Huozhe (pinyin: huǒ zhě) is a musical instrument of the Yi and Buyi ethnic groups. In Yi language, it is called fire. The Bouyei people call it the light. It is popular in Weining, Hezhang, Bijie, Shuicheng, Nayong, Qianxi, Panxian and other Yi areas in the northwest of Guizhou Province, and in Xingyi and Zhenfeng in the Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture of southwestern Guizhou.
The drum frame is made of walnut or sycamore wood slats. It is flat and round. The two ends are covered with untreated raw cowhide with hair. The edges of the skin are fixed with two rows of bamboo nails, and the bamboo nails are exposed 1.5 cm from the drum frame. The size of the drum varies. The larger drum has a diameter of 40 cm to 45 cm and a drum height of 20 cm. For the smaller drum, the diameter of the drum is 15 cm to 20 cm and the drum height is 10 cm. Drum rings are placed on both sides of the drum frame to tie the drum. rope. The drum is made of wood or rattan, the largest is 25 cm long, the small is 20 cm long, and the head is covered with cloth.
When playing, the drum rope is held in the left hand, the drum is placed in front of the chest, or the drum rope is tied around the waist. It is used in folk celebrations, weddings and funerals and other occasions, and firemen often form a small wind and percussion band with Yi wooden suona, gongs and other musical instruments to accompany the suona.
There are two kinds of music, Wenpai and Wupai (also known as Huapai). There are twelve tunes in Wenpai, and there are twelve songs in each key. The playing methods are different. Each tune starts from light to heavy, from haste to slow, and strikes dozens of times, and then strikes a bang to indicate the beginning of the music. No fixed tune and rhythm.