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The Pastoral Song of the Mongolian Ethnic Group
It is characterized by an abundance of ornamentation, falsetto (artificially
high notes), a long and continuously flowing melody with rich rhythmical
variation, an extremely wide vocal range, and a free compositional form. The
rising melody is slow and steady while the falling melody is often intercepted
with a lively triple continuant (a type of method to prolong sounds), imitating
the pace of life in the grasslands.
Performances and compositions of the Mongolian minority's pastoral songs are
closely linked to the nomadic pastoral way of life, which is still widely
practiced in Mongolia.
Risk of Disappearance
The repertoire of the pastoral songs is gradually decreasing, while the
remaining songs are becoming increasingly standardized.
Parts of the grasslands where tradition-bearers used to live as nomads have
fallen victim to desertification. As a result, it has caused many families to
shift to a sedentary way of life where many classical themes of the Changdiao,
such as the praise of typical nomads' virtues and experiences, lose their
relevance.
Action plan
The two sides of China and Mongolia will jointly carry out research on
protection of the pastoral songs, which is of great significance to passing on
the declining cultural heritage.
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