A guardian of a fading tradition: Preserving the beat of string and woodwind melodies
The first time Fei Yunzhang encountered string and woodwind music was at a village wedding banquet when he was 12 years old. The clear beats, melodic sounds and soft music suddenly struck a chord with the then-teenager. "I felt a strong touch and connection at that moment," he recalled.
Today, the 89-year-old man from Yexie Town, who has played the music for over seven decades, is the inheritor of this traditional art, a Songjiang intangible cultural heritage.
The town's string and woodwind music, which dates back more than 300 years, consists of string and woodwind instruments that produce loud, quick-tempo music during joyful celebrations as well as gentle, quiet melodies with distinct beats.
Percussion instruments include gongs, cymbals, bells, bamboo clappers, tambourines and large drums, in addition to five-tone wooden blocks and wind instruments such as the flute and sheng. Additionally, plucked string instruments such as the pipa, ruan and sanxian are also used.
Distinct drum beats produce distinct sounds. Heavy wood drums and cymbal sticks produce short, deep sounds and forceful, clear beats.
Fei Yunzhang (right) rehearses with his band.
Fei is a self-taught musician.
"I wasn't shy," he said. "I often ran up to the stage and asked the old musicians to teach me."
Though he couldn't play, the teenager would impersonate the performers.
"With my left hand up high, moving my right hand back and forth, and swaying my body, I pretended to play erhu (a two-stringed Chinese fiddle)," he said with a laugh.
At the age of 17, Fei formed his own music band with 16 teenage musicians, spending all of his savings on instruments. Unfortunately, the band disbanded quickly as the members went to work or school.
Fei, on the other hand, did not give up, despite the fact that he practiced and played alone most of the time. The music, known as sizhu, or silk and bamboo in Chinese was a beam of sunshine for him, and it has always been by his side when times were tough over the years.
Fei called it a day in 1992 and started a small grocery store. When business was slow, it was time for him to unwind and play music. "I started inviting my old friends to come over and play again after so many years," he said.
Fei and his old friends sat in that small grocery store, music spilling out from the narrow space and drifting in the air on the street, attracting a swarm of locals who stopped to listen. It was just like 70 years ago. The gray-haired grandpas teamed up again to entertain the youngsters.
The flames burned again, and Fei decided to set up a string and woodwind ensemble once again after all these years. He told his old buddies about the plan. "At first, they refused, but I persisted. I knew them well," he said.
Fei Yunzhang (center) poses for a picture with his Yexie String and Woodwind Music Band.
Fei's band was formed in 2002, realizing a long-held dream. Each band member had to play two instruments to take turns during a performance. As everyone was versatile, the band could be as small as seven members for chamber music or as large as necessary for a full-scale concert performance.
They perform at events, temple fairs and ceremonies, as well as home gatherings and small stages in the villages.
The string and woodwind music from Yexie was recognized as one of Songjiang's intangible cultural heritages in 2011 and has since been given increased protection and development.
As Fei aged, his health deteriorated. But he kept attending rehearsals even though he couldn't perform on stage.
Fei and his family donated eight exquisitely crafted musical instruments to the Yexie Town Community Cultural Activity Center last month.
"My family couldn't afford to buy me an erhu when I was a kid, so I made one myself," Fei said. He created a sound box using bamboo pipes. He used wooden sticks as the neck and the skin of a chicken craw as the snakeskin.
"Although it had a worn-out appearance, it had a booming sound when I played it. I know the importance of musical instruments to a band."
When Fei was young, many people in the town could play folk music, but now only a small number of people can play it or even listen to it.
"It might be dying, but I still hope it can live a little longer and that young people will join," Fei said.
