Preserving the "soul" of the Nghe An dialect on the theatrical stage.
On brightly lit stages, Nghe Tinh folk songs still resonate, sometimes deeply lyrical, other times lively and witty. But hidden behind each verse and melody is a silent struggle: Should the Nghe dialect—the language that nurtured these melodies—be preserved, or should it be "popularized" to suit audiences nationwide?
LanguageArt on the professional stage
Over more than 60 years, the Nghe Tinh folk theater has staged nearly 200 plays, bringing the folk songs of the Vi and Giam genres out of the rural working-class space and onto professional stages. Works such as:Mai Thúc Loan, The Girl of the Lam River, Phan Bội Châu...not only is it deeply imbued with folk music influences, but it also clearly preserves the distinctive Nghe An accent – the very essence that has created the unique identity of this region. However, in recent years, that accent seems to be gradually disappearing from the stage.
From typical Nghe An dialect phrases like "mo, te, rang, rua, cho, nac," the plays gradually transitioned to smooth, easy-to-understand standard Vietnamese. Except for a few excerpts performed locally, most plays participating in the national festival included:Power and crime, A storm brewing in the countryside....almost no trace of the dialect remains. The reason is easy to understand: audiences from other regions find it difficult to follow if they are not familiar with the Nghe An dialect. But the price to pay is the fading of identity - the very essence that makes up the soul of the Vi and Giam folk songs.
The Nghe An dialect is not just a language for communication. It is the "original material" that gave birth to folk songs, creating their unique rhythm, tempo, and nuances. In folk singing, characteristic repetitive structures such as..."Nothing is worse than this / Nothing is worse than this"or the charming wordplay in the folk singing style of the weaving guild."Because my older brother is foolish, he craves sour things..."They are all based on a rich local vocabulary. These layers of folk words are not the creation of individuals but are the crystallization of life, reflecting the soul and character of the people of Nghe An: simple, straightforward, honest, yet full of emotion.
Therefore, removing dialects from opera not only results in the loss of distinctive tones but also strips away the "Nghe An spirit" that permeates every song and every line of dialogue. Many researchers have recalled the story of Ho Chi Minh when he visited his hometown and heard the opera."My boat sails up the rapids and down the waterfalls / The land and water represent my love and affection, my dear."Correction: It should be sung as "nác" not "nước," and "ngãi" not "nghĩa" - because that's the correct Nghe An accent, the true spirit of Nghe An. Just one sound is enough to identify a cultural region, let alone an entire system of lyrics and melodies.
Balancing conservation and integration
Meritorious Artist Hong Duong - Head of the Research and Collection Department, Provincial Traditional Arts Center, believes that: For a Nghe Tinh folk opera to have a strong impact, it needs to maintain its unique identity, demonstrating the preservation and safeguarding of our ancestors' heritage. However, it is also necessary to find ways to dilute the dialect so that listeners throughout the South and North can more quickly and clearly appreciate the beauty and charm of Nghe Tinh folk songs on the opera stage.
According to Meritorious Artist Hong Duong, for audiences in both the North and the South, listening to the Nghe An dialect can sometimes be a challenge: they need time to get used to it, to "absorb" it, as it's difficult to fully understand it on the first try. Therefore, some directors have chosen to "dilute" the dialect, reducing the Nghe An character to increase its accessibility. However, this solution, if extreme, could cause Nghe An-Tinh opera to lose its uniqueness and become similar to other theatrical forms.
In reality, using dialect isn't necessarily a matter of "either/or." What's needed is restraint, selectivity, and proper placement at the right time. Performances can perfectly blend standard dialogue with dialect songs, and the strong Nghe An accent with the gentle standard accent, as long as the essence is preserved. The Nghe An dialect can be "slightly adjusted," like the Vinh accent today, which remains distinctive without being overly heavy. Some highly specific words can be changed to standard Vietnamese words, but it's still necessary to retain the "identifying signals" like "mô," "tê," "răng," "rứa," etc., so that listeners can still recognize the Nghe An character.
Furthermore, it is necessary to boldly explore the treasure trove of folk language – the idioms, proverbs, folk songs, riddles, and rhymes that have nurtured Nghe Tinh folk songs for generations. As Meritorious Artist Thanh Luu – former Director of the Center for Preserving Nghe Tinh Folk Song Heritage, now the Provincial Traditional Arts Center – stated: Incorporating allusions, irony, and humor into the dialogue will make the performance lively and relatable, avoiding a rigid, textbook feel. Along with that, connecting dialects with local cultural elements such as place names, traditional crafts, and specialty products will create the atmosphere of Nghe Tinh life on stage. This is the way to both preserve identity and create new appeal.
Especially in the context of digital technology and strong cultural exchange, folk opera theater needs to innovate in form while still preserving its essence. Modernization of sound, lighting, and staging techniques is possible, and contemporary issues such as education, the environment, and urbanization can be incorporated into the scripts. But no matter how much innovation there is, the Nghe An dialect should remain as a unifying thread, so that viewers, no matter where they are, can recognize, "Ah, this is Nghe An-Tinh opera."
Because, ultimately, the stage is not just for entertainment, but also a repository of a community's cultural memories. Every dialectal nuance that resonates on stage is not just dialogue or song, but the echo of generations of hardworking, resilient people from Nghe An province. Without that voice, folk opera would lose its soul, becoming nothing more than an empty shell.
For over six decades, Nghe Tinh folk songs have lived on and shone on stages throughout the country, not only thanks to their sweet melodies but also because of their authentic regional accent. Preserving the dialect in folk opera is therefore not just about preserving a layer of language, but about preserving the soul of Nghe An – so that each song and line of dialogue remains imbued with the spirit of the homeland and the human touch, lingering in the hearts of audiences today and in the future.
