Society

Phuong Lich - Where Ca Tru is revived in every beat

Mai Giang • DNUM_BHZADZCACF 18:10

In the flow of modern life, there are still artisans who are passionate about traditional folk art. For artisan Le Thi Loan in Dien Hoa commune, Dien Chau district, the melodies of Ca Tru have been ingrained in her blood and flesh, becoming her lifelong way of life.

Dpassionate about ca tru

One day in mid-March, in the small house of Ms. Le Thi Loan - Head of Phuong Lich Ca Tru Club, Dien Hoa commune, Dien Chau district, the deep sound of the stone zither, the rhythmic sound of the clappers, the bustling sound of the drums, especially the clear voices of the singers in the club, resounded.

bna_2(1).jpg — Ca Tru Club of Dien Hoa commune. Photo: Mai Giang

Phuong Lich village, Dien Hoa commune is a locality with a tradition of singing Ca Tru, so since childhood, Ms. Le Thi Loan has been exposed to the rhythms, sounds of instruments and has been imbued with Ca Tru melodies.

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Since I was a child, I followed the artisans in the commune to perform. Although at that time, I only knew a little about Ca Tru, the sounds of the instruments, the rhythms, and the lyrics seemed to naturally seep into my blood. Considered a scholarly art form, Ca Tru "took root" in the Dien Hoa rice fields and "befriended" the people with muddy hands and feet like us. Therefore, preserving and promoting this traditional art form is the wish not only of enthusiasts or artisans but also of most of the local people in my commune."
Ms. Le Thi Loan - Head of Phuong Lich Ca Tru Club, Dien Hoa Commune, Dien Chau District

Ms. Loan (middle) performs a Dai Thach singing and dancing ca tru. Photo: Mai Giang

The rhythm, the sound of the instrument, the gentle and melodious lyrics have penetrated Ms. Loan's blood and flesh like the deep affection of the homeland. Therefore, with her innate talent, Ms. Loan has made efforts to learn from artists such as Cao Xuan Thuong, Cao Lang, Cao De... She was sent to participate in ca tru training classes under the project to restore and preserve the art of ca tru of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. With the knowledge gained from the training class, she returned to teach the generation of ca tru singers in the Dien Hoa commune ca tru club. She also continuously participated in many national ca tru festivals and won the A prize in 2018; participated in Lang Sen performances, street festivals or folk song exchange events at Ho Chi Minh Square.

Her biggest concern is how to spread the cultural heritage left by her ancestors, preserve the spiritual culture of the village and find the next generation to learn Ca Tru singing. Therefore, Ms. Loan and the club members actively develop plans, organize activities to guide and teach Ca Tru singing knowledge and skills to the young generation and those who love the art of Ca Tru.

Since its establishment, Dien Hoa Commune Ca Tru Club has opened many classes to teach Ca Tru to those who are talented and love the art of Ca Tru. In particular, Ms. Loan participated in establishing and teaching Ca Tru to students of the Ca Tru Club of Dien Chau 3 High School and Nguyen Xuan On High School. During the summer, the club also teaches students so that the young generation in the village can follow in the footsteps of their ancestors to continue preserving and promoting the tradition of Ca Tru singing of their homeland.

bna_3(1).jpg — Ms. Loan (far left) with the singers of Dien Hoa Commune Ca Tru Club. Photo: Mai Giang

Ms. Loan added: “Because Ca Tru is a royal art genre, training must be very elaborate. The melodies are scholarly and academic, requiring teachers to meticulously train them, from rhythm to pronunciation and mouth shape. Learners, in addition to passion, must also have determination. Although it is difficult, many students enjoy it and study very diligently.”

To spread ca tru

Along with that, in recent years, the authorities of Dien Hoa commune, Dien Chau district as well as elderly artisans have restored traditional festivals, creating performance spaces, so the ca tru club is still developing strongly.

The whole club has 3 people playing the Dan Day instrument, playing the Chau drum and 6 Thanh Sac female singers. The Dien Hoa commune Ca Tru club regularly meets once a month and has a fairly systematic practice and teaching plan. With passion and dedication to traditional art, the 9 club members voluntarily contribute funds to invest in Dan Day instruments, clappers, Chau drums, clothes and voluntarily serve the people during village festivals, longevity celebrations and Tet.

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“The Dien Hoa Commune Ca Tru Club was established in 2002, through many generations of chairmen, but Ms. Loan is a young singer with a good voice, standard clappers and especially an organizer, able to gather members, so she regularly organizes activities, improving the quality of club activities. Hopefully, with the enthusiasm and dedication of the previous generation as well as the club chairwoman Le Thi Loan and the attention of all levels and sectors, Ca Tru will be increasingly accepted by the public, spread and continue to promote its own values”.
Artisan Cao Xuan Thuong - Dien Hoa commune, Dien Chau district

bna_6(1).jpg — Dien Hoa commune's Ca Tru club performs for the people at Phuong Lich communal house on the occasion of the New Year. Photo: Mai Giang

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“The fact that the Ca Tru Club of Phuong Lich village, Dien Hoa commune is operating actively shows that Ca Tru has achieved encouraging results. We are confident that the Ca Tru heritage will be firmly preserved in the coming time, thereby contributing to gradually moving Ca Tru from the list of “Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding” to the list of “Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.
Ms. Le Thi Loan - Dien Hoa commune, Dien Chau district

Watching the club members practice, the older class teaching the younger class, correcting each beat and finger, one can see the love and respect for the art of Ca Tru of the people here. From being at risk of being lost, after 16 years since being recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent protection, Ca Tru art of Dien Chau district in general has overcome many difficulties and challenges to affirm its strong vitality. It is the ordinary farmers in the countryside like Ms. Nguyen Thi Loan who are making a great contribution to preserving and maintaining the beautiful cultural heritage of the nation.

Ca Tru Club of Phuong Lich village, Dien Hoa commune performs. Clip: Mai Giang

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“In 2009, the art of Ca Tru was included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of urgent protection by UNESCO. After 16 years, Ca Tru has made a strong comeback, thanks to the joint efforts of the whole community, especially dedicated people like Ms. Loan. Currently, Dien Chau district has established 5 Ca Tru clubs, all of which regularly organize activities and performances, preserving over 20 ancient dance styles and developing dozens of new tunes; more than 10 people are capable of teaching and dozens of students. To recognize Ms. Loan's tireless contributions to preserving the art of Ca Tru, we are preparing a dossier to propose the State to recognize Ms. Le Thi Loan as an Excellent Artist.”
Mr. Dao Hong Thanh - Head of Department of Culture, Science and Information of Dien Chau district