Keep the soul of the countryside

(Baonghean) - In order to preserve and maintain Ca Tru and Vi and Giam folk songs of Nghe An, Dien Chau has had many effective methods in recent times.

Enduring Ca Tru melody

Amidst the tinkling and tom chat sounds of the actors and actresses enthusiastically practicing, Mr. Pham Tai Khoan in hamlet 10, Dien Yen commune excitedly talked about the special art form of his hometown: Ca tru in this area was passed down by the Tran family, headed by Mr. Tran Map - a famous manager of the royal teaching guild (ie the ca tru troupe singing in the royal court).

Currently, the Tran family temple still preserves 12 royal decrees conferring titles on talented managers of the family. Chay Communal House is one of the remaining "witnesses" of the guild. Here, the sounds of musical instruments and singing of actors and actresses always resound during the occasions of worshipping gods and saints, promotions, and exchanges between the great guilds of Co Dam (Ha Tinh), Cat Ngan, Ke Giam... At the communal house, there are still 3 words: chieu - ky - van (meaning gathering for cultural activities).

Dien Chau Ca Tru Club performance.

When he was only 10 years old, Mr. Khoan heard his grandparents and parents sing Ca Tru and Ca Tru gradually permeated his mind. In 2004, when the District Cultural Center found out that he played and sang well, they sent him to a 3-month training class on Ca Tru. When he returned, he realized that the art of Ca Tru that his ancestors left behind was a priceless heritage, and that the younger generation had the responsibility to restore and preserve it. From then on, he encouraged his wife and children to practice singing Ca Tru.

With their passion and perseverance, they ignited and established a club with the participation of 4 female singers and 3 male musicians. Ms. Hanh, a member of the Ca Tru club, shared: “In the past, I didn’t really like Ca Tru, but after Uncle Khoan came to encourage me enthusiastically to teach me how to sing and play the clappers, I gradually found Ca Tru very interesting. I even encouraged my husband to join the club.”

In the movement to restore and develop the art of Ca Tru in Dien Chau district, we must also mention the father and daughter Nguyen Cong Suy and Nguyen Thi Mai in hamlet 1, Dien Lien commune. In 2010, when he was nearly 80 years old, Suy learned how to hold the drum, beat the clapper, and play the zither. After half a year of studying, he was able to play the Dan Day instrument proficiently and became a musician, accompanying his daughter in singing.

In the national Ca Tru festivals, Ms. Mai has won 1 Silver prize, 1 Gold prize and many A prizes in the provincial art festivals and regularly teaches at clubs. Ms. Mai cherishes the dream of widely popularizing this art form to the young generation, first of all to her family members. With her son's beautiful voice and her father's passionate and quiet Dan Day playing, wherever they perform, Mr. Suy and his father are welcomed and respected by the people.

Ca Tru singing has appeared in Dien Chau for over 400 years and is the only locality in the province that still maintains this traditional art form. In the past, Ca Tru was rarely performed, mainly performed in a few village communal houses and temples by a few elderly artists. However, today, with the attention of the functional sectors to restore and especially the good promotion and socialization of club activities, Ca Tru in Dien Chau has been given more space to perform. That is why from only 1 district-level club established in 2001, Dien Chau has now developed 6 clubs with over 100 members participating.

Spreading folk songs

Along with Ca Tru, the Cultural Heritage of Vi and Giam folk songs is also passed down and strongly promoted by the people of Dien Chau in their daily lives, becoming a part of their soul, a "specialty" with lasting vitality in the hearts of every person here.

About Dien Binh - the place considered the cradle of Vi and Giam folk songs in Dien Chau. On the full moon nights of every month, the Vi and Giam folk song club for the elderly of the commune organizes activities. The old men and women in their seventies and eighties are still passionate about Giam Ke and Giam Lullabies. The worries and joys of life are all conveyed by the elders into the smooth rhymes of the folk songs.

Mr. Dam Quang Hong, a member of the Dien Binh Vi and Giam Folk Song Club, said: “Since 1970, this has been a bright spot for Nghe Tinh Folk Songs and this generation has passed it on to the next. To bring folk songs into life, the Dien Binh Elderly Association still maintains a club of 25 elders. From our passion, we have passed it on to the younger generation, so now everyone here can sing folk songs.”

A practice session of Dien Binh Folk Song Club (Dien Chau).

The Dien Chau Education and Training Department has also had success in bringing Vi and Giam folk songs into schools. Currently, 126 schools in the district have the “I love folk songs” club with over 1,260 students participating. Every school year, schools organize competitions to learn and sing folk songs, thereby not only helping students understand the melodies more deeply but also finding typical talents to nurture and develop their talents. Thanks to that, the gentle and smooth folk songs have gradually penetrated deep into the students’ souls.

Phan Thi Hang, a 5D student at Dien Hoa Primary School, said: “Before, I thought folk songs were very difficult to sing, but thanks to my teacher teaching me each sentence and each word, I was able to sing many folk songs. Now, everyone in my school knows how to sing folk songs.”

Folk songs, Vi and Giam are having a great influence in villages and hamlets with nearly 500 folk song groups operating regularly. In addition to the 5 folk artists awarded by the Vietnam Folk Arts Association, in Dien Chau there are also hundreds of people in all the villages who are respected by the people as the core members in preserving and promoting Nghe An folk songs. In addition to quietly collecting old songs, the artists and folk song lovers also compose hundreds of new songs that are suitable for people's lives and easily reach people's hearts.

Mr. Tran Sy Hong, Deputy Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Dien Chau, said: In recent times, the Dien Chau Department of Culture has promoted the movement of all people singing folk songs, restoring folk performance spaces in residential areas. Vi and Giam folk song clubs have been established and have been invested in musical instruments and supported with operating costs. At the annual mass art festival, the Organizing Committee is required to reserve 30% of the time for folk song performances. In addition, there are also folk song singing competitions between clubs and community folk song activities.

Mai Giang