DU MINGXIN AND THE UTILIZATION OF MUSIC IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LI ETHNIC IDENTITY

Abstract

Du Mingxin is distinguished for his piano suite The Red Detachment of Women, which creatively integrates Hainan Li ethnic music to establish a strong cultural identity and national symbols. This study integrates theories of cultural memory and identity with musical analysis and historical contextualization to investigate Du Mingxin's creative activity. This study analyzes Du Mingxin's career and compositional philosophy, focusing on how his work, Red Detachment of Women, synthesizes Li ethnic elements with Western symphonic techniques to promote cross-cultural dialogue, while simultaneously preserving minority cultural memory and transforming it into a symbol of Chinese national consciousness. This study presents a framework for how modern music might bolster national identity through ethnic expression. It further advances the theoretical framework of ethnomusicology and provides insights into preserving China's cultural subjectivity among a more globalized musical landscape.

-