions were made for categories such as novels, short stories, poetry, radio plays, essays, etc. The results appeared in our journals such as Gigibori, Bikmaus, and Sope, or as separate publications. We hope to revive the National Literature Competition in the near future.\nIPNGS Music Department has strived to develop its music archive to reflect all music-related research that has been done in the country. Although the collection can always be expanded, to a large extent this goal has been achieved.\nThe Music Archive presently contains about 12,000 hours of recordings on reels of tape, cassettes, discs, films, videos, CDs, and DVDs, with over 10,000 photos and 4,000 books, articles, and theses. These materials are a mixture of things collected by IPNGS staff, other researchers, commercially produced items, and historical recordings of PNG music from other archives around the world.\nAs with the other sections of the IPNGS, the Music Department has issued numerous publications. Presently, there is a series of cassette and disc recordings, a monograph series (Apwitihire), and a journal (Kulele). Our publications are widely used in the school system and have been well received overseas.\nIn total, IPNGS has produced about 250 publications, printed, audio, and films/videos. It has also played an important role in making materials published in languages such as German, Japanese, and local languages accessible through translations in to English or Tok Pisin.
Papua New Guinea -
INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE OF MONGOLIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
The Institute of Language and Literature (ILL) at the Mongolian Academy of Sciences is a scientific organization that manages academic researches on philology, literature, and folklore in Mongolia. The ILL was founded as the Institute of Sutra and Script in 1921. The name subsequently institute changed to the Cabinet of Philology in 1930, to the Centre for the Study of Philology and Literature in 1957, and finally to the Institute of Language and Literature in 1961 when the Mongolian Academy of Sciences was established. nSince 1962, the ILL at the Mongolian Academy of Sciences has been implementing fieldwork on folk heritage and local dialects one to three times per year. Sometimes folk tellers and singers have been invited to make audio and video recordings. As a result of these activities, the ILL has built a treasury of audio recordings and manuscripts of Mongolian cultural heritage. For instance, this treasury contains tales, heroic epics, long and short songs, and wise and metaphoric words. Also our researchers have recorded ethnic legends and stories about rituals and customs and festivals. About 1100 hours of audio recordings have been preserved in this fund. We are also preserving 451 units of handwritten books and manuscripts.
Mongolia
ICH Materials 493
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Navruz
Navruz is an ancient and widespread holiday in Tajikistan, and it is celebrated on the vernal equinox, the beginning of the solar year and the new year according to the Iranian calendar, as well as calendars of several other nationalities. Navruz traditionally celebrates the awakening of nature and the beginning of agricultural work.
Tajikistan -
Nooruz
The Nooruz holiday symbolizes the celebration of the New Year according to the solar calendar, on the vernal equinox (March 21). It marks the arrival of something new in people's lives, their hope for a happy and prosperous year. This is one of the most important holidays in Kyrgyzstan, bringing together everyone, regardless of age and ethnicity.
Kyrgyzstan
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Kin Pang Then Festival: Encompassing Past and Present
Kin Pang Then is a traditional ritual of the Tai ethnic group in the northwest region of Vietnam to welcome and thank the deity known as Then. In the ritual, Then comes down to grant blessings on villagers and heal those whose souls are sick. The beneficiaries of the ritual are obliged to participate in the next Kin Pang Then ritual. The whole process of greeting and sending off the deity is intended to bring harmony and unity to all community members who participate in and enjoy the ritual. \nThis video shows the spiritual life of the Tai people and a master performing the ritual to bring good luck and wellbeing to the local people.
Viet Nam 2019 -
Kin Pang Then Festival(KOR)
The Tai communities live in Son La, Lai Chau, Yen Bai and Dien Bien provinces in the Northwest of Viet Nam. Kin Pang Then is one of Then's important rituals of the Tai people. This is the occasion where the Then master and his followers perform a thanksgiving ritual for the Then god. The ritual includes songs and music that symbolically express the journey of the Then Master to travel to the other world to look for the lost souls of the disciples/clients and to call the souls coming back to their bodies. The film is about the destined ritual Master and his ritual performance with Xoe dance for healing, good luck and well being for the local people. The film demonstrates the spiritual life and religious Then practice of the Tai in Northwestern religion in Viet Nam.
