Xinjiang Sibuzi performer: The sound from the grassland echoes through the grassland | Sibuzi | Xinjiang Sibuzi
Urumqi, August 19th (Xinhua) Question: Xinjiang Sibuzi performer: The sound from the grassland is echoing
Author La Xiaofei
Jiayirawu Tawu placed the Sbuzi forehead on his lips, and his breath surged. The ethereal and distant music drifted out, accompanied by a continuous low voice that trembled in his throat. The listener felt as if he had traveled back to the early nomadic life of living by water and grass.
"Sibuzi Er is a traditional wind instrument of the Kazakh ethnic group in Xinjiang, with a long history. Like Dongbula and Huobuzi, it is one of the musical expressions passed down from generation to generation by the Kazakh people." said Jia Yilawu Tawu, a herdsman and folk artist from Dadonggou Village, Qingyanghu Township, Jimusaer County, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang. Unlike the two, Sibuzi Er requires relatively high skills, and when playing, it emphasizes both wind and throat sounds to form a dual tone part. Therefore, there are relatively few skilled players.
The term "Sibuzi Er" is mainly popular in Kazakh settlements in Altay, Tacheng, Usu, Urumqi, and other areas. It is recorded in the ancient book "Turkic Dictionary" written in the 11th century AD as "a type of flute". It belongs to the multi overtone wind instrument, with sparse bass and dense treble, and a graceful and melodious tone. It is suitable for playing lyrical music and can simulate the calls of animals such as geese using techniques such as vibrato and decorative notes.
When it comes to the origin of the Buzi Er, Jiayilawu Tawu told reporters that it can be traced back to the distant nomadic period. While herders grazed, they casually folded a reed or birch tree, pulled out 3, 4, 5, or 7 sound holes, hunted and grazed, and expressed their unique feelings for nature, life, and all things they touched upon. Through the mysterious and ethereal sound of the Buzi Er, it reflects the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, and subtly expresses the rich inner world of the grassland ethnic group.
"Like this song 'Mother Camel', it is created by shepherds who see their young camels being washed away by water and the mother camel looks sad." Jiayirawu Tawu said that he has been exploring and self-learning the Tibetan opera from a radio station since childhood, and has mastered many traditional songs for decades. However, due to the lack of guidance from teachers, he cannot understand the profound meaning of the songs, and his performance is not vivid.
During his years of studying performance, he visited skilled performers from various regions such as Burqin County, Xinyuan County, Wusu City, and Hutubi County to learn from their strengths and improve their performance skills. In 2019, through a friend's introduction, he met for the first time the autonomous region level inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Bairihan Haliak Bair. The latter had previously published the album "Walking in the Air" in a well-known domestic record company and had a significant influence in the international and domestic ethnic music industry.
After playing a song, Bailihan Haliq Bair seemed to see his youth and gladly accepted this disciple who was only 10 years younger than him. With careful guidance, Jiayilawu Tawu has achieved a qualitative improvement in various performance skills, and is able to proficiently perform nearly 30 traditional Tibetan songs such as "Bound Zao Liu Ma", "Waves of the Erqi River", "Black Clouds of Bogda Peak", "Ma Nai Qu", etc., becoming a rare performer in Changji Prefecture and even Xinjiang.
"If the wind is favorable, the sound of Sbuzi'e will drift far on the grassland, and camels and horses are very sensitive to it." Jiayirawu Tawu told reporters that now he not only records the songs he has learned through technical means, but also actively applies for the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage, hoping that this ancient voice from the grassland can find new space and audience in modern society.
