La-Li-Luo Dance
Songs of the Chuxiong Yi

Yunnan Province, China

Alan R. Thrasher, Ph.D.

This fascinating study of a very important dance-song tradition of the Yi culture of central Yunnan province, China, is set in a broad social, historical and musical context. During recent field trips to China, Alan Thrasher spent many hours with his principal informants, Xie Zongze and Li Hanjie, recording, participating in and analyzing la-li-luo dance songs. The result is a fascinating, insightful presentation of these energetic dance-songs in their cultural, historical, and musical context.

La-li-luo or dage dances are extremely aerobic and local festivals provide an opportunity for young people in particular to dance with friends, form romantic liaisons, and generally have a good time while preserving time-honored traditions.

The setting and cultural background of the la-li-luo genre is explored and placed in a performance context. Included are sections on instruments used for accompaniment, and an examination of musical structure. With this publication, a large number of Chuxiong Yi melodies appear in notation for the first time.

This book and recording set will be an exciting discovery for anyone who is studying Chinese culture and music. The set is an interesting and timely contribution to the field of Chinese studies. La-li-luo Dance Songs of the Chuxiong Yi is appropriate for use with middle school or higher music or social studies students, in college courses on World Music or Chinese Culture, in ESL or community outreach programs.

The 6 x 9 book includes:

• Over 20 musical transcriptions of both vocal and instrumental versions of the dance-songs
• Western as well as Chinese musical notation
• 12 photographs and 10 illustrations
• Glossary of important Chinese characters
• Bibliography/Index

The companion Audio Cassette includes:

• Field and studio recordings of all the dances
• Recordings of supplemental selections

About the Author

Alan R. Thrasher, Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology (Wesleyan University CT) has been interested in East Asian musics since the mid-1970s. He has recently made four field trips to China for the study of both Han and Chinese minority musics. His publications have appeared in journals such as Asian Music and Ethnomusicology, with other important contributions appearing in The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments (1984) and The Grove/Norton Handbook of Ethnomusicology. He is Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver).

Combines the best of scholarly field research and writing with the practical needs of teachers who might want students to perform the music. - Choice