A poignant moment from the televised program "The Two Banks of the Folk Song and Melody"
On the evening of November 27th, a televised program titled "The Two Shores of Ví and Giặm Folk Songs" was held in Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Ví and Giặm folk songs being inscribed by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Attending the program from the Ha Tinh side, representing the Central Government were: Phan Viet Luong – Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Education; and Ho An Phong – Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Delegates from Ha Tinh province included: Comrade Hoang Trung Dung – Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; Comrade Tran The Dung – Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; members of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairmen of the Provincial People's Committee, and representatives of leaders from various departments and agencies of the province.
At the Nghe An location, the following officials were present: Nguyen Duc Trung – Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Hoang Nghia Hieu – Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Major General Bui Quang Thanh – Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Provincial Police; Colonel Phan Dai Nghia – Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Commander of the Provincial Military Command; Nguyen Nhu Khoi – Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; and representatives of the provincial departments and agencies.
The program was attended by artisans, artists, representatives of folk song clubs from Ha Tinh province, and a large number of people from Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces.
The televised art program "The Two Banks of Ví and Giặm Folk Songs" is the opening activity of the "Returning to the Land of Ví and Giặm Folk Songs - Connecting the Quintessence of Heritage" Festival, organized by Ha Tinh province in coordination with Nghe An province.Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the recognition of Ví and Giặm folk songs by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.(November 27, 2014 - November 27, 2024).
The program includes diverse performances of folk songs and traditional melodies, imbued with deep lyricism, interspersed with short documentaries and on-stage interactions, and is divided into three parts:
Part 1 - "The Sediments of Nghe An" affirms that Nghe Tinh is a strategically important region, where cultural and historical sediments have accumulated over time. The source of the folk songs and chants is distilled from labor and production, from the struggle against nature and invaders, and from the love, intelligence, and talent of the people themselves. Folk songs and chants are unique because of their language and performance style; because the melodies are connected to the rhythm of life in this sun-drenched, rain-soaked but resilient countryside; simple yet subtle; unpretentious yet smooth; optimistic, poignant, yet deeply heartfelt...
Part 2 - "The Heritage Journey" emphasizes that, 10 years after being recognized by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the Ví and Giặm folk songs are increasingly demonstrating their vibrant vitality through the efforts of preservation and promotion by all levels, sectors, artisans, artists, and folk song clubs. Today, Ví and Giặm songs are not only sung in the fields, bamboo groves, and thatched roofs, floating over children's hammocks, but are also silently spreading through homes, passed down through generations. Ví and Giặm folk songs are present in many spaces, connecting with ecotourism, and continuously spreading their melodies further afield.
Part 3 – "Let the source flow forever" affirms that the folk songs and melodies of Nghe An are now not only invaluable spiritual products and ambassadors attracting tourism; they are also a unique cultural feature of Nghe An, but have also risen to become a masterpiece of humanity. Proud of the traditions of the Hong Lam region, connecting "the two banks of folk songs and melodies" today is another opportunity for the people of Nghe An to deeply appreciate the sentiments from ancient times, and to gain more motivation on their long and expansive journey in the future, in their journey of preserving this heritage.
