The source of folk songs flows forever

(Baonghean) -Born in 1970 in Hung Tien, Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district, she has been passionate about folk songs and singing of the Nam Dan fabric ward since childhood. She was not born into a family with a tradition of folk singing, but fortunately she was born in the cradle of the Nam Dan fabric ward. That is folk artist Le Thi Bich Thuy - member of the Kim Lien fabric ward folk song club - Music teacher at Kim Lien Primary School, Nam Dan district.

Artist Le Thi Bich Thuy in a performance preparing for the Nghe An Folk Song Festival 2013.

She still clearly remembers that when she was 7 years old, every time May came, her hometown Kim Lien was more bustling with folk songs, vi phuong vai, all over the village practiced singing and dancing, little Thuy took advantage of studying early to go listen to the singing. The village road was bright with moonlight, little Thuy walked and hummed the phuong vai song: "Oh... Ask me, ask my good friends, how many times Uncle Ho returned to Kim Lien"; then she sang a smooth and profound folk song: "...Who knows whether the Lam River water is clear or turbid, then only will know that life is both shameful and glorious..." Little Thuy was absorbed in the melodies until she reached the gate of her house without realizing it. Thuy also cannot forget the applause and tears of many audiences on the night of Uncle Ho's birthday celebration in Kim Lien when Thuy was 9 years old, after Thuy finished singing the song "Looking at the tree, remembering the person".

Bich Thuy confided: After leaving high school, she was admitted to Nghe Tinh Cultural Information High School, Music Pedagogy class. There she had the opportunity to improve her qualifications and develop her qualities. For many years of study, she participated in competitions and performances of the school and achieved many high achievements. When she became a music teacher, she always learned about folk songs of Nghe An and constantly studied to improve her professional qualifications. She continued to attend the Central College of Music and Art, where she was systematically trained to become a music teacher. In addition to her main job of teaching music, she also participated in many local cultural and artistic movements, was a member of the Kim Lien - Nam Dan Folk Song Club and was the main singer for the club. Not only singing, she also staged programs and taught children through many generations.

Regarding Kim Lien, when mentioning Bich Thuy, everyone from the elderly to the children knows. She is a prominent young face in the folk song festival competitions of her home province. Up to now, Bich Thuy is also fluent in many folk melodies such as Vi Do Dua Song Lam, Vi Do Dua Song La, Vi Phuong Vai, Vi Phuong Tea, Vi Di Cay, Vi Dong Rung, Vi Climbing Mountain; Dam Cua Quyen, Dam Duc Son, Dam Ve, Dam Ke, Dam Noi; Ho Tren Song, Ho Roi Thuyen, Ho Dam Dat De Di Di Di, Ho Nghe, Ho Khoan Di Duong,... Despite her young age, she has won many awards in art competitions and folk song festivals in the province as well as outside the province. These are A and B prizes in the Lang Sen Singing Festival at the district and provincial levels; Gold Medal in the "Sea of ​​Singing" Festival in Da Nang; Silver Medal in the Teachers' Singing Festival organized by the Ministry of Education and Training in Hanoi; Second Prize in the Good Singing Festival on Nghe An Radio and Television. In addition, she also participated with the youth union of her commune in the program "Youth with traffic safety" organized by the District Youth Union; the program "Country singing" organized by the Farmers' Association and the contest "Reproductive health care, family planning" organized by the Provincial Women's Union...

Her greatest success was in April 2010, when her son, Nguyen Quoc Bao, 6 years old, won the Special Prize for singing folk songs in the contest Bringing Folk Songs to Schools organized by the Department of Education and Training, and in this same contest she won the prize for "The Best Folk Song Writer for Children". In 2012, she continued to train Nguyen Quoc Bao to win the prize for Best Young Folk Artist in the Nghe An Folk Song Festival organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Although she is still young, she truly deserves the title "Folk Artist Le Thi Bich Thuy" awarded by the Vietnam Folk Arts Association in 2013. She confided: "Folk songs have penetrated deep into my soul and heart and will be the source that flows forever for me to pass on my enthusiasm to the generation of students and my hometown Kim Lien, Nam Dan in particular, and Nghe An in general."

Thu Huong