We Be Jamming. Chinese Horns, Drums and All Things Loud

Yongcheng Town has more than 70 folk percussion bands. They fashion themselves "Home of Percussion Music."

 We got off the bus in this charming town nestled high in the mountains.  Walking across this soccer field and up the stairs to the buildings you see was stifling hot.  You could feel the intense warmth permeate the feet.  My hair by the time we reached the building was hot to the touch and I was covered yet again in sweat from head to toe.   #sweatfest2014

What we saw inside made the unending journey from the parking lot totally worth it.  We met and heard the Liujia Band.  There are 20 members in the band, among whom the oldest is 87 years old and the youngest is only 16.   The band has over 300 years worth of history behind it, knowledge of playing the instruments has been handed down over 18 generations.  

The band plays a combination of Chinese horns, drums and cymbals.  It is intensely loud.   I loved every minute of it as I am a musical instrument junkie.  I already brought two instruments to bring home from China.  I looked for one of the gems below, to no avail.  

The horns are known as suonas or labas in China.  They are a sort of Han Chinese shawm, or oboe.  They have distinctively loud and high pitched sounds that will leave the ears ringing if listened to in close proximity.  This has been tested and confirmed.  It took awhile for my ears to recover.   The laba is an important Chinese folk music instrument.  It has long been used for festival and military purposes. Often they are also used in wedding and funeral processions.

Chinese drums are called Taggu.  Percussion in China is associated with celebration and pomp.  Chinese drumming, like most things Chinese, is a group activity, often involving 10 or more percussionists in a group.

In order to pass on national cultural heritage, members of the Liujia Band teach a special course to train teenagers in Yongcheng who have interest in learning how to play.  The members of the band teach skills in schools every week.  Check out the video below.

Drumming groups and bands like this often follow a very prescribed and choreographed routine.  Due to the celebratory nature of drumming, both instruments and musicians wear really ornate cloth and attention grabbing colors.  During the show the drummers chant, and move in ways to engage the audience.  

Usually performances like this are given outside due to the intensity of the sound of the band.  But due to today's heat, we were in an auditorium with all windows wide open.  We walked in and were told that we "might want to sit at the back."  The students however were up front and center.  This did not seem to bother them a bit.

Here is a clip for you.

Chairs and stands are used to balance the big horns.

Our artist Margy has an audience from the oldest member of the band.  He plays the Chinese cymbals and is 87 years old.

I love the excitement of these kids.  They love to play.  Really loud.

Did you think for one moment I would not try this?  Ya, right.