Muqam transmission in the Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region: negotiating artistic individuality in present-day Uyghur muqam performance practices
Abstract
The Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang, also known as the Art of Chinese Xinjiang Uyghur Muqam (Ch. 中国新 疆维吾尔木卡姆艺术), was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity in 2008, representing a dynamic interplay between tradition and contemporary influences. This paper examines the evolving dynamics of present-day Uyghur muqam transmission, focusing on the negotiation of artistic individuality in contemporary performance practices. Central to this discussion is the Uyghur concept of puraq (lit. scent/flavour), a term that describes the distinctive ornamentation and stylistic nuances in Uyghur music, yet remains underexplored in academic discourses both in China and the West. Drawing on ethnomusicological fieldwork conducted in Xinjiang in 2021 (Li, 2022), this research integrates insights from interviews with proficient muqam performers and scholars, offering a detailed analysis of how puraq manifests and is refined across different performance contexts, encompassing both vocal and instrumental practices. The study further explores the interdisciplinary connotations of puraq between music and linguistics, particularly highlighting the role of shëwe (En. vernacular accent) and its influence on the stylistic interpretation of the Uyghur muqam. The findings reveal that the multifaceted term of puraq is a crucial element in sustaining the living tradition of the Uyghur muqam, serving as a point of convergence for cultural continuity and transformation. By situating the discussion within the broader framework of the active transmission of ICH (Ch. 非遗活化传承), the study contributes to ongoing debates concerning the preservation of cultural heritage. It illuminates the ways in which authenticity and adaptation interact in a tradition deeply rooted in the historical cultural exchanges along the Silk Road, offering new perspectives on the evolving role of the Uyghur muqam in the contemporary cultural landscape of modern-day China.
Keywords
applied ethnomusicology China intangible cultural heritage preservation puraq (flavour) Uyghur muqam transmission
Project Number
MRSU-21/22-26580
References
- Abduraxman, A. (2011). 试论十二木卡姆和西 亚马卡姆调式的共同性(续)[An investigation on the commonalities between the Twelve Muqam and the Maqam of West Asia]. 中国音 乐 [Chinese Music], 2, 68–72.
- Bor, J. (1999). The raga guide: A survey of 74 Hindustani ragas (p. 4 audio discs: digital; 4 3/4 in. + 1 guide (viii, 184 pages, 40 pages of plates : color illustrations, music ; 25 cm)). Nimbus Records : Rotterdam Conservatory of Music; WorldCat.
- Kippen, J. (2008). Working with the masters. In G. F. Barz & T. J. Cooley (Eds.), Shadows in the field: New perspectives for fieldwork in ethnomusicology (2nd ed., pp. 125–140). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
- Li, G. (2022). Muqam Transmission in the Modern-day Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: Negotiating the Artistic Individuality in Contemporary Muqam-related Musicking Practices. Unpublished Bachelor’s dissertation. King’s College London
- Li, L. (2008). UNESCO - Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang. Intangible Cultural Heritage. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/uyghur- muqam-of-xinjiang-00109
- Light, N. (2008). Intimate heritage: Creating Uyghur Muqam song in Xinjiang. Berlin, Germany: LIT Verlag.
- Meng, F., Peng, X., & Chen, S. (Eds.). (2020). 丝绸之路乐舞艺术研究资料汇编 · 木卡姆卷 [An anthology of the research archives of music and dance of the Silk Road – Muqam] (1st ed.). Beijing, China: 中央民族大学出版社 [China Minzu University Press].
- Osman, A. (Forthcoming). 木卡姆演唱演奏教 程—中国维吾尔十二木卡姆 [A textbook on vocal Muqam performance: The Chinese Uyghur Twelve Muqam] (Vol. 2). Wulumuqi, China: 新 疆教育出版社 [Xinjiang Education Publishing House].
- Pan, Y., Bian, B., Sun, X., & Yang, S. (Eds.). (2023). 中华民族共同体概论 [The forging of a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation] (1st ed.). Beijing, China: 高等教育出 版社 [Higher Education Press].
- Perhat, D. (2017). 十二木卡姆的历史与现状( 下)[The history and the current state of the Twelve Muqam (Volume 2)]. 新疆艺术(汉文) [Xinjiang Art (Chinese)], 1, 115–128.
- Qian, R. (2020). 探寻音符之外的乡韵—唱词音 声解析 [Seeking for the rural rhyme beyond the notes: Analysing the sonic, melodic dimensions of the articulation of a musical text] (1st ed.). Beijing, China: 中国青年出版 社 [China Youth Publishing Group].
- Smith, L. (2006). Uses of heritage (1st ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
- Wang, J. (2008). “恩主”—维系维吾尔《十二木 卡姆》生存的供养者 [The patrons sustaining the survival of the Uyghur Twelve Muqam]. 艺术探索 [Arts Exploration], 22(3), 12–14. https://doi.org/10.13574
- Wang, J., & Zhang, H. (2011). 略论维吾尔《十 二木卡姆》中的个人创造—以和田地区《十二木卡 姆》为例 [A brief survey on the individuality of the Twelve Muqam in the Khotan prefecture]. 黄钟(中国 · 武汉音乐学院学报) [Journal of Wuhan Conservatory of Music, China], 1, 126–133. https://doi.org/10.3969
- Wang, J. (2015). 口述史:一个研究维吾尔木 卡姆的有效维度 [Oral history: An effective dimension to conduct research on the Uyghur Muqam]. 人民音乐 [People’s Music], 3, 68–71.