Viet Nam 2019
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Southeast Asia ICH Video Documentary (Vietnam)
Southeast Asia ICH Video Documentary (Vietnam)\n\nThe environment surrounding intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is changing rapidly in the face of waves of rapid urbanization and globalization. In the face of such changes, documenting actual scenes of ICH in video form presents one of the most effective ways of identifying trends in ongoing developments and raising the profile of ICH. However, achieving this requires robust support and coordinated efforts due to the relative inadequacy of the conditions for producing such documentary material in the Asia-Pacific region.\n\nThe International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (ICHCAP) shines a light on the ICH of Asia-Pacific and introduces its value to the public through video projects depicting ICH. ICHCAP conducts joint projects with member states to portray real-life scenes of ICH alongside experts, communities, NGOs, and other stakeholders in various countries. As a result, it has produced fifty videos on the ICH of Central Asia through the phase-one joint project on Central Asia and an additional fifty videos through the phase-two video project on the ICH of Southeast Asia. These videos are being screened through broadcasting companies and at film festivals in each country, in addition to distribution via YouTube and other\nchannels.\n\nVideos represent the most accurate method of capturing ICH as it exists in the real world, as well as being effective tools for communicating with the public. ICHCAP will endeavor to continue vividly documenting the scenes of ICH that are hidden across the Asia-Pacific region with the aim of raising the profile of ICH elements as treasures of humanity and introducing them to the public.\n\nThis collection includes 10 ICH videos produced by the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS) in collaboration with ICHCAP.
Viet Nam 2019 -
Southeast Asia ICH Video Documentary (Thailand)
Southeast Asia ICH Video Documentary (Thailand)\n\nThe environment surrounding intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is changing rapidly in the face of waves of rapid urbanization and globalization. In the face of such changes, documenting actual scenes of ICH in video form presents one of the most effective ways of identifying trends in ongoing developments and raising the profile of ICH. However, achieving this requires robust support and coordinated efforts due to the relative inadequacy of the conditions for producing such documentary material in the Asia-Pacific region.\n\nThe International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (ICHCAP) shines a light on the ICH of Asia-Pacific and introduces its value to the public through video projects depicting ICH. ICHCAP conducts joint projects with member states to portray real-life scenes of ICH alongside experts, communities, NGOs, and other stakeholders in various countries. As a result, it has produced fifty videos on the ICH of Central Asia through the phase-one joint project on Central Asia and an additional fifty videos through the phase-two video project on the ICH of Southeast Asia. These videos are being screened through broadcasting companies and at film festivals in each country, in addition to distribution via YouTube and other \nchannels. \n\nVideos represent the most accurate method of capturing ICH as it exists in the real world, as well as being effective tools for communicating with the public. ICHCAP will endeavor to continue vividly documenting the scenes of ICH that are hidden across the Asia-Pacific region with the aim of raising the profile of ICH elements as treasures of humanity and introducing them to the public. \n\nThis collection includes 10 ICH videos produced by the Thammasat University in collaboration with ICHCAP.
Thailand 2021
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Solo of the kèn
According to statistics data in 2009, the Cao Lan people (known as Sán Chay) in Vietnam had a population of 169,410 people, residing mostly in Tuyên Quang province. The Cao Lan ethnic minority has a treasure of poetry, folk music, and dance such as sình ca (unique folk singing), múa trống (drum dancing), múa xúc tép (small shrimp catching dancing), múa chim gâu (cuckoo bird dancing), etc. The musical instruments of Cao Lan people are various, including thanh la (small knobless gong), não bạt (small cymbals), drums, bells, and wind instruments. Kèn is a wind instrument performed in festivals and ritual forms. Kèn consists of four parts: the body, the bell, reed stake, and the reed. The body is a cylindrical hollow tube made of hard wood about thirty centimeters in length. On the body, there are seven pressing holes on the front and one hole on back near the stake. The instrument bell is made of a frustum-shaped thin wooden piece. The smaller of the bell is attached to the big end of the tube. The stake is attached to the small end of the tube. The reed is made of a reed pipe or worn nest attached to the stake. Its sound is strong, a little discordant at high pitches and a little cracked at the low end. The register of the instrument is two octaves. Kèn is played by men only. This track is a medley of extractions that are often played in the rituals, such as hành quân (army operation), kèn Khắp, and đưa Phật (Buddha greeting).
