GUNBAN FOLK SONGS AND LOCAL IDENTITY: VOCAL STYLES AS CULTURAL SYMBOLS IN COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE

Abstract

This study examines the three distinctive vocal styles of Gunban folk songs—Gaoqiang (high-pitched), Pingqiang (level-pitched), and Aiqiang (low-pitched)—as cultural symbols embedded in local identity and community governance. Drawing on literature review, field investigation, musical morphology analysis, and policy review, the research explores the stylistic characteristics, emotional functions, and socio-cultural significance of these vocal traditions. The findings reveal that Gaoqiang symbolizes collective vigor and resilience through soaring melodies and free rhythms, Pingqiang conveys ethical values and narrative subtlety within intimate performance settings, and Aiqiang anchors ritual continuity and communal memory through deep timbres and melancholic expression. Together, these styles constitute a holistic system of cultural expression that reinforces social cohesion, transmits moral norms, and consolidates local identity. The study further highlights the challenges of modernization, generational discontinuity, and media influence, while emphasizing strategies for safeguarding through education, innovation, and participatory governance. By situating Gunban folk songs within the frameworks of ethnomusicology, performance theory, and cultural governance, this research contributes to the understanding of how folk vocal traditions operate as both artistic heritage and governance resources, sustaining cultural resilience in contemporary contexts.