Ca Tru fate

(Baonghean) -Dien Yen Village (Ke Lu) is located in the North of Dien Chau District, and for hundreds of years has been known as the land of Ca Tru of Nghe An. Through the ups and downs of history, from the golden age until Ca Tru was just an "antique" and "urgently needed to be preserved", the singing voice of the female singer still remains here. That is why, when Ms. Mai Thi Hanh (born in 1962) and Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh (born in 1955) - Dien Chau Ca Tru Club, were introduced as a couple of Ca Tru artists, the wife a female singer and the husband a dan day player living here, we thought that they were the descendants of the ancient ancestors.

But it turned out not to be so, the actress Mai Thi Hanh was originally from Huong Son, Ha Tinh, and the musician Nguyen Van Thanh was from Quynh Luu. They met by chance and became husband and wife when they both worked at Yen Ly station. After getting married, they discovered each other's "talents", the wife was a folk singer who performed everywhere in the Railway industry, the husband was an organist. "At that time, we only sang folk songs and red music, but never thought that one day we would sing Ca Tru. We didn't even like it. But then, one time when we got to see Ca Tru live, we suddenly liked the sound of the clappers. We liked it so much that we learned to sing Ca Tru. When we could sing it, we were hooked, couldn't give it up, and when we got home... we invited our husband to join us", actress Hanh happily recounted her chance to sing Ca Tru.

Artist couple Mai Thi Hanh and Nguyen Van Thanh.

To put it simply, learning Ca Tru is also a long journey. There are many people who sing well, with clear and passionate voices, but are still "helpless" when it comes to Ca Tru. Because the singer not only sings, but also has to clap her hands in the right rhythm, in sync with the instrument and drums, then the singing will be good. Passionate and fond of singing since childhood, also called having a bit of a natural talent, Ms. Hanh "sings all kinds of music", but it was not until she was nearly 40 years old that she hesitantly tried her hand at Ca Tru. Seeing that Ca Tru was all "uh huh", at first she was also... bored. But because of the enchanting sound of clapping, constantly ringing in her ears, she was determined to learn clapping, just to learn how to play clapping, not to learn how to sing. Then, while clapping her hands, her mouth hummed along, so without knowing when, the soul of Ca Tru seeped into her blood and flesh. In 2004, Ms. Hanh joined the Dien Chau Ca Tru Club - a place that gathers people who love Ca Tru in the district, to sing and practice with other singers, or the elderly, families with a long tradition of Ca Tru, and to improve their singing techniques day by day.

Starting with Xam singing, lullabies, she still remembers the first song she knew how to sing completely was the Xam Hue love song “Doi Dong”. After that, it was more difficult to sing spoken songs, singing at the communal house, singing with 36 voices... when concentrating and spreading them skillfully. For her, coming to Ca Tru at this time was like a good time, when a woman has experienced so many ups and downs in life, so many changes in herself, her soul has become more gentle, more calm. And, she has felt with all her soul the profound values ​​in Ca Tru. It is not just a type of music anymore, but history, tradition, the words of our ancestors. When people raise their voices to sing, with all their love, with all their heart, that is the moment when “even if they want to give up, they cannot give up”.

Every time Ms. Hanh went to activities and performances with the club, Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh would pick her up and drop her off. Seeing his wife's growing passion for this traditional music genre, he was also "influenced" by it. He himself had some talent with musical instruments, and had previously played the organ at weddings to earn extra income for the family. Now Mr. Thanh tried to practice the Dan Day. At first, he didn't dare tell anyone, only the couple knew. They both went online, read documents, listened to how other people played, and then imitated and learned. And yet they played well. It seemed to be a natural fate for a couple, when the wife became interested in Ca Tru, the husband learned the Dan Day, so that they could "sing and follow each other". Up until now, Nguyen Van Thanh has become a solid player of the Dien Chau Ca Tru Club.

Ca tru is a selective genre, and it is difficult to find an audience, so every time there is a chance to perform, the artists of the Club try to leave an impression, to move their emotions, even though the compensation is sometimes not enough for gas money to travel. The same goes for singers and musicians like the couple Mai Thi Hanh and Nguyen Van Thanh, who do not spare time and effort for Ca Tru. Before they retired, during their performances at the office, this couple added a Ca Tru performance. Mai Thi Hanh boasted: "Once, during an exchange with the Railway industry from Thanh Hoa to Quang Binh, I also participated in a Ca Tru song, to let them know about the Ca Tru of Nghe An. That day, everyone praised it as good and special." And now, every spring, the couple sings to celebrate the longevity of the elders, and sings on village ancestral worship occasions. Ms. Hanh also shared her intention to pass on the profession to her daughter-in-law when she saw that at the wedding, the bride's parents also sang a Ca Tru song and "there are about 5 or 6 people in that family who can sing Ca Tru, so who knows, maybe if the girl learns well, I can train another singer for the club."

Singer Mai Thi Hanh performs the song "Dai Thach" at the 2011 National Ca Tru Festival (photo provided by the character).

During the 2011 National Ca Tru Festival in Hanoi, Mai Thi Hanh won first prize with her singing and dancing performance “Dai Thach”. During the October 2012 training session at the Hanoi Conservatory of Music, the double-player Nguyen Van Thanh was also selected to go, and in just 10 short days, he learned to play 3 songs with 36 voices, something that few people can do because it is very difficult, very long, and changes tunes quickly. Those times were partly a source of personal pride, but also created a certain echo and position for Nghe An Ca Tru, preserving and promoting the unique cultural values ​​of the homeland.

“We sing and perform because of our passion. Sometimes we quit our jobs to go, not because we consider it a profession to earn money. Everyone in the club is passionate, especially Mr. Nguyen, the founder of the club in the past, and Mr. Thuong now, who understands and cares a lot about ca tru… Ca tru is a legacy left by our ancestors, so we sing, and also want to preserve the traditional ca tru culture of Dien Chau,” said the singer Nguyen Van Thanh.

Leaving the old land of Ke Lu ca tru, now bustling with people, newly built houses obscure the roof of Chay communal house. My mind is still filled with the image of the female singer with her eyes swaying, her mouth smiling, her hands tapping the table to make rhythm, singing enthusiastically, next to her husband, who is tuning the strings of the Dan Day, "performing" for us the 36-tone tune he just learned. I believe that this land not only produces, but can also welcome, arouse and nurture hearts to come to ca tru, preserve, cherish and respect the precious heritage that our ancestors left. Ca tru still has a special vitality that endures over time...

Le Nga - Nguyen Tue