陕北民歌

陕北民歌是陕北地区的传统民歌，分为劳动号子、信天游、小调三类。劳动号子包括打夯歌、打硪歌、采石歌、吆牛歌、打场歌。信天游分为高腔和平腔。这些自成体裁又各具特点的传统民歌，都从各方面反映了社会生活，唱出了陕北人民的苦乐和爱憎，并且当社会制度根本改变的时候，民歌的内容和形式也随着发生变化。这种变化，反映在内容上表现了新的社会生活和新的人物形象，同时也使各种体裁具有了新的意义。

陕北民歌流传于榆林 延安的山坡、沟洼、田野、村落，是世世代代的陕北地方劳动人民“感于哀乐，缘事而发”，用拦羊嗓子回牛声吟哼吼喊出的山野之声、里巷之曲。陕北民歌的历史可追源到古代巫歌和祭祀秧歌调，并与古来有之的春节“闹红火”的习俗紧密关联，如绥德出土的汉代画像石中有乐舞百戏和秧歌的内容，可见当时陕北歌舞已经盛行，民歌必然随之滥觞。

2008年6月，陕西省榆林市、延安市申报的陕北民歌经国务院批准列入第二批国家级非物质文化遗产名录。

Northern Shaanxi Folk Songs

Northern Shaanxi folk songs are traditional folk songs popular in northern Shaanxi, which are divided into work songs, Xintianyou (a kind of Shaanxi local melody) and minor melodies. Work songs include rammers' work song, tampers' work song, quarrymen's work song, cowmen's work song and grain threshers' work song. Xintianyou is divided into high rhyme and flat rhyme. Such characteristic traditional folk songs reflect social activities from all sides, sing out Northern Shaanxi people's joy, sorrow, love and hate, and change along with social systems in contents and forms. Those changes in contents reflect in new social activities and new figures, which also give various forms new significance.

Northern Shaanxi folk songs are popular among hillsides, low-lying areas, fields and villages in Yulin and Yan'an, created by laboring people in northern Shaanxi from generation to generation according to their moods and relevant affairs in their daily life. Northern Shaanxi folk songs can date back to ancient songs of sacrifice and are closely related to "Red Lantern" customs during the Spring Festival. For example, those carved stones of the Han Dynasty discovered in Suide show dance with music, opera and yangko, from which we can guess how popular dance and music is in northern Shaanxi, so there must be many folk songs.

In June 2008, Northern Shaanxi folk songs jointly declared by Yulin and Yan'an were approved into the second batch of national intangible cultural heritages by the State Council.