Viet Nam 1959 -
Chudka Song of Gurung
Chudka are short phrases of folk songs sung by people from the Gurung community of the western hills. Chudka songs are usually sung during Dashain, Tihar, Purnima and Tamu Lhosar. At the beginning, the tempo of the song is slow. It gradually rises until the end. Prayers to gods and goddesses along with well wishes for festivals and daily happenings are expressed.
Nepal 1905
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Don Ca Tai Tu, a Chamber Music of Southern Vietnam
CD8_ĐỜN CA TÀI TỬ, A CHAMBER MUSIC OF SOUTHERN VIETNAM\n\nĐờn ca tài tử is a special traditional genre of chamber music of the Việt people in southern Vietnam. In comparison with other forms of traditional musical performances in Vietnam like Ca trù (Ca trù singing), Ca Huế (Hue singing), etc, the art of Đờn ca tài tử was a late traditional form. According to many musical researchers, Đờn ca tài tử came into being in the mid-nineteenth century from the musical context of the ceremonial music nhạc Lễ of southern Vietnam and the chamber music nhạc Huế. Historically, nhạc Lễ played a very important role in the cultural life of southern Vietnam. The repertoire was divided into two styles played by a martial ensemble phe võ and a classical ensemble phe văn. The phe võ is composed of drums, cymbals, and the Vietnamese oboe kèn bầu. The phe văn consisted of stringed instruments, particularly four types of the cò (two-stringed fiddles, such as the cò, the cò chỉ, the cò tre, and the gáo fiddle), and percussion instruments such as the trống nhạc (drum), and a trống cơm (a small cylindrical drum).\n\nThe two ensembles are invited to play at major village festivals. But for less important occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and housewarmings, a smaller phe văn group is called in, which includes the stringed instruments without percussion instruments. This ensemble is called đờn cây. For the need of artistic entertainment, other stringed instruments progressively joined this ensemble such as the đàn tranh (sixteen-string zither), the kìm (moon-shaped lute) and the very small wooden song lang. Music gradually escapes the solemn nature of rituals to serve daily life. It can be considered the initial foundation of Đờn ca tài tử, but it was not yet the Đờn ca tài tử. In 1885, when the Huế capital fell, the immigration of instrumentalists of the Nguyễn court from central Vietnam to the southern region made significant influence on the development of Đờn ca tài tử. At this time, Đờn ca tài tử was actually shaped after acquiring Huế chamber music in both repertoires and performance styles. The emergence of Đờn ca tài tử has received great support and favor of the majority of people in the southern Vietnam.
Viet Nam 2015 -
Folk Songs of the Indigenous Castes
CD8_FOLK SONGS OF THE INDIGENOUS CASTES\n\nThe indigenous castes of Nepal have a variety of cultural events to mark different life happenings, from birth to death, which are all accompanied by music. These events depend on topography, and may vary even within a caste. Generally, people express their emotions through music in occasions such as Dashain , MagheSakranti , Purnima , or seasonal events, such as rice transplanting, rice harvesting, or millet plucking. In such festivals, each of the indigenous castes exhibits its way of life and culture through traditional attires, instruments, songs, and dances.
Nepal 2016
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HA NOI INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN CONTEMPORARY LIFE
For a very long time, the publication of a book on the intangible cultural heritage of Hà Nội has been a deeply held wish of all the researchers and staff of the Centre for Research and Promotion of Cultural Heritage (CCH), an affiliated organisation of the Association of Cultural Heritage of Viet Nam. The aim of this book is to identify and introduce the richness and great value of the living cultural heritage of Hà Nội, our capital city and a great centre of 1,000 years of civilisation in our country. Our volume is thus a means of documenting and memorialising the boundless merits of our ancestors, and of the many generations of the communities who have continually created and sustained an extraordinarily diverse array of cultural expressions, making Hà Nội a precious repository of ancient traditions and living creativity: a land rich in cultural values, and a source of pride to all Vietnamese citizens, and especially to all the people of Hà Nội.