- Zhou, J. (1993). 维吾尔十二木卡姆 [The Uyghur Twelve Muqam]. 乌鲁木齐 [Ürümchi], China: 新疆人民出版社 [Xinjiang People’s Publishing House].
- Zhou, J. (1994). 关于维吾尔族《十二木卡姆》乐 谱记录的学术思考 [An academic reflection on the transcription of the Uyghur Muqam]. 音乐 研究 [Music Research], 1, 29–33.
- Zhou, J. (2005). “丝绸之路音乐文化”的见证— 新疆维吾尔木卡姆艺术 [The Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang: An exemplification of a musical culture along the Silk Road]. 中国文化遗产 [China Cultural Heritage], 6, 48–55.
- Zhou, J. (2016). 木卡姆 [Muqam] (1st ed.). Beijing, China: 文化艺术出版社 [Culture and Art Publishing House].
- Zhou, J. (1983). 中外木卡姆之比较研究 [A comparative study between maqam traditions in both China and abroad]. 音乐艺 术 [Art of Music], 2, 9–15.
Muqam transmission in the Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region: negotiating artistic individuality in present-day Uyghur muqam performance practices
Abstract
The Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang, also known as the Art of Chinese Xinjiang Uyghur Muqam (Ch. 中国新 疆维吾尔木卡姆艺术), was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity in 2008, representing a dynamic interplay between tradition and contemporary influences. This paper examines the evolving dynamics of present-day Uyghur muqam transmission, focusing on the negotiation of artistic individuality in contemporary performance practices. Central to this discussion is the Uyghur concept of puraq (lit. scent/flavour), a term that describes the distinctive ornamentation and stylistic nuances in Uyghur music, yet remains underexplored in academic discourses both in China and the West. Drawing on ethnomusicological fieldwork conducted in Xinjiang in 2021 (Li, 2022), this research integrates insights from interviews with proficient muqam performers and scholars, offering a detailed analysis of how puraq manifests and is refined across different performance contexts, encompassing both vocal and instrumental practices. The study further explores the interdisciplinary connotations of puraq between music and linguistics, particularly highlighting the role of shëwe (En. vernacular accent) and its influence on the stylistic interpretation of the Uyghur muqam. The findings reveal that the multifaceted term of puraq is a crucial element in sustaining the living tradition of the Uyghur muqam, serving as a point of convergence for cultural continuity and transformation. By situating the discussion within the broader framework of the active transmission of ICH (Ch. 非遗活化传承), the study contributes to ongoing debates concerning the preservation of cultural heritage. It illuminates the ways in which authenticity and adaptation interact in a tradition deeply rooted in the historical cultural exchanges along the Silk Road, offering new perspectives on the evolving role of the Uyghur muqam in the contemporary cultural landscape of modern-day China.
Keywords
applied ethnomusicology China intangible cultural heritage preservation puraq (flavour) Uyghur muqam transmission
Ethical Statement
This study has been prepared in accordance with scientific research ethical guidelines and does not require approval from an ethics committee. This article is produced from my own Bachelor’s dissertation submitted to King’s College London.
Supporting Institution
King’s College London
Project Number
MRSU-21/22-26580
Thanks
This paper is grounded on more than six months of intermittent ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, northwestern China. First and foremost, I dedicate this work to my parents for their unconditional trust and financial support throughout my field visits to Xinjiang. Thank you so much for recognizing my efforts to integrate with an ethnic group whose language, cultural practices, and customs are so disparate from ours—your understanding of my positionality as a researcher means the world to me. I am deeply indebted to my Bachelor’s advisors at the Department of Music at King’s College London, Dr. Frederick Moehn and Andy Fry, whose challenging questions prompted me to reconsider the foreground and background topics of this paper, and to my personal tutor, Dr. Flora Willson. My deepest thanks go to YPA, ANA, TIY, RMI, MTT, SGT, TNT, GLN, and many other friends and masters of the Uyghur muqam in Yarkand County. Without you, I would never have had the courage to learn the Uyghur muqam, let alone engaging with the muqam performance scenes in Yarkand. My heartfelt gratitude also goes to MTA, BTM, AMA, WGJ, WZX, STA, TRQ, TRR, TRE, MLY, JLK, TGD, PTD, ANR, DPE, SQG, KMS, and many other friends and colleagues in Ürümchi. Without you, I would never have realised the importance of comparing institutionalised performance practices with those of rural, grassroot practitioners. You provided me with new perspectives for researching the Uyghur muqam. My special thanks go to ZNM, OMI, and WGX, with whom I formed the fieldwork team. Without any of you, my fieldwork would not have been completed as smoothly as it was. To each one of you, my dearest friends, I now call Xinjiang my second hometown.
