布朗族音乐与舞蹈：山野间的生命律动
Bulang Music and Dance: The Rhythms of Life in the Mountains
在中国西南边陲的苍茫群山间，生活着一个能歌善舞的民族——布朗族。他们用独特的音乐和舞蹈，诉说着民族的历史、信仰与情感，展现出与自然和谐共处的智慧。布朗族的音乐舞蹈不仅是艺术的表达，更是民族精神的载体，承载着这个古老民族的文化记忆。
In the vast mountains of the southwestern border of China, there lives a people who are good at singing and dancing – the Bulang people. Through their unique music and dance, they narrate their history, beliefs, and emotions, embodying the wisdom of harmonious coexistence with nature. The music and dance of the Bulang people are not only artistic expressions but also carriers of the national spirit, carrying the cultural memories of this ancient ethnic group.
一、音乐：大地的回声
布朗族的音乐源于生活，又高于生活。他们的民歌按传统分类可分为”索”、”宰”、”拽”三大调族，每个调族又衍生出丰富的曲调。”索”调深情婉转，常用四弦琴”赛玎”伴奏，多用于表达爱情；”宰”调欢快活泼，常用于叙事对唱；”拽”调则庄重古朴，多用于祭祀场合。这些曲调如同山间的溪流，时而激越，时而舒缓，流淌着布朗人对生活的感悟。
在布朗山寨，音乐无处不在。劳动时有劳动歌，恋爱时有情歌，祭祀时有古歌，就连哄孩子入睡也有专门的摇篮曲。最具代表性的”布朗弹唱”已被列入国家级非物质文化遗产名录，其旋律优美动人，歌词即兴创作，展现了布朗人敏锐的艺术感知力和丰富的想象力。岩瓦洛、玉坎拉等传承人通过口传心授的方式，将这一艺术瑰宝代代相传。
I. Music: The Echo of the Earth
Bulang music originates from daily life yet transcends it. Traditionally, their folk songs are classified into three primary modes: Suo, Zai, and Zhuai, each giving rise to diverse melodies.
- Suo mode: lyrical and gentle, often accompanied by the four-stringed lute (Sai Ding), mostly used to express love.
- Zai mode: lively and cheerful, it is often used in narrative duets
- Zhuai mode: solemn and archaic,it is often used in sacrificial occasions.
- They are like mountain streams, sometimes surging and sometimes soothing, flowing with the Bulang people’s insights into life
In Bulang villages, music is everywhere. There are work songs for labor, love songs for courtship, ritual songs for worship, and even lullabies for soothing children. The most representative form, Blang Ballad Singing with Lute Accompaniment, has been inscribed on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Its melodies are graceful and moving, while lyrics are often improvised, showcasing the people’s keen artistic sensibility and imagination. Masters such as Yan Wa Luo and Yu Kan La have passed on this cultural treasure orally from generation to generation.
二、舞蹈：生命的礼赞
II. Dance: A Celebration of Life
如果说音乐是布朗人的心灵之声，那么舞蹈则是他们生命的礼赞。布朗族舞蹈中最富特色的当属”蜂桶鼓舞”。这种舞蹈因以形似蜂桶的鼓为主要乐器而得名，背后蕴藏着布朗族关于蜜蜂拯救人类的神话传说。
If music is the voice of the Blang soul, dance is their celebration of life. The most distinctive dance is the Bee-Drum Dance, named after the bee-hive-shaped drum that serves as its central instrument. Behind it lies a myth about bees saving humankind.
蜂桶鼓舞分为”三步舞”和”五步舞”两种，舞步刚健有力，鼓声雄浑震撼。在传统”祭竜”仪式中，舞队绕寨缓行，鼓声哀婉，追忆祖先迁徙的艰辛；在喜庆节日里，舞姿欢快，抒发对美好生活的喜悦。舞者身背蜂桶鼓，以整齐划一的动作展现民族的凝聚力，每一个抬腿、弓身、击鼓的动作，都仿佛再现着先民与自然搏斗的场景。
The dance has two main forms: the “Three-Step Dance” and the “Five-Step Dance.” Its steps are vigorous and powerful, matched with deep, resonant drumbeats. During the traditional “Worship of the Dragon” ceremony, the dance team moves slowly around the village, with mournful drum sounds, recalling the hardships of ancestors’ migration; during festive occasions, the dance is lively, expressing joy over a good life. The dancers carry the bee-hive drum on their backs, presenting the cohesion of the nation with uniform movements. Every movement of lifting the leg, arching the back, and beating the drum seems to re-enact the scenes of the ancestors’ struggle against nature.
