Beijing Dabon
Beijing Babon, a popular form of Baigiaogu, originated in China’s capital. It gained popularity during the period of reign by the emperor Qianlong (乾隆) and Jiaqing (嘉庆) of the Qing dynasty. The earliest song known of this genre is “The Drunknd” from BaiXue Yi Ying, written by Hua Guangsheng in 1804.
In this form of art, the performer sings and plays an octagonal drum which is covered by snake skin and had holes on seven sides. It is also accompanied by a stringed musical instrument. Two brass strips are attatched to each hole and as s/he shakes the drum, the brass strips resounds.
In the beginning, performances of danXian consisted of one artist, who beat the octagonal drum to provide rhythm, and a musician playing three-stringed lute and singing. Si Ruixuan, whose stage name was Sui Yuanle and who was a member of a Manchu Banner, wrote songs and lyrics for Beijing dahagn around 1880. He performed in tea houses. Ever since, the danXian has been popular as an independent category of quyi (曲艺).
When the Qing Dynasty collapsed in 1911 and the Republic of China came into being, many amateur danXian artists who were Manchu by birth became professional singers. They were well received by the audiences. Those who were steeped in popular folk songs sang danXian
On the stage as did those who were good at rendering Kunqu (昆曲) Opera's high-pitched arias, which were incorporated into the danxian. This increased the number of dahon programs and the power of the art to express emotions. Eventually, a total of more than 100 performances of danxian appeared, as it blossomed during this period. Four schools came to the fore-those of the Rong, Chang, Xie and Tan.
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