Enchanting Hani Polyphonic Singing Album Takes Listeners on A Transcendent Journey

Various Artists – Hani Polyphonic Singing in Yunnan China (Sublime Frequencies, 2023)

Hani Polyphonic Singing in Yunnan, China features various artists meticulously captured by the skilled ear of Laurent Jeanneau during his travels through Yunnan, China in 2011. The album is available as a single-LP.

Although the music is deeply rooted in tradition, the artists present a form of music that resembles avant-garde vocal fusion, seamlessly intertwined with enigmatic instrumental accompaniments.

The Hani people are part of the Yi branch of the Tibeto-Burmese linguistic tree. The population exceeds a million and a half in the southern reaches of Yunnan province, nestled above Laos and Vietnam. In these lands, smaller Hani communities also find their home.

Much like other ethnic groups in this region, the Hani people have preserved their unique traditional singing patterns, with each singer deftly adapting their words to the context of their songs. The choir, a convergence of these individual voices, has given birth to a truly distinctive form of vocal polyphony.

The rolling melodies and mournful undertones of this music possess a transcendental power that defies easy description.

Notably, the instruments used by the ensemble include the babi (single tree leaf); mepa (rolled up tree leaf in a shape of a horn or mirliton); chiwo (3-stringed bowed instrument); labi (6-holed bamboo flute); lahe (3-stringed small lute); and meba (vertical reed instrument).

Recorded by Laurent Jeanneau in 2011, this Limited-Edition vinyl LP includes a two-sided insert with photos, liner notes, and names of all the vocalists and accompanying musician. All tracks featuring singers and musicians from the Hani tribe in Yunnan, China.

1. Various Artists – Wu Chu Aci (Rice Transplanting Song)
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2. Various Artists – Azha Tse (Song To Gather Food For The Pigs)
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3. Various Artists – Tudza (Instrumental With Choir At The End)
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4. Various Artists – Sha Tsi Gu (Nostalgic Song About Getting Old)
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5. Various Artists – Bia Tsa Tsa (Song Of The Bee)
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6. Various Artists – Iyu Gu (Responding Courting Song In The Mountain)
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Buy Hani Polyphonic Singing in Yunnan, China.