Shanwei Fishing Song
The Shanwei fishing song is a famous regional symbol of Shanwei in Guangdong province. Shanwei fishing songs are composed by fisherman, popular in coastal areas, rivers, and fishing areas along lakes in China. Shanwei fishing songs have a rich history of musical, folk, and literary value and are an essential part of China’s coastal folk literature.
Fishermen express their feelings through songs. In their wandering life in the water, they have memorable experiences, emotions, thoughts and impulses. Often they incorporate the scenery and compose by singing, according to the softly humming rhythm of daily labor. They sang fishing songs, love songs, marriage songs, fighting songs, fun songs about life, and songs about their experiences, etc.
The compositional structure of the fishing songs is simple and brief, emphasizing echo and symmetry (对称). The structure mostly contains a “section style” composed of one, two, three, and four phrases. The lyric structure is neat, usually seven words per line, and four sentences per paragraph.
Shanwei fishing songs have the attributes of historical material, folk customs, and literature. Shanwei traditional fishing songs, with their interest in the sea and its integration, act as intense local opera music with folk music charm.
As an essential part of the local cultural system, Shanwei’s fishing song culture describes local customs, values, and ethics. It educates local people on their cultural inheritance, which cannot be replaced by any other cultural form.
In today’s multicultural era, any culture can confidently go to the world and highlight its own characteristics only on the basis of national tradition, and ethnic music culture is a perfect musical expression of national essence.
Now, in some schools in China, students have started to learn Shanwei fishing songs. The study of the Shanwei fishing songs helps understand Chinese traditional music, conveys one piece of the rich Chinese cultural heritage. The study of traditional music enhances students’ confidence in music culture, and strengthens their national pride and patriotism. In the study of the Shanwei fishing songs, students will discover their influence in literature and music, and see the importance of tradition in today’s multicultural world.