The Cantonese opera trend behind the Cantonese mantra: the code and crisis of cultural inheritance

Surprise! The catchphrase you say every day actually hides the secret of Cantonese opera

My dear friends, today I am going to give you You guys are making a big deal! Don’t you think there’s nothing special about the Guangzhou mantras that we usually talk about, such as “river car”, “burst belly”, “bursting house” and “top stick”? But can you imagine? These words did not appear out of thin air. The stories behind them are inextricably linked to Cantonese opera. They are simply wonderful dramas! Is your curiosity suddenly overflowing and you can’t wait to know what’s going on? Then follow me and delve deeper into the mysterious world behind this!

Cantonese Opera: The Legend of Once Glorious Lingnan Culture

Cantonese opera was once a huge cultural star in Cantonese-speaking areas such as Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, and Macau! It used to be called Guangfu Opera and Guangdong Opera. A long time ago, it was probably the Ming Dynasty. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, Yiyang and Kunqiang followed operas from outside. The troupe floated all the way to Guangdong. When they arrived here, they began to create a \”big fusion\” with local \”Banghuang\” tunes, and also absorbed high-pitched tunes, Kunqu tunes, and local folk music and popular minor tunes in Guangdong. At first it was sung in \”theater Mandarin\”, and gradually it became Cantonese opera.

At that time, Cantonese opera troupes relied on red boats to travel back and forth on the rivers of the Pearl River Delta, like a group of tireless \”cultural couriers\”, bringing Cantonese opera to various villages. .So, Red Boat has become a symbol of Cantonese opera. Symbol, Cantonese opera artists are also affectionately called \”Children of the Red Boat\”. The earliest Cantonese opera industry organization \”Qionghua Guild Hall\” was born in Foshan. Unfortunately, Cantonese opera encountered big troubles. It was banned during the Xianfeng period, and Qionghua Guild Hall also disappeared. Fortunately, it was destroyed in the fifteenth year of Guangxu (1889). (Year), the Bahe Guild Hall in Guangzhou was built, and Cantonese opera started again and ushered in new vitality.

After 1912, Cantonese opera performances switched to Guangzhou dialect, which was a big deal. A large number of Cantonese dialect slangs sprung up like mushrooms after a rain.

The mystery of the \”River Car\”: the wonderful collision between musical instrument tuning and life

Let’s first talk about the word \”河车\”. In the \”Gongchipu\” of Cantonese opera, there are two tones used to tune the musical instruments. When you say it in Cantonese, it becomes. \”River Car\” in a Cantonese opera performance. , the actors have to adjust the tone just right, so \”riche\” gradually has the meaning of appropriate and just right. For example, if you go shopping for clothes and try on one, it\’s not too big or too small, and the style is what you like. You can say: “This dress is so cool! ”

But there is a controversial point here. Some people think that these mantras come from Cantonese opera. Is it a bit far-fetched? After all, just two changes of sounds can become a commonly used mantra? In fact, this is the wonderful thing about cultural evolution. In the past, Cantonese opera was an integral part of people\’s lives. As an important entertainment activity, everyone is familiar with various elements in Cantonese opera. These vocabulary words that are closely related to life have gradually been integrated into daily language. This also shows that culture is constantly passed down and developed, and we cannot underestimate it. Looking at these seemingly inconspicuous words, there may be profound cultural heritage behind them.

\”Burning Belly\” Storm: The Spark of Stage Improvisation and Life Adaptation

Let’s talk about “Burning Belly” again. In previous Cantonese opera performances, there was often no script, and the actors had to rely on their own ability to perform on the spot. It’s like you are on stage and suddenly forget the words, but you suddenly forget the words. We can’t be silent, so we have to make up a paragraph right away The word goes on and on, this is called \”bursting belly\”. Now this word is also used in life. For example, when you are giving a report, you suddenly forget what to say next, and then you have an idea and come up with a sentence on the spur of the moment. If you do it, others will say that you are \”explosive\”

This raises a question: has the current Cantonese opera relied too much on scripts and lost the vitality of improvisation? In fact, this may also reflect the changes in the times. The cultural level is not high, but the performance experience is rich, so they can perform on the spot. Today\’s Cantonese opera actors have higher cultural literacy and stricter requirements for scripts, but perhaps some improvisational aspects can be appropriately retained to make Cantonese opera more dynamic.

\”Explosive\” spectacle: the association between theater theaters and modern craze

The word \”popular\” is more interesting. In the past, when Cantonese opera troupes went to the countryside for tours, local conditions were limited, so they built a bamboo theater to perform. Sometimes the performances were so popular that people came to watch them. The theater was so packed with people that it looked like It\’s going to be packed. Slowly, the word \”packed\” has been used to describe those activities that are particularly popular and have extremely large crowds. For example, there is an Internet celebrity attraction recently that is packed with people during holidays. The scene can be said to be \”overwhelming\”.

However, it is difficult to see \”packed\” scenes in Cantonese opera performances now. Does this mean that Cantonese opera is outdated? In fact, it is not because there are too many entertainment methods nowadays, and Cantonese opera is facing a problem. There is huge competitive pressure. But this also reminds us that if we want Cantonese opera to become popular again, we must find ways to attract more audiences, such as using the Internet to promote and organize some interesting interactive activities to let more people know about Cantonese opera. .