References
- Abduraxman, A. (2011). 试论十二木卡姆和西 亚马卡姆调式的共同性(续)[An investigation on the commonalities between the Twelve Muqam and the Maqam of West Asia]. 中国音 乐 [Chinese Music], 2, 68–72.
- Bor, J. (1999). The raga guide: A survey of 74 Hindustani ragas (p. 4 audio discs: digital; 4 3/4 in. + 1 guide (viii, 184 pages, 40 pages of plates : color illustrations, music ; 25 cm)). Nimbus Records : Rotterdam Conservatory of Music; WorldCat.
- Kippen, J. (2008). Working with the masters. In G. F. Barz & T. J. Cooley (Eds.), Shadows in the field: New perspectives for fieldwork in ethnomusicology (2nd ed., pp. 125–140). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
- Li, G. (2022). Muqam Transmission in the Modern-day Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: Negotiating the Artistic Individuality in Contemporary Muqam-related Musicking Practices. Unpublished Bachelor’s dissertation. King’s College London
- Li, L. (2008). UNESCO - Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang. Intangible Cultural Heritage. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/uyghur- muqam-of-xinjiang-00109
- Light, N. (2008). Intimate heritage: Creating Uyghur Muqam song in Xinjiang. Berlin, Germany: LIT Verlag.
- Meng, F., Peng, X., & Chen, S. (Eds.). (2020). 丝绸之路乐舞艺术研究资料汇编 · 木卡姆卷 [An anthology of the research archives of music and dance of the Silk Road – Muqam] (1st ed.). Beijing, China: 中央民族大学出版社 [China Minzu University Press].
- Osman, A. (Forthcoming). 木卡姆演唱演奏教 程—中国维吾尔十二木卡姆 [A textbook on vocal Muqam performance: The Chinese Uyghur Twelve Muqam] (Vol. 2). Wulumuqi, China: 新 疆教育出版社 [Xinjiang Education Publishing House].
- Pan, Y., Bian, B., Sun, X., & Yang, S. (Eds.). (2023). 中华民族共同体概论 [The forging of a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation] (1st ed.). Beijing, China: 高等教育出 版社 [Higher Education Press].
- Perhat, D. (2017). 十二木卡姆的历史与现状( 下)[The history and the current state of the Twelve Muqam (Volume 2)]. 新疆艺术(汉文) [Xinjiang Art (Chinese)], 1, 115–128.
- Qian, R. (2020). 探寻音符之外的乡韵—唱词音 声解析 [Seeking for the rural rhyme beyond the notes: Analysing the sonic, melodic dimensions of the articulation of a musical text] (1st ed.). Beijing, China: 中国青年出版 社 [China Youth Publishing Group].
- Smith, L. (2006). Uses of heritage (1st ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
- Wang, J. (2008). “恩主”—维系维吾尔《十二木 卡姆》生存的供养者 [The patrons sustaining the survival of the Uyghur Twelve Muqam]. 艺术探索 [Arts Exploration], 22(3), 12–14. https://doi.org/10.13574
- Wang, J., & Zhang, H. (2011). 略论维吾尔《十 二木卡姆》中的个人创造—以和田地区《十二木卡 姆》为例 [A brief survey on the individuality of the Twelve Muqam in the Khotan prefecture]. 黄钟(中国 · 武汉音乐学院学报) [Journal of Wuhan Conservatory of Music, China], 1, 126–133. https://doi.org/10.3969
- Wang, J. (2015). 口述史:一个研究维吾尔木 卡姆的有效维度 [Oral history: An effective dimension to conduct research on the Uyghur Muqam]. 人民音乐 [People’s Music], 3, 68–71.
- Zhou, J. (1993). 维吾尔十二木卡姆 [The Uyghur Twelve Muqam]. 乌鲁木齐 [Ürümchi], China: 新疆人民出版社 [Xinjiang People’s Publishing House].
- Zhou, J. (1994). 关于维吾尔族《十二木卡姆》乐 谱记录的学术思考 [An academic reflection on the transcription of the Uyghur Muqam]. 音乐 研究 [Music Research], 1, 29–33.
- Zhou, J. (2005). “丝绸之路音乐文化”的见证— 新疆维吾尔木卡姆艺术 [The Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang: An exemplification of a musical culture along the Silk Road]. 中国文化遗产 [China Cultural Heritage], 6, 48–55.
- Zhou, J. (2016). 木卡姆 [Muqam] (1st ed.). Beijing, China: 文化艺术出版社 [Culture and Art Publishing House].
- Zhou, J. (1983). 中外木卡姆之比较研究 [A comparative study between maqam traditions in both China and abroad]. 音乐艺 术 [Art of Music], 2, 9–15.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Theories of Music, Musicology and Ethnomusicology |
| Journal Section | Original research |
| Authors | |
| Project Number | MRSU-21/22-26580 |
| Early Pub Date | March 26, 2025 |
| Publication Date | March 30, 2025 |
| Submission Date | October 21, 2024 |
| Acceptance Date | February 3, 2025 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2025 Volume: 13 Issue: 1 |
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