Shanghai paper-cutting lyrics(上海花样经) is a Han rap art form. It is the formulas and lyrics that the local paper-cut artist sing when they walk along streets and lanes, whose features are cutting edge sing, sing at the same time cutting pattern by pattern-related. It is an important part of Shanghai culture.
The main expression of Shanghai paper-cutting lyrics is luck and blessings and the main libretto content is Han folk songs, ballads and jingles. The craftsmen sing a different paper-cutting lyrics and do a different pare-cutting depending on the season, needs and each person's age, identity and gender.
Shanghai people used to called paper-cutting as flower pattern, so paper-cutting lyrics is also known as flower pattern lyrics. In the past, most of the craftsmen who do the paper-cutting didn’t learn to read. So they only learn the paper-cutting lyrics by memory. They would also be invited to congregations and celebrations to do paper-cutting according to different demands while the lyrics should be showed in the paper-cutting. When the craftsman finished his song, the paper-cutting was done.
The representative of Shanghai paper-cutting lyrics is Zheng Shulin. He was born in 1960 and his stage name is Shi Hong. Zheng Shulin is a member of China National Arts and Crafts Society and Shanghai Paper-cutting association.
In 1980, Zheng Shulin learned from Chen Tingyu to learn Shanghai paper-cutting lyrics and once been given directions by the master of Shanghai paper-cutting lyrics—Lin Ximing. Zheng Shulin has gathered and cleared up the almost lost shoe pattern lyrics and mastered dozens of paper-cutting lyrics. Besides this, he increases the performance of the content of a new life, gives new vigor by Shanghai paper-cutting lyrics.
The paper-cutting lyrics inherit paper-cutting art and formulas of paper-cutting craftsmen through generations. The blessing words of paper-cutting lyrics concentrate essence of Chinese traditional culture of the Han. They are the story of inheritance patterns and the indispensable content of paper-cutting lyrics.
The form of singing and paper cutting reflects the traditional Chinese paper-cut artist living habits. Nowadays, less and less people can sing the paper-cutting lyrics and the form of singing and paper cutting fades away.
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