Heritage
The ballad of Meizhou
(chinaculture.org)
Updated: 2006-11-19 17:37
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Year: 2006
Sort: Folk Music
Area: Guangdong Province
Serial No.: Ⅱ-11
Declarer: Meizhou City, Guangdong Province
Hakka is rarely a branch living a nomadic life in Han ethnic group. They used to live in Henan province very long time ago. While inhabiting together with other ethnic groups, they keep a traditional Hakka dialect that is phonetically similar to Cantonese. Presently, Hakka people generally live in Guangdong, Fujian and Jiangxi province while also scatter throughout the nation. And Meizhou is one of those cities that are mostly populated by Hakka people.
The Ballad of Meizhou is generally thought to form during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). It is a mixture of local and Hakka culture whose lyrics are similar to ancient Chinese poetry. Hakka people take themselves as the very original Han people. The proof of it is that they were from the cradle of Han culture: Zhong-yuan -- which is now Henan province.
Among various topics of the Ballad, love songs top all the others in quantity. Interestingly, Hakka boys always call their lovers "xi-mei", which literally means little sister, to show the intimacy. The Hakka ballads are passed down completely orally. Lacking young singers, The Ballad of Meizhou needs protection very urgently. This year, it is applying for the Oral and Intangible Heritage of humanity.
