Literature and History | Wang Xiangrong: Leave the purest folk songs of northern Shaanxi

Wang Xiangrong has always been humble enough to learn from folk artists. After many years, when he recalled the scene of learning art with Teacher Sun Bin, he said: "Their old two families have never covered two quilts in their lives. Words that my master couldn't remember she remembered. She said, well, that's not the word. She also handed me a message to my master. On the third day of the master's death, the master's wife also left. When buried, the two people were buried together. ”

Wang Xiangrong, the "King of Song in Northern Shaanxi", contains two meanings: one refers to his place of origin; the other refers to his achievements in the artistic field of folk songs in northern Shaanxi. In fact, wang Xiangrong's influence and reputation from the art for decades have long exceeded the limitations of this region in northern Shaanxi, and he is also known as the "King of Western Singers" in many authoritative media. In 2008, Wang Xiangrong was announced by the Ministry of Culture as the representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage of northern Shaanxi folk songs.

The folk songs sung by Wang Xiangrong are all old songs, and some can even be said to be very old songs. The reason why these songs can still conquer the audience living in modern times after Wang Xiangrong's singing is first of all because these folk songs have the power to travel through time and space and directly hit the depths of human nature; secondly, the unique personality expression of his genius. People who are really engaged in art have a desire for the freedom of artistic creation, and the Xintianyou in the folk songs of northern Shaanxi actually contains an artistic spirit of free creation that contains singing as much as you want and singing as you want. Wang Xiangrong is a singer who grew up under the nourishment of folk art, he was inspired by the artistic spirit of free creation contained in the folk songs of northern Shaanxi, and in the long-term artistic practice, he gradually formed his own unique personality singing style that is not only enthusiastic, high-pitched and bright, but also melodious and round, deep and majestic.

His mother was his best teacher

Around 1991, the broadcast of the TV documentary "Looking at the Great Wall" made Wang Xiangrong, who has become a professional singer of the Yulin Folk Art Troupe, have a greater reputation. The documentary consists of four episodes, of which "Both Sides of the Great Wall Are Hometowns" revolves around Wang Xiangrong's story. In 1952, Wang Xiangrong was born in a small village called Ma Ruze in Fugu County, Yulin City. Standing on the hill outside the village and looking north, you can see the Great Wall winding on the ridge. Wang Xiangrong's mother's mother's home was just north of the Great Wall and belonged to the "outside of the mouth"; and his father, a strong and taciturn Man of northern Shaanxi, in order to support his family, once went to the "outside the mouth" for many years to work and do business in inner Mongolia, which was sparsely populated. When Wang Xiangrong was twelve or thirteen years old, his father died due to overwork and lack of medical treatment, and the burden of raising Wang Xiangrong fell on his mother's thin shoulders.

In the documentary "Looking at the Great Wall", we truly capture the touching image of Wang Xiangrong's mother. This is a small, small, faltering old man, but also a cheerful, strong, and loving mother.

Wang Xiangrong

In an article titled "Wang Xiangrong's Song", the writer Mudi has a vivid and touching introduction to Wang Xiangrong's mother: "People who have watched the documentary TV film "Looking at the Great Wall" cannot forget that scene: in a hole in an old earthen cave on the desolate and bare Loess Mountain, an old woman of seventy or eighty years old walked out. She stood in the courtyard, that skin color and that look, so that you immediately felt that she was like a loess lump. As the camera goes on, when you see that she can also sing and have a tone; she will also pinch the face people, and also give a few face people to the interviewer, asking them to carry to their sons... At this point, you can't help but get your eyes moist. She is Wang Xiangrong's mother. Wang Xiangrong was born in such a place by such a lovely and lovely 'loess lump'. This place, like many other places in northern Shaanxi, has been singing folk songs since ancient times. ”

The mother, who has never stepped out of the yellow land in her life, is kind, industrious and frugal, but she suffers from a poor life. This not only affected Wang Xiangrong's character in dealing with the world, but also made him have a strong desire to change his destiny from an early age. At the same time, the singing mother also became an important enlightener for Wang Xiangrong to embark on the road of art. After Wang Xiangrong became famous, he repeatedly talked about his mother's credit. He said, "My mom is my best teacher. ”

Wang Xiangrong's older brother Wang Shangrong recalled: "When my brother was five or six years old, sitting in his mother's arms, he could sing a series of folk songs with his mother, such as "Playing Ma Ruru", "Ten Pairs of Flowers", "Swinging Three Pendulums", "Planting Cabbage", "Women Turning Over", "Banning Foreign Smoke" and so on. At the age of seven or eight, the younger brother followed his father to herd sheep, and after going up the mountain, he could not leave the song, such as "Five Brothers Herding Sheep", "Walking west mouth", "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai" and so on. ”

Once, when Wang Xiangrong was interviewed by this author, he habitually sat cross-legged on a bed in a hotel, smoking a cigarette and telling stories about his mother. Later, as if tired, he leaned over the bed and began to sing softly the nursery rhymes that his mother had taught him:

Geese, geese, swinging,

Red shirt with purple button buttons;

I'm picking beans on the eaves of your house,

Picked up a bowl of two-sleeve sleeved sleeves.

