The source of folk music flows on forever.

(Baonghean)Born in 1970 in Hung Tien commune, Kim Lien district, Nam Dan district, she has been captivated by folk songs and the traditional folk singing style of the Nam Dan weaving village since childhood. Although she wasn't born into a family with a tradition of folk singing, she was fortunate to be born in the cradle of this art form. She is folk artist Le Thi Bich Thuy, a member of the Kim Lien weaving village folk song club and a music teacher at Kim Lien Primary School in Nam Dan district.

Artist Le Thi Bich Thuy in preparation for the 2013 Nghe An Folk Song Festival.

She vividly remembers that when she was seven years old, every May, her hometown of Kim Lien would be filled with the sounds of folk songs and traditional dances. Throughout the villages, people practiced singing and dancing, and little Thuy would rush to finish her homework early so she could go listen to the performances. The village road was bathed in bright moonlight, and Thuy would hum a folk song: "Oh... I ask you, my dear friend, how many times has Uncle Ho returned to Kim Lien?"; then she would sing a smooth, profound folk melody: "...Who knows whether the Lam River's water is clear or muddy, only then will they know whether life is shameful or glorious...". Thuy was so engrossed in the melodies that she didn't even realize when she reached the gate of her house. Thuy also couldn't forget the applause and tears of many audience members on the night of Uncle Ho's birthday celebration in Kim Lien when she was nine years old, after she finished singing the song "Looking at the Trees, I Remember Him."

Bich Thuy shared: After leaving high school, she was admitted to the Nghe Tinh Cultural and Information High School, majoring in Music Education. There, she had the opportunity to improve her skills and develop her talents. For many years, she participated in school competitions and performances, achieving many high results. As a music teacher, she always researched the folk melodies of Nghe An province and continuously learned to improve her professional skills. She then attended the Central College of Music and Fine Arts, where she received systematic training to become a music teacher. Besides her main job teaching music, she also participates in many local cultural and artistic movements, is a member of the Kim Lien - Nam Dan Folk Song Club, and is the lead singer for the club. Beyond singing, she also directs programs and teaches music to children across generations.

In Kim Lien, when you mention Bich Thuy, everyone from the elderly to the young knows her. She is a prominent young face in the province's folk song festivals. To this day, Bich Thuy is still proficient in many folk melodies such as the "Vi Do Dua Song Lam" (boatman's song on the Lam River), "Vi Do Dua Song La" (boatman's song on the La River), "Vi Phuong Vai" (weaving village song), "Vi Phuong Che" (tea village song), "Vi Di Cay" (rice planting song), "Vi Dong Ruong" (field song), "Vi Tre Nong" (mountain climbing song); "Dam Cua Quyen" (court song), "Dam Duc Son" (Dam Ve" (verse song), "Dam Ke" (storytelling song), "Dam Noi" (connecting song); "Ho Tren Song" (river song), "Ho Roi Thuy" (boat rowing song), "Ho Dam Dat Dap De" (dike building song), "Ho Nghe" (artistic song), "Ho Khoan Di Duong" (road drilling song),... Although still young, she has won many awards in arts competitions and folk song festivals both within and outside the province. These include A and B prizes in the "Tuong Lang Sen" (Village of Lotus) Singing Festival at the district and provincial levels; a Gold Medal in the "Bien Hat" (Sea Song) Festival in Da Nang; a Silver Medal in the "Teachers' Singing Festival" organized by the Ministry of Education and Training in Hanoi; and Second Prize in the "Good Singing" Festival on Nghe An Radio and Television. In addition, she also participated with the local youth union in the "Youth and Traffic Safety" program organized by the District Youth Union; the "Countryside Songs" program organized by the Farmers' Association; and the "Reproductive Health Care and Family Planning" competition organized by the Provincial Women's Union…

Her greatest achievement came in April 2010, when her 6-year-old son, Nguyen Quoc Bao, won the Special Prize for folk singing in the "Bringing Folk Songs into Schools" competition organized by the Department of Education and Training. In the same competition, she also won the "Best Folk Song Lyrics Writer for Children" award. In 2012, she continued to train Nguyen Quoc Bao, who won the "Best Young Folk Singer" award at the Nghe An Folk Song Festival organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Despite her young age, she truly deserves the title "Folk Artisan Le Thi Bich Thuy" awarded by the Vietnam Folk Arts Association in 2013. She shared: "Folk songs have deeply permeated my soul and heart, and will be a constant source for me to pass on my passion to my students and to my hometown of Kim Lien, Nam Dan in particular, and Nghe An province in general."

Thu Huong