除了蜂桶鼓舞，布朗族还有”蜡条舞”、”圆圈舞”、”刀舞”等多种舞蹈形式。这些舞蹈或柔美灵动，或刚劲有力，将布朗人豪爽勇敢的民族性格展现得淋漓尽致。在打歌场上，芦笙、三弦、象脚鼓齐奏，男女老少围圈起舞，通宵达旦，展现出民族艺术的强大生命力。
In addition to the Bee-Drum Dance, the Bulang also perform the Wax-Strip Dance, Circle Dance, Sword Dance, and more. These dances are either graceful and lively or vigorous and powerful, fully showcasing the bold and courageous national character of the Bulang people. At community dancing grounds, reed pipes, three-stringed lutes, and elephant-foot drums play together as villagers of all ages dance in circles through the night, displaying the vitality of Bulang performing arts.
三、文化传承：传统与现代的对话
III. Cultural Transmission: Dialogue Between Tradition and Modernity
随着时代发展，布朗族的音乐舞蹈也在不断创新。传统的蜂桶鼓舞从祭祀仪式走向舞台，从山寨小路跳到了全国性的文艺汇演；布朗弹唱在保留传统曲调的同时，也融入了现代音乐元素。年轻一代传承人如”小花队”的孩子们，正以崭新的方式诠释着古老的民族艺术。
With the social development, the music and dance of the Bulang ethnic group have also been constantly innovated. The traditional Bee-Drum Dance has moved from sacred rituals to stage performances, from village paths to national art festivals. Bulang ballads, while preserving traditional melodies, now incorporate modern musical elements. The younger generation of inheritors, such as the children of the “Little Flower Team”, are interpreting the ancient ethnic art in a new way.
然而，在全球化和现代化的冲击下，布朗族传统音乐舞蹈也面临着传承困境。为此，当地政府和文化部门建立了生态博物馆、传习所，将布朗族音乐舞蹈纳入学校教育，通过数字化手段保存珍贵资料，让这一民族文化瑰宝得以延续。
However, under the impact of globalization and modernization, the traditional music and dance of the Bulang ethnic group are also facing difficulties in their inheritance. To address this issue, the local government and cultural departments have established ecological museums and training centers, incorporated Bulang ethnic music and dance into school education, and preserved precious materials through digital means, allowing this cultural treasure of the ethnic group to continue.
布朗族的音乐舞蹈，是镌刻在群山间的文化密码，是流淌在血脉中的艺术基因。它不仅仅是一种娱乐形式，更是一个民族的历史记忆、精神信仰和生活智慧。当我们聆听那悠扬的布朗调，观看那豪迈的蜂桶鼓舞时，仿佛能触摸到这个山地民族最本真的灵魂，感受到他们与自然和谐共处的生存哲学。在文化多样性日益受到重视的今天，布朗族的音乐舞蹈正以其独特的魅力，向世界讲述着中国少数民族的精彩故事。
Bulang music and dance are cultural codes engraved in the mountains and artistic genes flowing in the blood. They are not mere entertainment but embody a people’s history, faith, and wisdom of life. When we hear the resonant melodies of Bulang songs and witness the grandeur of the Bee-Drum Dance, we touch the most authentic soul of this mountain people and glimpse their philosophy of harmony with nature. In today’s world, where cultural diversity is increasingly valued, Bulang music and dance tell the world a vivid story of China’s ethnic minorities.
一、音乐艺术
- Musical Arts
（一）民歌类型
- Types of Folk Songs
布朗族民歌按传统分类可分为五大基本曲调：
- 索调：最具代表性的曲调，用小三弦伴奏，曲调激昂抒情，多用于表达爱情和歌颂新生活。如《棉花丰收》《深山淌来幸福泉》等新民歌均采用索调创作。
- 宰调：对歌调，欢快活泼，用于男女对唱生产知识、爱情故事等内容。演唱形式自由，可独唱也可对唱。
- 生调：用小三弦伴奏，多唱风俗、爱情和劳动内容，曲调优美动听。
- 缀调：在盛大场合对唱，歌颂英雄事迹和历史人物，庄严雄壮。
- 同曼调：反抗压迫的曲调，如《艾棱传》中反抗头人的唱段。
The folk songs of the Bulang ethnic group are traditionally classified into five basic melodies:
- Suo mode: The most representative melody, accompanied by the small three-stringed instrument. The melody is passionate and expressive, often used to express love and praise for new life. New folk songs such as Cotton Harvest and The Fountain of Happiness from the Deep Mountains adopt this mode.
