Yunwei in Nakhi Ethnic Minority Music: Shift from Gongche Notation and Oral Transmission to Simplified Notation Starting 1970s

Abstract

During the 1970s, musicians of the Nakhi ethnic minority, one of China’s fifty-six recognized minorities, transitioned from oral transmission and indigenous gongche notation, methods used for thousands of years, to ciphered notation. They intensely debated whether to move away from tradition and which notation could better capture yunwei (akin to authenticity). The article explores the musical meaning of yunwei to Nakhi musicians. Yunwei transcends written notations; it represents a fluid aesthetic understanding of a music piece, rooted in the original interpretation yet open to innovation, and evolves alongside commercial and cultural tourism influences. The ongoing negotiation between international World Heritage institutions, the State, and individual musicians complicates the definition of yunwei. It involves three levels of validation: UNESCO’s recognition of Nakhi as a World Heritage Site, the State’s acknowledgment of musicians as “cultural bearers” within its patronage system, and these recognized “cultural bearers’” assessment of the authenticity of students’ music performances. This analysis invites a reevaluation of notation as a dynamic interface between tradition and modernity, suggesting its value lies in documenting musical pitches and rhythms and in its capacity to engage with the deeper, often intangible aspects of cultural heritage and identity.