Lu'an Drum Song is a traditional form of singing and recital with drum accompaniment in North China. It is endowed with distinct regional features. Known as "Lu'an Hackneyed Tune", "Ganban Tone" and "Lu'an Gushu (recital with drum accompaniment)", it is named after the ancient Lu'an Prefecture (the present Changzhi in Shanxi Province) where it was prevailing.
Early in the 3rd year of the Qianlong Period of the Qing Dynasty, some famous Gushu artists in Shangdang region (i.e. Lu Zhanyuan and Dong Xiangwu) called on over 100 artists in eight counties in Lu'an Prefecture to establish a "Blindmen's Team". As a performing troupe consisting of Gushu artists, "Blindmen's Team" was developed into an organization named "Sanhuanghui". Accordingly, it is commonly deemed that Lu'an Drum Song had been formed by the middle period of the Qing Dynasty at the latest. Most of Gushu artists were blind men at the initial stage. Some artists with normal eyesight joined the group afterwards. It was in the 1950s that female Gushu artists appeared.
Performance of traditional Lu'an Drum Song was finished by several performers who held hand clappers, Sanxian (3-string Chinese guitar played with a plectrum), urheen (two-string Chinese fiddle), dihu (low pitched two-stringed fiddle) and other musical instruments, singing and reciting in a circle. Once ascending the stage, one performer would start with singing and recital when beating clappers in a standing gesture; others would make accompaniment with Sanxian, urheen, etc. The aria is of variational soundboard style, featuring abundant melodies, beautiful rhythm and intense rural flavors. With its aria belonging to variational soundboard style, Lu'an Drum Song was sung with flowing soundboard only at early stage. Afterwards, Yu Shutian and other blind artists learned from arias of Xiangyuan Gushu, Wuxiang Qinshu (storytelling with musical accompaniment) as well as such operas as Shangdang Luozi and Shangdang Bangzi. They made constant efforts to enrich aria of Lu'an Drum Song and created such soundboards as Flower Soundboard, Sorrow Soundboard, Buttress Soundboard as well as Qi, Song, Zhuan and other transitional soundboards. In the performance, the meter is created by Shugu Drum and clappers; urheen, low pitched two-stringed fiddle and other musical instruments are used to play accompaniment. Such performance is usually finished by six or seven performers who play musical instruments or sing in solo or unison in a sitting gesture, presenting jolly atmosphere. Traditional repertoires of Lu'an Drum Song include Attacking Dengzhou, Capturing Mengzhou, King Yan Sweeping across the North, Qiao Lianzhu, Predestined Relationship, Clumsy Wife, and so on.
