THEORY AND PRACTICE OF INTEGRATING CHINESE FOLK SONGS AND JAZZ MUSIC: AN ANALYSIS BASED ON MUSICAL ONTOLOGY AND INTERCULTURAL PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Purpose: This study explores the possibilities and practical approaches for integrating Chinese traditional folk songs with jazz music. Under globalization, Chinese folk songs face challenges of inheritance and innovation, while jazz—an inclusive and improvisational global musical language—offers opportunities for modernization and international dissemination. Using jazz big-band arrangements, the study selects two representative folk songs, Jasmine Flower and A Little River Flows, analyzing the use of techniques such as reharmonization, rhythmic adaptation, modal interchange, and big-band orchestration to create new artistic repertoire.

Method: The study first reviews the historical development and artistic features of Chinese folk songs and jazz, establishing the historical necessity and cultural value of their integration. It then conducts comparative analysis of melody, harmony, and rhythm from a musical-ontological perspective. Based on these differences, it proposes technical strategies—modal grafting, rhythmic reconstruction, reharmonization, and jazz big-band orchestration—to transform contrasts into creative potential. This framework is tested through detailed arrangement analyses of the two selected folk songs.

Findings: Results show that such cross-cultural integration revitalizes traditional folk songs and enriches Chinese jazz with distinct national cultural characteristics. The practice enhances the international influence of Chinese music, offers diverse references for future preservation and development of folk songs, and expands the repertoire for the sinicization of jazz.

Conclusion: The study provides a systematic theoretical and practical roadmap for integrating Chinese folk songs with jazz, elevating the field from artistic experimentation to academic inquiry. Concert evaluations of the arranged works demonstrate that this integration strengthens cultural soft power, supports the national intangible cultural heritage strategy of “creative transformation and innovative development,” and brings new life to both traditions.