From Xinjiang To Shanghai: Jiangzhou Drum Music In Change

Under the impact of China's modernization, Jiangzhou drum music, a local traditional genre, is in the process of change. The initial cause seems to be from the ensemble's immigration to Shanghai. The time-space shift has brought with it a series of changes. First is the change of identity, involving its ritual, symbolism and folklore, which is on the decline, while at the same time the ensemble in its coming to the China's and world's stages, has shifted to the emphasis of its national identity. The shift also leads to the transformation of the ensemble's functions, i.e. from the traditional ritual-oriented to metropolitan commercialism. Women's participation of the music results in both the change of gender and female performing styles. All these changes reflect at the deeper level the great upheaval in contemporary China.