Preservation of Zhuang songs in the border area of Guangxi, China, through means of audiovisual recording and archiving

The study's primary objective is to contribute to the preservation of Zhuang songs actively and document the unique relationship between the community and these songs. The study also has the following research objectives: critically examining the context of Zhuang song singing practice, the sound elements, and how the singing samples are integrated into social functions. This approach is recognized as an effective method in archiving and compiling recorded song samples into a multi- perspective sound-bank categorized by region, song type, and dialect while integrating sound engineering tools for technical devices and establishing efficient workflows for its construction. This is achieved through a meticulously designed procedure that involves collecting and documenting Zhuang song audio recordings using multiple sound perspectives within their traditional acoustic environment. The resulting sound- banks serve as comprehensive repositories of Zhuang songs, catering to both local utilization and virtual settings such as museums and archives. Methodologically, this thesis focuses on audio field-recordings and the presentation of Zhuang songs, resulting in the creation of a sound-bank. The content of this sound- bank consists of vocal recordings of the singers, ambient sounds, and provides multiple perspectives of sound collections. Traditionally, Zhuang songs are sung by a man, woman, or group at a certain distance. However, the collection of Zhuang songs throughout this study, where each collection gathers three designated recording positions, takes this characteristic into account based on technical conditions and audio mapping research in the environment, contributing to the sound-bank collection. The study employs qualitative methods from ethnomusicology, sound archival sciences, research on the oral transmission of knowledge, and linguistic studies. By integrating these disciplines, the study comprehensively analyzes Zhuang songs, including their cultural significance and transmission within the community. The analysis findings prompt discussions on various aspects, such as contextual variations among Zhuang text dialects, tonal characteristics, lyrics, and the significance of redundant syllables. As a result, a sound-bank of Zhuang songs has been developed and established through multi-perspective sound collections and deposited at the Audiovisual Research Collection for Performing Arts (ARCPA) archive at the Music Department, Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia. This collection categorizes songs based on their regional origins and includes audio or video recordings, lyrics, dialect tones, and personal information about the singers. This undertaking has contributed to preserving Zhuang songs and their natural context instead of the collected sound that detaches from its actual context via the conventional studio recording approach. The study has also promoted discussions on the proper protection and research of Zhuang songs, emphasizing the importance of preserving both their cultural and linguistic aspects. Additionally, it has made the lyrics more accessible by helping people unfamiliar with the Zhuang dialect understand them through various transcription methods, such as the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), the Zhuang script, and English translation. By examining the evolution of songs and their lyrics, the research has moved its focus from static commercial culture to dynamic living environments. It provides listeners with a more engaging experience by employing multi-angle recordings, which capture acoustic intricacies and tonal changes that are frequently overlooked with conventional single-source audio.

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