Zhao Piding – Inheritor of Raosanling Ceremony of Bai Ethnic Minority in Xizhou Town, Dali 

Individual Profile

Zhao Pidding(赵丕鼎), Bai ethnic minority, was born in 1942 in Zuoyi village(作邑村), Xizhou town(喜洲镇), Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture(大理白族自治州), the inheritor of  Raosanling(绕三灵) of Bai people .  Zhao Piding was born in a family of Bai folk artists. His great-grandfather, grandfather and father were all performing artists of Bai folk Daben songs(大本曲). Since his childhood, he has been influenced by what he has seen and heard.

Life Experience

He started to perform in 1964.he is familiar with the “three tune”(三腔), “Jiuban”(九板), “eighteen melody”(十八调) of the Daben song(大本曲) in the performance, and use them freely. He integrated the characteristics of southern and northern tune , so as to apply them to different records and characters flexibly . Daben song is a part of Bai people’s folk activities — Raosanling ceremony.  His articulation is clear, singing tune is mellow, he can play many roles by himself and change vocal cavity. He is deeply deeply loved by the masses, becoming a quite famous Daben song singing artist.

Influences

ZhaoPiding has a good understanding of the historical origin and folk activities of  Raosanling ceremony, and has a good command of all kinds of sacrifices, rituals and performances in the folk activities. Moreover, he can play a guiding role in this folk activity and is the leader of Bai folk traditional culture. Zhao Piding collected more than 80 traditional scripts, and adapted and created nearly 100 new ones. He compiled and published three traditional scripts — Records of  Liaodong(《辽东记》), Butterfly Lovers(《梁祝配》) and Butterfly Spring(《蝴蝶泉》), and cultivated more than 40 successors of this script. Now he is the  honorary chairman of Ballad Singers Association(曲艺家协会)  of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture  and has been awarded the titles of “Yunnan Folk Musician”(云南省民族民间音乐师) and “Dali Folk Art Master”(大理州民间艺术大师).


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Translated by Bella Ren/任新月