Deeply attached to the folk song

(Baonghean) - For half a century, folk songs have been intertwined with her lifeblood, with many silent and tireless contributions to maintaining and developing the local folk song movement. Thanks to her, the Ngoc Son Commune Folk Song Club has become a place to welcome delegations coming to research and assess the value of the Nghe Tinh folk song heritage, preparing scientific dossiers to submit to UNESCO for recognition as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity…

Traveling along National Highway 46 towards Thanh Chuong district, it's not difficult to find the home of folk artist Vo Thi Hong Van. After passing the Cau Ro intersection, go another 2km and you'll find a small general store, but it stands out from the others with its sign that reads "Hong Van - writing articles, staging programs and festivals, renting performance costumes" and a glass display case showcasing traditional Vietnamese silk and four-panel dresses… In the back room is a faded green stage backdrop – this has been the meeting place for the Ngoc Son commune folk song club for over 5 years.

With a bright, radiant smile on her kind and benevolent face, Ms. Vo Thi Hong Van, head of the folk song club in Ngoc Son commune, recounts her journey of dedication to the folk melodies of her homeland. Born in 1965 into a farming family in Ngoc Son commune, Ms. Van grew up listening to the sweet lullabies of her grandmother and mother. Her grandmother, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien (deceased), and her mother, Ms. Le Thi Vinh (now 78 years old), were renowned folk singers in the area at the time, so her childhood soul was deeply imbued with the simple yet poignant and heartfelt melodies of her homeland. During her primary and secondary school years in the village, Ms. Van was always the captain of the performing arts team, winning high awards in various school-level competitions. After finishing secondary school, due to difficult family circumstances, she had to drop out. At the age of 15, Ms. Van joined the performing arts team of the Lam Son Cooperative.

Ms. Vo Thi Hong Van is choosing an outfit for a folk song performance.

Recalling those years, her voice became lively: “That was the subsidy period, life was very difficult, but the arts and culture movements in general, and the folk singing movement in particular, were very vibrant. With the task of disseminating the Party and State's policies and encouraging labor and production, the cooperative's arts troupe performed every month, sometimes in the village square, sometimes in the cooperative's warehouse yard, sometimes in the fields or on the riverbank. The members of the troupe had to cut and sew their own costumes, and when they went on stage, they only applied a layer of talcum powder, and their eyebrows were drawn with…soot. Yet everyone was enthusiastic and passionate, and every month they looked forward to the 15th day of the lunar month to perform. The cooperative members crowded to watch, it was very lively. Especially during Tet, the troupe performed continuously, from the 30th day of the lunar month until after the 15th day of the first lunar month. In the early 1980s, the Lam Son Cooperative's arts troupe participated in the district's theater festivals and won high awards every year, and I personally also won.” Outstanding individual award.

In 1985, Vo Thi Hong Van was selected by the Thanh Chuong District Cultural Center to join the district's amateur performing arts team, participating in provincial-level competitions and festivals. She quickly demonstrated her outstanding vocal talent and stage presence. In 1987, she was selected by the Nghe Tinh Folk Song Theatre. It seemed like a promising start for her to become an actress. However, that year, her father died in an accident. As the eldest sister, facing the hardships of raising five younger siblings, she had to put her dreams on hold, return to her hometown to farm, and nurture her passion for folk music through local performing arts activities.

In 1988, Ms. Van married Mr. Nguyen Van Liem, a neighbor. “I am very lucky to have married someone who loves and understands the folk songs of the Ví and Giặm genres. Not only does he support and create opportunities for me to participate in cultural activities in the commune and the village, but he also offers helpful suggestions on scripts, program staging, and performance of the melodies. To this day, four generations in my family still love this traditional art form,” she confided.

In the late 1980s, with the dissolution of the Lam Son Cooperative, the performing arts group gradually disbanded. However, Ms. Van remained an active collaborator with the District Cultural Center, regularly participating in provincial-level arts competitions. Every year, she received commendations from the Cultural Center, the District People's Committee, and the Department of Culture for her outstanding achievements in mass performing arts activities, particularly in preserving and developing the Vi and Giam folk songs. In the late 1990s, Ms. Van joined the district's folk song club. Later, for various reasons, the club had to disband, but aware of the importance of preserving the valuable heritage of her ancestors and developing the mass performing arts movement in the locality, she proposed to the Cultural Center and the Party Committee and People's Committee of Ngoc Son commune to establish the Ngoc Son Commune Folk Song Club, which was approved. In July 2009, the Ngoc Son Commune Folk Song Club was launched with 24 members. The establishment of the club has rekindled the passion for folk songs and melodies among many people in the commune. To date, the club has 40 members of all backgrounds and ages. Some are teachers, retired civil servants, students, and farmers. The youngest are two seven-year-old girls, Nguyen Thi Yen and Nguyen Thi Trang, while the oldest is Ms. Le Thi Vinh, Ms. Van's mother. Club members come not only from Ngoc Son commune but also from other communes such as Phong Thinh, Thanh Van, and Dong Van… Twice a month, the club members gather to sing folk songs that reflect the rich folk traditions, marital love, and daily life… Operating expenses, apart from a small contribution from the commune and district, are largely covered by member contributions. Besides singing together to satisfy their passion for folk songs like "ví" and "giặm," the club also helps the commune, district, and various agencies, units, and schools write scripts and stage theatrical programs to promote major holidays, traffic safety, population issues, and drug prevention... as a way to raise additional funds for their activities.

Many active members of the club have become renowned folk singers in the district, such as Mr. Dau Dinh Dung, Ms. Le Thi Thanh, Ms. Vo Thi Mao, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Xuan, and Mr. Vo Thanh Thinh… Over the past five years, the Ngoc Son commune club has participated in the Nghe Tinh folk song festival many times, winning awards and consistently ranking among the top 3 outstanding clubs. The club also hosts and presents many programs to delegations researching and evaluating the value of Nghe Tinh folk songs to prepare scientific dossiers for UNESCO's recognition as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. These proud achievements are largely due to the dedicated efforts and inspiration of the club's chairperson, Ms. Vo Thi Hong Van.

Ms. Vo Thi Hong Van (center) is leading the folk song club meeting in Ngoc Son commune.

Currently, despite the hardships of making a living, whenever she has free time, she practices singing and creates new folk songs and melodies to teach the club. For her, folk music is ingrained in her blood. Ms. Vân has four children, all of whom love folk music, especially her two daughters, Nguyễn Thị Hoa (born in 1990) and Nguyễn Thị Phượng (born in 1991), who frequently participate with their mother in local cultural activities. Both Hoa and Phương are now married and live in Vinh City, but whenever there are competitions or performances, they still return to help their mother write scripts and stage shows.

In 2013, she was awarded the title of Folk Artisan, and in early 2015, she was one of 12 artisans in the province honored as an Outstanding Artisan. She is also one of the exemplary individuals representing Thanh Chuong district at the upcoming Provincial Patriotic Emulation Congress for the 2010-2015 period. However, what Ms. Van aims for is not personal achievements. “The Vi Giam folk songs have been recognized by the world as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, so I only hope that this precious heritage will forever endure in the hearts of future generations. Therefore, in the future, besides maintaining and developing the Ngoc Son commune folk song club, I only hope that the relevant departments and levels in Thanh Chuong district will create conditions for the club to visit schools to inspire and popularize the Vi Giam melodies of our homeland to the students; we will cover the funding ourselves,” Ms. Van confided.

Minh Quan