The evocative songs of the Dong people embrace an entire culture, from historical narratives to courtship rituals to drinking songs. The Dimen Dong Folk Chorus of Guizhou Province offers a centuries-old vocal tradition, largely unaccompanied and polyphonic, weaving scenes from agrarian life into sonic tapestries. Music of the Dong people, one of China’s 55 ethnic minorities, has been cited on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2009.
Pre-performance discussion at 7:00 pm, with Ren Hexin, Director, Dimen Dong Culture Eco-Museum and Joanna Lee, (musicologist), and Ken Smith (arts critic, Financial Times), co-Founders of Western China Cultural Ecology.
Image