Viet Nam 2017 -
Coloring ICH: Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Pacific
ICHCAP is unveiling a new online exhibition to promote the understanding of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) via an easily accessed online platform. We collaborated with ICH experts from the Pacific islands to curate seven exhibitions on Pacific cultural practices, including traditional knowledge, social rituals, and crafts. You can explore the Pacific islanders’ stories and culture online at the Google Cultural Institute under the title “ICHCAP Collection.” We hope the exhibitions will inspire others to get to know about Pacific ICH.\n\nIn this booklet, we showcase a small part of the exhibitions, covering\n\n- Traditional Fire Walking in Fiji\n- Palau’s Rich Heritage in Nature and Culture\n- Safeguarding ICH of Papua New Guinea Bilum\n- Ngatu, Culture Wealth of the Kingdom of Tonga\n- Inspired Crafts of Samoa\n- Pwo Ceremony, the Initiation Ritual for Traditional Wayfinding Systems\n- Yam Festivals in the Pacific
South Korea 2016
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NAVRUZ, SHARING TOGETHER ON NEW YEAR’S DAY—SOME REFLECTIONS ON THE CULTURE OF NAVRUZNavruz (Nowruz) is not just about the first day of spring, but it is also not just a celebration of the New Year marked by indulging in a feast; it has a much wider historical and cultural context with deep doctrinal significance.Year2011NationSouth Korea
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Bangla New Year Welcomed with Mangal ShovajatraIn the morning of 14 April Bangladesh ushered in Bangla New Year 1425 on Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla calendar, by bringing out Mangal Shovajatra, a UNESCO inscribed ICH element.\n\nClad in colorful punjabis and saris, people from all levels of society took part in Mangal Shovajatra parades hoping rid themselves of past evils and begin a better future.\n\nThe biggest and most attractive Mangal Shovajatra parade was at the Dhaka University in the capital city Dhaka. Hundreds of people carried student and faculty artworks representing evil and good. Similar processions were brought out in all districts.\n\nMoreover, Baishakhi Mela (fair) displaying traditional food and artwork, cultural programs, and other events were held across the country.\n\nAt sunrise, thousands of people gathered at Ramna Batamul, the main venue of the Dhaka celebrations, where Chhayanaut, a cultural organization, has been holding an annual music soiree since 1965 to welcome the Bangla New Year.\n\nOther government and private cultural organizations held Pahela Baishakh celebration programs that included traditional music and performances along with recitations, contemporary songs, and dance.\n\nOn 14 April, the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy held special programs at its open field in the afternoon and at the National Theatre Hall in the evening. The programs featured lathi khela (tricks with sticks), songs, dance, and acrobatics. The academy also held programs, in association with different organizations, at Mirpur, Uttara, and Old Dhaka in the morning.\n\nIn such events traditional troupes from Manikganj, Chapai Nawabganj, and other places displayed lathi khela and presented different folk music genres like gambhira. Renowned singers, dancers, and recitation artistes also performed at the program organized by the academy.\n\nAt the Bangbandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka, over one thousand singers performed in a chorus in an open-air concert organized by the Shurer Dhara music school.\n\nThe Bangla Academy welcomed Bangla New Year through a program featuring a discussion and cultural show at Rabindra Chattar. The Bangla Academy also organized a five-day folklore workshop for folklore experts from Bangladesh, India, and the USA.\n\nBangladesh Small & Cottage Industries Corporation in association with Bangla Academy organized a ten-day Baishakhi fair featuring traditional sweets, books, craft items, and other culture events.\n\nSammilita Sangskritik Jote held a cultural program at Dhanmondi’s Rabindra Sarobar.\n\nThe Bangla year with its first month, Baishakh, was introduced during the rule of Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great (1542–c. 1605).\n\nThe day is a public holiday. All radio and TV channels air special programs while newspapers publish special supplements.\n\nWhile Bengalis celebrate Pahela Baishakh, the hill communities of the Chittagong Hill Tracts celebrated Baisabi. Baisabi is a term formed by the first syllables of the Baisuk Tripura festival, Marma’s Sangrain, and the Biju Chakma festival or Tanchangya’s Bisu.\n\nPhoto : People from all levels of society participate at the Mangal Shovajatra parade on 14 April welcoming the Bangla New Year © Snaul Haque/ New AgeYear2018NationBangladesh
Open Archive 6
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Kathin
The offering of Kathin cloth or Kathin cloth is a ritual that believers or even monks perform rituals in temples to make Kathin cloth. There are two kinds of Kathin as "Choun la Kathin" is small Kathin and "Ma Ha Kathin" is big Kathin. Kathin has a fixed time for offerings. cannot be offered forever like any other cloth. This time, with only one month from the waning days of the first lunar month to the 11th day of the 15th lunar month 12 (12 lunar months), this period is called the transitional period Katin ceremony or festival. We also take place in the temple. Laotians march around the church three times carrying money trees and cloth for the monks. According to the beliefs of the Lao people, This acacia festival is organized for remedies or utilitarian benefits: (1) maintaining traditional good not to cease (2) is followed Buddha draws upon the breed of the Prophet (3) of the Securities and life with Russell kernels night (4) creates solidarity between Buddhist agency (5) a road to heaven and nirvana for themselves.