Oh well, sleep,

Cats snooze

Dogs burn fire,

Chicken nests,

Pinched two lumps of sugar nests,

I'm so angry that I don't eat,

Skimming on the lid of that pot...

Wang Xiangrong's song flowing from the bottom of his heart is soothing and gentle, with a refreshing power. What did he capture in the depths of his memory? This is not just a song, but a kind of warmth, but also a kind of nostalgia. I felt as if it wasn't him singing, but that he was snuggling up in his mother's warm arms again, listening to her chanting. He paused for a moment and said, "My mother sings a lot of nursery rhymes, and I remember only singing a few of them regularly." ”

Learn from the people

After his father's death, and when the "martial struggle" began in the "Cultural Revolution", Wang Xiangrong could not continue to complete his studies, so he had to bid farewell to his study life at Fugu Middle School and return home. From 1969 to 1975, he worked as a private teacher, between five or six rural schools, earning 60 yuan a year.

Although the income of a teacher is not high, in the practice of work, Wang Xiangrong's cultural literacy has been improved, and he can also get rid of heavy physical labor and have more time to learn folk songs.

Wang Xiangrong comes from the folk and is happy to approach folk art and those folk artists who know their fate and make fun in their sufferings. He saw in folk artists the magic and power of art—a man whose face may be full of bitterness, and the look of joy in his performance is a temptation. There is also a local performance known as the "meditation cavity". This is a kind of cultural performance that entertains the masses during the New Year's Festival, and can be seen in almost every village. With some famous artists, you can also go to the village to perform and get income. Wang Xiangrong loves this kind of homegrown "meditation cavity" performance. Wherever there is a temple fair, he will go wherever he goes, focusing on the pursuit of folk art and folk artists.

At that time, the most well-known folk artist in the tens of miles was Sun Bin. Sun Bin lives in a village called Wen Zhuangze in Fugu County, more than 20 miles from Maruze. In the winter of 1972, the 20-year-old Wang Xiangrong decided to learn art from his teacher. He carried cigarettes and alcohol to visit Sun Bin. At that time, Sun Bin was 80 years old. He was not tall, thin-looking, had a white beard, and his spirit was still strong. His wife was the same age as him and was also healthy.

Elder Sun Bin was very happy with Wang Xiangrong's visit, and immediately agreed to Wang Xiangrong's request to learn art from his teacher. Sun Bin and his wife live in a large earthen cave, and the kang is also large. Wang Xiangrong lived in the old man's home, got along with the old man day and night, and immersed himself in learning art. It was cold outside, but the kang in the kiln was burning very hot, and the old man was performing on the stage-like kang. With a master, it is like having another home. After paying homage to the teacher, for several years in a row, Wang Xiangrong had to go to Sun Bin's old man's house for a few days. After a period of study, Wang Xiangrong has been able to perform with the elderly. Although the actors are all on the kang, the performance is very serious and meticulous, and the only audience on the scene is the teacher.

The program that Wang Xiangrong and His Master are most happy to sing is the opera "Nail Jar", which is popular with the local people. Each of them sang a beautiful sentence:

An egg with two ends of light,

One mother gave birth to three langs.

The eldest brother learned a blacksmith,

The second brother learned to build a wooden house,

I gave birth to my third brother when I was young,

Learn to nail the jar since toddler.

I won't talk about other work,

Take a burden and go around.

Walking to see with your eyes,

I didn't realize that I came to Wangjiazhuang.

The burden is placed on the slippery ground,

Shout a nail plate nail bowl and nail cylinder...

Here in Sun Bin, Wang Xiangrong learned dozens of two-person platform and traditional northern Shaanxi folk songs such as "Playing Cherry", "Playing Son-in-Law", "Eating Jealousy", "Listening to the Room", "Fan Record", "Soft Cake Noodles", "Walking West Mouth", "Pearl Rolling Curtain" and so on. Wang Xiangrong has always been humble to learn from folk artists, but this is the first and only time to formally visit the teacher. He sincerely admired Master Sun Bin's character and art. After many years, when he recalled the scene of learning art in those years and the feelings of the master and the master's mother, he said: "Their old two families have never covered two quilts in their lives. Words that my master couldn't remember she remembered. She said, well, that's not the word. She also handed me a message to my master. On the third day of the master's death, the master's wife also left. When buried, the two people were buried together. ”

Towards success

In the rich folk art environment, Wang Xiangrong accumulated a lot of money and finally ushered in the opportunity to emerge in 1977. This year, he held a literary and art performance in Xinmin Township, where he volunteered, performed on stage, sang a song, and the high-pitched and loud singing voice was transmitted to Maruze Village 10 miles away through the loudspeaker. The audience under the stage was even more boiling. Immediately after, he performed in Fugu County, which was also a blockbuster.