- Zai mode: A lively and cheerful melody, used for duets between men and women to discuss production knowledge, love stories, etc. The singing form is free, and it can be sung solo or in duet.
- Sheng mode:Accompanied by the small three-stringed instrument, mostly singing about customs, love, and labor, with a beautiful and pleasant melody.
- Zhui mode: Singing in a grand occasion, praising heroic deeds and historical figures, solemn and majestic.
- Tongman mode: A rebellious and opposing oppression melody, such as the singing segment in Ailin’s Biography that resists the chief.
（二）演唱形式
布朗族民歌演唱形式多样：
- 独唱：多用于叙事古歌、祭祀歌等
- 对唱：常见于情歌、劳动歌
- 一领众和：节庆活动中的主要形式
- 边舞边唱：与舞蹈紧密结合
(2) Forms of Singing
The singing styles of the Bulang ethnic group are diverse:
- Solo: mostly used for narrative ancient songs, sacrificial songs, etc.
- Duet: common in love and work songs.
- Call and chorus: the main form in festival activities
- Singing while dancing: closely integrated with the dance.
（三）乐器
布朗族传统乐器主要有：
- 打击乐器：
- 蜂桶鼓：直径25-30厘米，高70-80厘米，形似蜂桶
- 象脚鼓：从傣族传入，用于伴奏舞蹈
- 锉、镣等金属打击乐器
- 弦乐器：
- 布朗玎（四弦琴）：用龙竹制作，长约40厘米
- 牛角琴：用牛角制作的二弦乐器
- 管乐器：
- 芦笙：14枝笙苗分两排插入木质笙斗
- 竹笛、唢呐等
(3) Musical Instruments
The traditional musical instruments of the Bulang ethnic group mainly include:
-
Percussion:
- Bee-Drum: 25–30 cm in diameter, 70–80 cm in height, shaped like a beehive.
- Elephant-Foot Drum: introduced from the Dai, used to accompany dances.
- Metal percussion instruments such as chimes and cymbals
-
String Instruments:
- Bulang Ding (four-stringed lute): made of dragon bamboo, about 40 cm long.
- Ox-Horn Fiddle: a two-stringed instrument made from ox horn.
-
Wind Instruments:
- Lusheng: a mouth organ with 14 bamboo pipes inserted into a wooden wind chest.
- Bamboo flutes and suona oboes.
二、舞蹈艺术
（一）主要舞蹈类型
II. Dance Arts
(1) Main Dance Types
- 蜂桶鼓舞：
- 最具代表性的布朗族舞蹈
- 因以蜂桶鼓为主要道具而得名
- 分为”三步舞”和”五步舞”两种基本步伐
- 2008年被列入国家级非物质文化遗产
Bee-Drum Dance:
- The most representative Bulang dance.
- Named after the bee-drum instrument.
- Features two basic steps: “three-step” and “five-step.”
- Inscribed in 2008 on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
- 圆圈舞：
- 青年男女喜爱的集体舞蹈
- 姑娘围成圆圈，小伙子在圈内作虎步跳跃
- 边舞边向逆时针方向移动
Circle Dance:
- A collective dance beloved by young men and women.
- Girls form a circle, while boys leap inside with tiger-like steps.
- The group moves counterclockwise while dancing.
- 刀舞：
- 男性舞蹈，表现英勇威武
- 持长刀做出砍、劈、刺等动作
- 与武术相结合，刚劲有力
Sword Dance:
- A male dance, depicting bravery and might.
- Performed with long swords, featuring chopping, slashing, and thrusting movements.
- Combines martial elements, vigorous and forceful.
- 蜡条舞：
- 宗教祭祀舞蹈
- 男性持蜡烛，女性持鲜花起舞
- 动作庄重舒缓
Wax-Strip Dance:
- Religious Sacrificial Dance
- Men hold candles while women hold flowers and dance
- Movements are solemn and slow.
- 象脚鼓舞：
- 受傣族文化影响的舞蹈
- 两位男子各背象脚鼓对敲对舞
- 节奏明快热烈
Elephant-Foot Drum Dance:
- Influenced by Dai culture.
- Two men, each carrying an elephant-foot drum, dance while drumming.
- The rhythm is lively and passionate