Nghe Tinh Vi and Dam folk songs: Raising the level of dissemination

(Baonghean) - On November 24, in Paris, the capital of the Republic of France, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO held its 9th session. At this session, the Nghe Tinh folk songs were officially considered for the honor of "Intangible Cultural Heritage" representing humanity. Looking back at the journey to UNESCO of this unique folk culture, we have the right to hope for the best results. And the songs from the fields and rivers of Nghe Tinh will soon have the opportunity to be known to the world and join hands to preserve them...

Singing Vi on Lam River. Photo: Sy Minh

Born on the land filled with affection for generations, Nghe Tinh Vi and Dam folk songs are the deep voice of the people here. Crystallized from the living habits in a land far from historical events and the confluence of external cultural streams, Nghe Tinh Vi and Dam folk songs have their own unique features that cannot be mixed. Moreover, this is also the land of many talented people and celebrities, and they directly participated in composing and performing, so Vi and Dam folk songs had periods of brilliant existence with lyrics rich in literary values. That created a lasting internal vitality for Vi and Dam folk songs.

Singing fabric guild

Vi Dam folk song performance at a festival

Not only the professional agencies but also the people in many localities in the province are very active in preserving and promoting the precious folk songs. In recent times, our province has been building and expanding the Nghe folk song club model, which is one of the effective ways to preserve Nghe - Tinh folk songs among the people. Those clubs have been nurtured by the burning passion of the honest working people. There, we meet old ladies and gentlemen with white hair who still teach their children and grandchildren the old songs day and night.

Although their voices are no longer clear and smooth, it is the elders who have passed on the folk song passion to today's youth. Mrs. Tran Thi Hoa (73 years old), a member of the Do Luong Town Folk Song Club, joined the club to satisfy her love for simple, soulful melodies since she was a girl. In the past, when her children were young, she often sang lullabies with the ferry songs and boat songs; she often used simple lyrics to teach her children and grandchildren. Or like the artist Nguyen Canh Binh in Nghi Hai Ward (Cua Lo Town), nearly 80 years old, still diligently rides his bicycle from village to village to ask for marriage, recording songs and folk songs... Up to now, he has composed dozens of songs and many folk songs, collected and set to music nearly ten folk songs and folk songs of fishermen in the coastal areas of Cua Hoi, Cua Lo, such as: Ho Xon Noc, Ho Lang Moc, Hat Ba Doi...

Nghe Tinh Vi and Dam Folk Song Singing Contest

In addition to the effective support from the staged form, in recent years, Nghe - Tinh folk songs have also been given more vitality through the activities of teaching folk songs on television and in schools. That is also one of the ways for folk songs to truly live in life, become flesh and blood, become spiritual food, become a means of expressing the thoughts and feelings of people today.

Since 1985, Nghe An College of Culture and Arts has initiated the compilation of teaching materials for Nghe Tinh folk songs and some folk melodies from other regions. Folk songs were included in the vocal music department and became a compulsory subject, every student graduating from school knew how to sing folk songs. In 1996, Nghe An Radio and Television Station coordinated with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to open the "Teaching Folk Songs" column on monthly radio and television. In 1999, the Department of Education and Training and the Provincial Radio and Television Station coordinated to issue Joint Document No. 137/CV-LT on organizing the folk song singing movement in schools. The folk song singing movement in schools from primary, secondary, high schools, including universities, colleges, and vocational high schools in the whole province developed vigorously. Many artistic talents were discovered thanks to the folk song singing movement. Nguyen Quoc Bao, a 6C student at Lang Sen Secondary School - Kim Lien (Nam Dan), who won the "Best Young Folk Artist" award in the "First Nghe An Folk Song Club Festival" in 2012, said: "I can sing folk songs, know many melodies and genres thanks to my mother. My mother is a folk song teacher at school, she passed on to me her passion and intense love for folk songs. My mother taught me how to be a good person through folk songs, expressed her love and care through lullabies... Just like that, folk songs naturally permeated me."

In particular, in October 2014, the first Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam Folk Song Contest for secondary school students took place, attracting more than 53 entries from students from schools in 16 districts, cities and towns in the province. Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai Lan - music teacher at Lang Sen Secondary School - Kim Lien (Nam Dan) said: The contest is a specific activity, having a direct impact on the cultural and spiritual life of the youth. It is an effective way to preserve and promote Vi and Giam folk songs, with high educational value and practicality for the youth, especially students in school. It is a way for us to join hands to preserve and promote the invaluable values ​​that our ancestors left behind.

In order to preserve and promote the value of the heritage of Nghe An folk songs, recently, our province has directed relevant departments and branches, directly the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to actively participate. Specifically: Since 1976, we have organized a scientific workshop on the orientation of musical experimentation of folk music theater in the direction of traditional national drama. Then, in 1984, the second scientific workshop on Nghe An folk songs was organized, determining the development direction for Nghe An folk drama. In 1987, the third workshop continued the research work to orient the development of folk songs as a drama genre. In 2002, the Scientific Workshop on 30 Years of Staged Folk Songs of Nghe Tinh was organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in coordination with the Institute of Theater as an opportunity to summarize the process of research and experimentation in staged folk songs, to propose solutions to continue to develop the staged folk songs - to build a new staged folk song with the identity of Nghe An. And in 2011, the Scientific Workshop on Preserving and Promoting the Values ​​of Folk Songs, Vi, and Giam of Nghe An took place in Vinh City, to affirm the main and basic features of Folk Songs, Vi, and Giam and Ho of Nghe An to clearly see the good values ​​- to propose UNESCO to honor Folk Songs, Vi, and Giam of Nghe An as intangible cultural heritage of humanity in need of urgent protection. In parallel with the organization of workshops since 2012, the province organizes the Folk Songs, Vi, and Giam Festival of Nghe An. Once a year, the festival takes place in May - to celebrate the birthday of President Ho Chi Minh in conjunction with the Sen Village Festival. This is one of the festivals that attracts many folk song clubs in the province to participate with a large number of performers and increasingly diverse and rich quality of works.

To maintain and further promote the effectiveness of folk song clubs, vi, dam, in 2006, the People's Committee of Nam Dan district issued the Project "Preserving and promoting vi phuong vai singing in Nghe Tinh folk songs" with specific mechanisms and policies such as collecting, teaching, and establishing clubs in localities. Encouraging, motivating, and supporting part of the socialized funding for the clubs' activities. For example, Dien Chau district has an initial support mechanism for folk song clubs. After establishment, the district will invest 3 million VND to buy musical instruments and performance costumes. At the same time, training classes are held annually for members and club leaders. In the coming time, the Cultural Center will continue to advise the People's Committee of the district to establish more clubs at the grassroots level and have appropriate mechanisms and policies for these clubs to maintain their activities and develop.

Some opinions on the work of preserving and promoting folk heritage of Nghe An:

People's Artist Hong Luu - who has a passion for folk songs and became famous from folk songs, affirmed: In recent years, Nghe Tinh folk songs have been truly accepted by the people. And now, Nghe Tinh folk songs have been and are having a strong vitality in the community, truly becoming an indispensable spiritual food for many classes of people. If UNESCO honors Nghe Tinh folk songs, vi, dam as intangible cultural heritage of humanity, folk songs will develop sustainably in the hearts of the people, creating a strong spread...

Thanh Thuy