The truth about \”top-down\”: the door to the theater and the limits of life

There is also the \”top gate\”. In the past, wooden gates were used as doors at the entrances of theaters in the south. One performance was particularly popular, and there were so many people that everyone crowded at the door. It\’s really hard to hold up that wooden stick. No one can fit in. So now \”dingzhao\” means \”at best\” and \”at best\”. For example, if you go to participate in a lottery and the host says that there are at most 100 prizes, you can say. : “There are only 100 winning tickets for this lottery. ”

From this word, we can see how profound the influence of Cantonese opera is on the lives of Guangzhou people. Even a small theater door can derive a common word. But now the theaters are becoming more and more modern. There are fewer and fewer of these traditional elements. Is this a lack of culture? Maybe we can recreate these traditional theater scenes in some Cantonese opera cultural exhibitions or performances so that people can better experience the historical atmosphere of Cantonese opera.

The Charm of Cantonese Opera: The Treasure Charm of Traditional Art

The accompaniment band of Cantonese opera is simply a \”musical hodgepodge\”, including traditional Chinese folk instruments such as erhu and dulcimer, as well as Western instruments such as saxophone and violin, which are played together. time , not only does it not feel abrupt, but it is very harmonious. The sound is melodious and pleasant, just like a group of elves dancing in your ears. This fully reflects the intelligence and tolerance of the Cantonese people, who can use anything good. , and it can be used just right.

The tone of Cantonese opera is particularly high and varied. Sometimes it is as passionate as a charging horn, and sometimes it is as gentle as a mountain stream. Even if you don\’t understand Cantonese, just look at the actors on the stage. He will also be deeply attracted by his beautiful singing voice and agile figure. Every movement and look in their eyes seems to be telling a story. Moreover, the martial arts movements of Cantonese opera also incorporate local martial arts routines from Hong Kong, Wing Chun, and Cai Lifu, which look particularly brave and fierce. Every move is so powerful that it makes people enjoy it.

The makeup of Cantonese opera actors is also very particular, which is called \”make-up\”. This is learned from Peking Opera, but it has its own characteristics, which is more concise and fashionable, and the colors are particularly bright. After applying makeup, my eyes are bright and shining, like those in the sky Like stars. Not to mention the costumes, which are made with Guangzhou embroidery technology and are extremely exquisite. They are embroidered with all kinds of beautiful patterns and are dazzling. When the actors put on the costumes and stood on the stage, they were like. Just like a fairy descending to earth or a god descending, it can catch the audience\’s attention instantly.

The repertoire of Cantonese opera is also rich and colorful, such as \”The Emperor\’s Flower\”, \”The Story of the Purple Hairpin\”, \”A Dream in the Peony Pavilion\” and \”Twin Immortals at the Moon Worship Pavilion\”, they are all classics among classics, each one The plays are all moving Human stories and beautiful singing. Moreover, Cantonese opera has also produced a large number of powerful performing artists, such as Xue Juexian, Ma Shiteng, Hongxian Nu, etc. Their performances are so wonderful that people will never forget them after watching them.

Inheritance Dilemma: The Difficult Road to the Development of Cantonese Opera

However, Cantonese opera now also faces many problems. With the development of the times, more and more young people like pop culture and pay less and less attention to the traditional art of Cantonese opera. . Many Cantonese opera theater audiences are elderly, with few young faces.

Take the last Cantonese opera performance as an example. The theater was packed with people, most of whom were in their fifties or sixties. The proportion of old people to young people is less than one tenth. Moreover, the inheritance of Cantonese opera is also facing the problem of talent gap. There are fewer and fewer young people willing to learn Cantonese opera, and many Cantonese opera skills are in danger of being lost.

Why is this? On the one hand, the performance form and content of Cantonese opera are relatively traditional, which is suitable for young people who are looking for freshness and excitement. On the other hand, the promotion of Cantonese opera is not enough, and many young people do not understand the charm of Cantonese opera.

Saving Cantonese Opera: Our Shared Mission

My dear friends, Cantonese opera is the treasure of our Lingnan culture. We cannot let it disappear.

For Cantonese opera actors and creators, they should be bold and innovative. They can try to integrate modern stories and popular elements into Cantonese opera to make Cantonese opera more relevant to the lives of young people. For example, they can create some. Cantonese opera with the theme of modern urban love, or adding some popular elements such as hip-hop and rap into Cantonese opera performances, attracts the attention of young people.

For schools and parents, it is necessary to strengthen the education and guidance of Cantonese opera culture and set up Cantonese opera interest classes in schools. , let children be exposed to Cantonese opera from an early age and cultivate their interest in traditional culture. Parents can also take their children to watch more Cantonese opera performances to let them experience the charm of Cantonese opera firsthand.

For us ordinary viewers, we need to give more support and care to Cantonese operaNote. You can go to the theater more often to watch Cantonese opera performances and cheer for the Cantonese opera actors. You can also share highlights of Cantonese opera on social media to let more people know about Cantonese opera.

The editor has something to say

My dear friends, through this exploration, we discovered such a wonderful connection between Cantonese opera and Guangzhou mantra. This allows us to see how tenacious the vitality of traditional culture is. Even after so many years, it still leaves a deep mark on our lives. Cantonese opera is not just a kind of opera, it is the crystallization of the emotion and wisdom of the Cantonese people and the pride of our Lingnan culture.

We cannot let such a good cultural heritage disappear in our generation. Just like a relay race, we have to take over the baton of inheriting Cantonese opera and run the baton that belongs to us. Let us act together to appreciate Cantonese opera, understand Cantonese opera, and inherit Cantonese opera, so that this pearl of Lingnan culture can shine even more dazzlingly in the new era! Perhaps in the near future, we will see Cantonese opera once again full of vitality and become a trendy culture sought after by young people. What an exciting thing that will be!