Yang Xiaohua led the students to rehearse the Northeast drum "Praise of the Winter Olympics"

The Northeast Drum is a form of quyi drum book and drum music that is widely popular in the three northeastern provinces of my country. The Northeast Drum of Qitai River is gradually formed on the basis of inheriting the Drums of the School, combined with the minor tunes and backing tunes of local folk songs. In order to pass on this form of drum music that is loved by the masses and never gets tired of hearing it, Yang Xiaohua, the provincial inheritor of the Northeast Drum of Qitai River, has been active on the road of non-genetic inheritance for many years.

Young Hsiao-hwa on stage to perform the Northeast Drum

"Going to the top of the Winter Olympics is all made of sweat and blood. Seven gold medals are proud of the world, and women are all heroes for the country..." Walking into Yang Xiaohua's studio, she was stepping up the rehearsal of the Northeast drum "Praise for the Winter Olympics" with the students. From singing to eyes, to gestures, they practiced repeatedly, and their sonorous and loud voices made people passionate. "In the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Qitaihe athlete Fan Kexin won the first gold medal for the Chinese team. As a Qitaihe person, I am very proud and proud. I hope to sing and praise Qitaihe through the art form of the Northeast Drum. The coaches and athletes who have contributed to Taihe sports." Yang Xiaohua said.

Yang Xiaohua is a member of China Quyi Artists Association and a director of Heilongjiang Quyi Artists Association. She was born in a family of Northeastern drums in Boli County. Her great-grandfather La Sihu, grandfather La Sihu, and father La Sanxian were all accompanists of Northeast drums. Father Yang Xiu is well-known for playing and singing drum books, and won the first prize of Sanxian in the artist competition of the three northeastern provinces. She admired her father very much. She learned the northeast drum from her father since she was a child, and performed on the stage at the age of 12. In 2007, he studied with Xia Xiaohua, a famous northeastern drum performer in my country.

Thanks to Yang Xiaohua's efforts, Qitaihe Northeast Drum was listed as the third batch of provincial intangible cultural heritage list by Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Culture in 2011, and she herself was awarded the "third batch of provincial intangible cultural heritage" by Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Culture in 2012 The representative inheritor of the heritage”. Since then, she has officially embarked on the road of intangible inheritance of drums in the northeast of Qitaihe. "Although I encountered many difficulties such as funds, venues, and lack of accompanists on the way of inheritance, I persevered. I hope to train more and better students and pass on the artistic essence of the older generation." Yang Xiaohua said.

Since 2013, Yang Xiaohua has recruited more than 600 Northeast drum students, of which more than 20 can perform independently. Zhang Dan, a student of Northeast Drum, said: "I have been studying Northeast Drum with Teacher Yang Xiaohua for four or five years. I feel that my artistic performance has improved a lot, and it has also enriched my spare time." Zhang Dan hopes to follow Yang Xiaohua better in the future. The teacher continues to learn and contributes to the inheritance of the Northeast Drum of Qitai River.

Yang Xiaohua has won many awards in national, provincial and municipal competitions. The Northeast drum aria "Amazing, My Country" created by her in 2020 was selected into the "Three-Year Action Plan for the Creation and Production of Excellent Literary and Artistic Works in the Province (2020-2022)". The anti-epidemic work "United Willings to Fight the Epidemic" won the second prize of the province's outstanding anti-epidemic works. Now 59-year-old Yang Xiaohua is still inspirational, making the Northeast Drum popularized, inherited and carried forward.

life is long so add oil. Yang Xiaohua said that as a representative inheritor of the provincial intangible cultural heritage, she has the responsibility and obligation to create more excellent folk art works, lead everyone to perform more and promote more, so that more people understand and like the Northeast Drum, and attract more people. Many people joined in learning and inheriting the Qitaihe Northeast drum business.