Differences in Singing Styles of “Guniang Song” in Different Spreading Areas of the Leizhou Peninsula
Guniang song is a representative of Lingnan rap art that was included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2021. It is performed in the Leizhou dialect and is widely spread in Leizhou, Suixi, Maziang, and Xunwen counties. It has a history of over 400 years of oral transmission. Previous studies have mostly focused on comprehensively exploring its musical form, historical origin, and cultural function, but have paid insufficient attention to the differences in regional singing styles within it. This paper is based on field recordings of 12 representative inheritors from three areas—inland Leizhou, coastal Suixi, and suburban Maziang—from 2025 to 2026. It compares the singing style differences of the Guniang song in different dissemination areas and analyzes the causes from aspects such as geographical environment, production methods, transmission venues, and dialect accents. The study finds that the inland style of Leizhou is high-pitched and simple, the coastal style of Suixi is gentle and lively, and the suburban style of Maziang is lively and easy-going. The three styles together form a diverse and symbiotic artistic pattern of the Guniang song, providing a reference basis for the systematic protection of intangible cultural heritage and the transformation of university vocal music teaching.
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