Lao People's Democratic Republic -
Kayin Traditional Chi Phyu Pwe Mingalar Festival
Kayin Traditional Chi Phyu Pwe Mingalar Festival (White thread ceremony) During this festival, young people receive white wrist ties from their elders, which is believed to drive away all obstacles and evil spirits they may face, and bring good luck, health and strength to their body and soul.
Myanmar -
Rakhine traditional "Kyin" Wrestling
The word 'Kyin' is derived from 'Kyar-hlyin' (fast moving – tiger) to "kyin". According to Rakhine historical records the strong Kyin wrestlers were selected by the king to row war-fare boats.Kyin wrestling contest were held at the religious ceremony, pagoda festivals, cremation ceremony of monks and harvest time.
Myanmar -
Wadangmet: The Dancing festival of Chhilings
Wadangmet, also known as Papani, is one of the greatest festivals of the Chhiling Rai people from the eastern hills of Nepal. Just after the Nepali Tihar festival (Sep/Oct) is celebrated, every Rai household in the community takes out the Dhol and Jhymta, musical instruments which are kept hidden in the house for a whole year. Pulling out these instruments signals the beginning of the festival which lasts for 1-2 weeks. My 80-year-old grandmother loved telling this and many other stories about the Rai culture. It is believed that divine Rai deities, Ambirahang and Rexihang, children of Budahang come to the village and shower their blessings on the people. Budahang is the king of the gods. According to the Chhiling legend, Budahang’s children ran away and secretly got married, a serious violation of Rai social and traditional norms. For breaking the taboo, they were banished from the village. The villagers, however, decided that couple could visit the village for one week every year. Wadangmet is celebrated to welcome the return of the banished couple with singing and dancing. During their stay, the community does not perform any other rituals or worship other souls and spirits. The celebrations begin on the full moon in November. As an offering, the locals take one half kilogram of rice (mana dhurne) to the local priest’s house. This offering, on the first day of the festival, is made to the unholy couple to encourage their blessings of eternal life for family members. On the second day the people gather at the priest’s house and, during puja, offer a pig and two chickens to the siblings. The same day, they clean and worship in the village courtyards. On the third day, the villagers gather at the Mukhiya’s (the head of the village) house with Dhol and Jhyampta to perform traditional dancing. They cut another pig and share the feast. On the fourth day, every household offers a pig to Ashik Hang (the king of blessing) for a long and healthy life. At this time the household’s future for the coming year is forecasted by performing the “Tharkibahal or Mangla” ritual; a chicken is offered to gods. If a chicken bleeds it is believed that family members will have a peaceful and healthy life for the coming year. If the chicken doesn’t bleed the family will have one year of uncertainty. The celebration continues for a fifth day in another village. On the sixth day the raucous celebration continues at the Mukhiya’s house in another village. Traditionally, the day also used to be an occasion for joking and courting among boys and girls. They would meet, fall in love and many would practice bhagibibaha; they would elope and be considered married. Wadangmet is the happiest time of the year. It’s a festival to celebrate life, community, friendship, love, music and dance. The final day of the festival is MangPankha; seeing off the deities. This is a week-long celebration at the Priest’s house that includes more rice and chicken puja, singing, dancing and playing the hidden musical instruments. People dance for whole night (and drink) and when the sun rises, they once again bid farewell to forbidden couple. Achita, rice used for the pujas, is considered to cure diseases. They save it for medicinal use throughout the coming year. No one knows how or when this festival began. My grandmother was filled with myths and fascinating stories about ancestors and how they lived. Regrettably, many of these stories are being forgotten but, Wadangmet is alive and well. Long live the Chhilings Rai people!
Nepal