In the winter of 1978, in order to participate in the Yulin District Literary and Art Show, Wang Xiangrong and the actors of the Fugu County Representative Team had to rehearse intensively every day. Wang Xiangrong's partner, Yang Yu'e, was originally a female militia captain with a hot personality, and Wang Xiangrong was always tied hands and feet in front of her. The young girl was dissatisfied with this and accused: "You are so twisted and pinched that you don't even dare to shake your hands, how can you practice well?" People often act, and this situation is more common. You simply don't go to rehearsals and go home. The girl's quick words and quick words were like a daigo empowerment, which made Wang Xiangrong, an amateur actor, have a new understanding of the difference between stage performance and life. After the rehearsal, Wang Xiangrong confidently participated in the Yulin Regional Literary and Art Show, and his singing of "Five Brothers Herding Sheep" won the first prize. In 1980, he represented Shaanxi Province to Beijing to participate in the national peasant literary and artistic performance, and sang "Brothers and Sisters Rushing to the Gathering" which was highly praised by the audience and experts in the capital.

Wang Xiangrong has been brilliant on the art stage and has become one of the most outstanding representatives of singing folk songs in northern Shaanxi. In 1984, when the Yulin Folk Art Troupe was founded, Wang Xiangrong was appreciated by Shang Airen, then director of the Yulin Regional Bureau of Culture, who was a "Bole", and was recruited into the art troupe as a professional singer. According to Shang Airen, "There was an argument at the meeting. Zhang Youwan, Li Zengheng, and Wang Xiangrong are all overage, and whether to recruit them into the art troupe or not, age has become a threshold in front of them. I insisted that if these three people did not come in, the folk art troupe would not be formed. Without these three people, the essence would be gone. Shang Airen also wrote a group of praises for folk artists in northern Shaanxi. Among them, the smooth slip of praise for Wang Xiangrong is:

After stopping the sheep, King XiangRong,

Born with a good voice,

High-pitched and rounded words really,

Fugu sang to Yulin City,

Xi'an sings red into Beijing,

Shoot the movie on TV,

The sheep became a big celebrity.

After becoming a professional actor, Wang Xiangrong sang folk songs in northern Shaanxi more artistically, and his performance activities became more frequent. He has his vocals in many important performances across the country. He also brought northern Shaanxi folk songs to many countries in the world, allowing foreign friends to appreciate the artistic charm of northern Shaanxi folk songs. In 2006, China Records Corporation launched the album "Wang Xiangrong, the Song King of Northern Shaanxi". The recording of this album is a major breakthrough in the company's production concept for more than 50 years, and it can also be said to be a new record in the history of Chinese records. Folk music expert Qiao Jianzhong pointed out in the publication notes of this album: "None of the more than 30 folk songs in northern Shaanxi collected in this album are not learned by Wang Xiangrong from his predecessors for decades, but none of them are imitated unchanged. One word and one tone, one or another, all poured out the blood and sweat of his innovative spirit. ”

The charm of Wang Xiangrong's singing voice may be that every listener will have different understandings and feelings. But for Wang Xiangrong, he believes that the most important reason why his singing can touch the hearts of thousands of audiences is "to use affection." He often said: "When I sing, I want to sing with love, sing the joys and sorrows of the people, and sing the bittersweet and bittersweet of the people." ”

Leave behind the purest folk songs of northern Shaanxi

When talking about the issue of inheritance, Wang Xiangrong said: "We must leave the purest folk songs of northern Shaanxi. To this end, he made it his duty to train young singers. The conditions he put forward for accepting disciples were: First, we must love the folk songs of northern Shaanxi from the bottom of our hearts; second, we must have good talent; and third, we must have good character. These three seemingly unsurpassed requirements may be the most essential experience of Wang Xiangrong in the past few decades.

For this reason, he has been searching for decades, and he often says: I can't rot the songs I have learned all my life, but now that I have good talent, there are too few good seedlings who are willing to learn songs steadily. In November 2008, he recruited Feng Xiaohong and Li Chunru as apprentices for the first time, and soon accepted Zhou Jinping and Zhang Liaojun. After several years of assessment, on June 24, 2015, he once again recruited six singers from Wang Jianning, Gao Lin, Ding Huicheng, Su Wen, Liu Meiyu and Yan Jinyuan as apprentices, and held an apprenticeship ceremony in Xi'an.

At the ceremony, he said excitedly: "I love the folk songs of northern Shaanxi as much as I love my own life. I know the character and strengths of each apprentice. To be my apprentice is first of all good character, and secondly to be talented. The teacher's training he promulgated on the stage was: Be a good person, do a good job; sing a good song, sing well.

Subsequently, Shanxi singer Gao Guipeng also performed a worship service and became Teacher Wang's beloved disciple.

Now, Teacher Wang has passed the age of ear obedience, as long as there is no performance outside, he will teach his apprentices to sing at home. He said: "I don't seek fame or profit now. In my lifetime, it is my greatest mission to pass on the purest folk songs to them. I hope to form a team with my apprentices to jointly excavate, sort out and promote the folk songs of northern Shaanxi. As a national inheritor of this intangible cultural heritage project, I can't watch what my ancestors left behind be cut off in the hands of our generation. ”

Source: Magazine of All Walks of Life, Issue 4, 2021

Author: Ho wendo