Enchanted by the folk song

(Baonghean) - “I’ve loved folk songs since I was a little boy, perched on the back of a buffalo following my mother to the fields…”, Mr. Nguyen Trong Dong affirmed when chatting with us in his small house in Hamlet 6, Thanh Tuong Commune, Thanh Chuong District. Now 84 years old, he always speaks with the same enthusiasm as he did in his youth whenever the topic of folk songs comes up.

Artisan Nguyen Trong Dong (on the left).

The village road leading to Mr. Nguyen Trong Dong's house, paved with smooth concrete, still retains the bamboo groves in front of the houses along the roadside. This further enhances the familiar and welcoming atmosphere of the countryside, even though many houses in the hamlet have been built in a modern style. Having made an appointment beforehand, when we entered his small house, Mr. Dong, neatly dressed, greeted us with a gentle smile and a warm handshake. Mr. Tran Duy Hung, Director of the Thanh Chuong District Cultural Center, who accompanied us, bowed respectfully to Mr. Dong: "Greetings, Chairman!", and then introduced: "For over 17 years, Mr. Dong has served as the Chairman of the Thanh Chuong District Folk Song Club. Despite his advanced age, he is always present at all club activities, diligently training over 30 members with unique folk songs, chants, and excerpts..."

Our conversation with Mr. Dong seemed to have overcome any distance, as the topic revolved around the folk songs of his homeland. Mr. Dong was very happy, especially since the folk songs of his homeland were recognized by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (November 27, 2014). He was happy not only because he himself had contributed for over 60 years to collecting, adapting, and practicing these songs for many generations, but more importantly, because the whole world had honored the culture of his "homeland." Mr. Dong said, "Folk songs of my homeland are my food, my water, my breath, which millions of people in Nghe An have preserved and promoted for so long..." Memories flooded back; he remembered all the long journeys, the "tired knees," to collect, promote, and teach folk songs to people. It was in 1954 that he left his village to study at the Inter-Regional Teacher Training School 4, then became a teacher and dedicated himself to the cultural sector, bringing the folk songs of Nghe An and Ha Tinh to the public. His performance "Forest and Sea, Deeply Affectionate" won first prize at the Nghe An Provincial Folk Art Festival in 1965, which inspired Nguyen Trong Dong to pursue folk singing. At that time, he changed careers from being a primary school principal to working at the District Cultural Department. From then on, he and many cultural officials worked tirelessly, bringing folk songs to people in all regions.

With his innate talent and powerful voice, Nguyen Trong Dong has instilled in the hearts of villagers sweet and profound folk melodies. In particular, he has composed and written hundreds of works and thousands of folk songs; many of which have won Gold Medals at provincial and national folk art festivals, such as: "The Pulling Force," "The First Harvest of Straw," "A Testimony," "The Spirit of Dien Bien," "Comradeship and Loyalty," "The Price Life Must Pay," "Love Songs of the Fields," etc. Most of his works have been staged, performed, and widely broadcast by Nghe An Radio and Television Station and the Voice of Vietnam Radio. He and his colleagues have traveled extensively throughout the countryside, collecting hundreds of ancient folk songs, documenting numerous materials on ca trù and hát xẩm (traditional Vietnamese singing), and compiling dozens of folk tales. From this ancient repertoire, he has written 18 ca trù songs with themes about the Party, President Ho Chi Minh, and the homeland and the country's renewal. During that process, he mentored many talented singers of Ca Tru and Vi Giam. Among those students, a prime example is People's Artist Hong Luu - Deputy Director of the Nghe An Folk Song Preservation Center.

Artisan Nguyen Trong Dong teaches folk singing to the performing arts group of Hamlet 6, Thanh Tuong Commune, Thanh Chuong District.

With his tireless contributions, Mr. Nguyen Trong Dong is one of 41 folk artisans recommended by the Provincial People's Committee for the title of "Outstanding Artisan" by the State. The recommendation document states: "For over 60 years, he has dedicated himself to preserving, practicing, and transmitting the Vi and Giam folk songs, achieving many outstanding accomplishments in the process of practicing and transmitting this heritage to many generations; he enjoys great trust and influence in the community; and possesses exceptional skills and secrets in practicing this heritage..." At 84 years old, Mr. Dong continues to work diligently as the Chairman of the Thanh Chuong District Folk Song Club, actively collaborating with the Thanh Chuong Education Department to introduce folk songs into schools. Notably, he continues to enthusiastically compose new lyrics, helping many localities and clubs to further spread folk songs in people's lives. The lyrics he wrote still retain a strong traditional feel but breathe new life: Oh... Let's learn from the knowledge of farmers/ The path to prosperity, the path forward/ For the future, the happiness of every family/ Let's sing in harmony/ For the countryside to become more and more modern/ Oh... science, agricultural extension, let's move forward together/ Building a beautiful and prosperous homeland...

Currently, he and the Party branch and the hamlet's leadership committee of Hamlet 6, Thanh Tuong Commune, regularly hold two weekly rehearsals for the hamlet's performing arts team with the short play "The Unsigned Petition," which he himself wrote and adapted. The play, which reflects on combating domestic violence, has been selected by Thanh Chuong District to participate in the provincial-level performance competition. Participating in the rehearsals, Mr. Nguyen The Hung, the Party branch secretary, happily stated: "Thanks to Mr. Dong's easy-to-understand teaching, the hamlet's members quickly grasped the techniques. The hamlet's performing arts team has won high awards in many competitions at the commune and district levels, all thanks to Mr. Dong's guidance. We are also seeking his support to establish a folk song club for the hamlet..."

Before bidding farewell to Artisan Nguyen Trong Dong, we discussed the need to revitalize and spread the Vi and Giam folk songs, especially after their recognition by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. He confidently replied: “I believe future generations can do it. Because in the past, I and many others would go out to sing for the people. Now, with progress and many supporting resources, we can even sing folk songs in foreign languages ​​for tourists. This requires the continuous creative activity of generations of people from Nghe An. Let's consider Vi and Giam folk songs as our food, our water, our breath...”

Nguyen Son