Folk songs in Thach Son

(Baonghean) - Visiting Anh Son today, one can not only clearly feel the changes in the homeland beneath the majestic Kim Nhan peak but also immerse oneself in the smooth and profound melodies of the Vi and Giam folk songs performed by the folk song clubs. Among them, Thach Son commune is a prime example in the district's movement to develop Vi and Giam folk songs.

In Anh Son district, there are currently two folk song clubs ranked at the provincial level and six newly established clubs. Among them, the most active, vibrant, and high-quality is the Thach Son Commune Folk Song Club. Originally a mobile information team of the commune, it was established to participate in the creation of cultural and artistic programs and performances to serve the local political agenda; and to serve the people in the area and some neighboring regions. Gradually, the club became a familiar place, a regular cultural and artistic gathering point for the people of the commune in particular and neighboring communes of Anh Son district in general. In 2010, when the province implemented the policy of establishing folk song clubs in districts to promote the folk song movement, the Thach Son Commune Folk Song Club was officially established.

A performance by the Folk Song Club of Thach Son commune.

We arrived in Thach Son commune amidst the scorching hot, dry winds of Laos. What unfolded before us was a picturesque landscape, with rolling hills interspersed with fertile alluvial plains along the banks of the Lam River, stretching endlessly in the green of rice, corn, potatoes, and cassava. This poetic scenery has, in part, fostered a romantic and artistic spirit in the local people, inspiring them to weave melodious and heartfelt folk songs. Upon reaching the commune's entrance, the loudspeakers blared folk songs; the more we listened, the clearer we recognized the sounds of the compositions written by the authors of the Self-Composition Club.

On a mat spread out in the middle of the house, the club's chairman, Nguyen Quang Thong, and the members were enthusiastically singing the song "The Sparkling Soul of Nghe An Homeland." In conversation with us, Mr. Nguyen Van Vinh, currently the Vice Chairman of the Thach Son Commune People's Committee and also a member and renowned flutist of the club, shared: "In the beginning, when the club was first established, it only had 11 members, mostly middle-aged and elderly people. They came together because of their deep love for the folk songs of their homeland. The early days of building the folk song movement were very difficult because the spread of Nghe Tinh folk songs in people's lives wasn't as strong as it is now, there weren't many new lyrics, and people weren't really interested. Despite this, with a love for arts and culture, a love for folk songs, and based on the spirit of voluntarism (self-composition and self-funding), the club gradually overcame difficulties and grew."

To date, the club has 27 members, with the age group getting younger and younger. The youngest is Le Na, from Song Thuong, who is 11 or 12 years old this year. The oldest is nearly 80. However, age has never been a barrier within the club; everyone gathers together in one place, some playing instruments, some singing, some composing new lyrics... All for the goal of spreading the movement. Not only serving the local people, the club also participates in competitions and performances organized by the district and province. From 2011 to the present, the club has participated in the Nghe Tinh Folk Song Festival and has won many awards and certificates of merit; gaining recognition from other clubs in districts, cities, and towns, as well as from the general public inside and outside the province.

In particular, performances such as "The Village Festival; Girls of Lang Khoai Village, Boys of Yen Phuc; Towards the Sea and Islands; Harmonious Marriage; Donating Land to Build Houses..." have become the club's signature, deeply ingrained in the hearts of the public both within and outside the province. Mr. Nguyen Quang Thong, the club's chairman, shared that in Thach Son, every household is eager to sing folk songs, and every hamlet wants to establish a club. Not only has the number of participants increased, but artisans in Thach Son, like Mr. Thong, have independently funded and collected ancient folk songs. They even traveled to districts like Thanh Chuong and Nam Dan to learn about the folk singing movement and how to establish clubs, subsequently developing the movement in their locality.

Speaking about his experience in building the club, teacher Le Khac Hieu from Anh Son Town Secondary School, who is also a key member of the Thach Son Folk Song Club, said: "The most important thing is that the members must have passion and dedication, and be willing to 'eat at home and carry the village's burden,' all for the goal of making the folk songs and melodies spread far and wide."

Leaving the Thach Son Commune Folk Song Club, we were deeply impressed by the people's love for folk music and hoped that the authorities would soon implement mechanisms and policies to support the activities of folk song clubs. And, if such a folk song movement existed everywhere in Nghe An province, this intangible cultural heritage, representing humanity, would surely be passed down through generations.

Trinh Van Phu

(Center for Preservation and Promotion of Nghe An Folk Song Heritage)