TY  - JOUR
AU  - Jiarui Hu
PY  - 2026
CY  - Berlin, Germany
PB  - Peter Lang Verlag
JF  - Asian Musicology
IS  - 1
VL  - 35
SN  - 2832-1197
TI  - The Songs of Cicadas: The Dong People’s Diverse Imaginaries of Cicadas in Dong Music
DO  - 10.3726/JAM351_93
UR  - https://www.peterlang.com/document/1776229
N2  - This paper dissects the Dong people’s diverse imaginaries of cicadas in Dong music and seeks to show how the sonic features of cicadas help construct the Dong people’s ecological consciousness and mediate their own personal sentiments. The analysis draws on one-on-one interviews with Dong-ethnic interlocutors from various professions and age groups, complemented by ethnographic observations during field trips to the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture of Guizhou, China. In this paper, I analyze various ways in which cicadas are imitated and contextualized in the Dong songs with musical analysis and stories of creations. Then, I elaborate on the Dong people’s diverse imaginaries of cicadas in their music. Lastly, I extend on how the songs of cicadas elucidate the preservation endeavors of the Dong singing tradition. Based on my findings, I argue that cicadas are imagined by the Dong people through three pathways, i.e., agricultural indication, ecological connection, and emotional expression, which altogether demonstrate how they actively navigate and maintain the oneness of their ecology. Cicadas, on the other hand, provide knowledge that is significant to Dong lives and imaginaries, which in turn adds a unique color to the songs, embellishing the cicadas’ significance. 
KW  - Dong people, cicadas, animism, nature imitation, indigenous music, musical metaphors, Guizhou
ER  -