I am a poet of my homeland.

On the last day of 2021, during a trip "upstream" to a midland folk song region of Thanh Chuong along the Lam River, the Song Lam Folk Song Association with more than 50 members had a very meaningful meeting, when they sang together folk songs such as "Boat and Wharf" or "My Homeland Nghe" with sweet and soulful Vi melodies...

Folk song suite Homeland in His Heart. Photo: Thanh Nga

Many members feel like they are returning to their childhood with nights spent singing Vi with their grandmothers and mothers, and rowing boats with their fathers during the spring festival. Ms. Hoang Van - an excellent artisan of Vinh Tan fabric ward (Vinh city) said that in such activities, members can sing to satisfy their passion, and cultivate their love for folk songs, which they often have to "leave untouched" due to their busy daily lives.

Vi and Giam folk song performance at the program Homeland in the Heart of the People. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

Returning to Thanh Chuong - returning to the old Vi Phuong Vai sound, now Vi Giam seems to be increasingly permeating the activities of farmers here. Ms. Ngan Hoa, a member of the Vi Giam Folk Song Association of Song Lam, said: Normally, when we sit and make rice cakes to go to the Ro market, we still challenge each other to guess this and that verse, to find new words that fit the scene, "the scene gives rise to feelings" and then we answer together, it's so much fun! Ms. Hoa shared that spreading the love of Vi Giam is the way we bring Vi Giam into life, so that Vi Giam flows naturally in the veins of each person.

Vi and Giam folk song association of Lam River on a pilgrimage to spread Vi and Giam at Thanh Chuong Tea Island. Photo: Huy Thu

For nearly a year now, the Lam River Folk Song Association has been tirelessly searching for harmony between the stage and life in the flow of the homeland's folk songs. From there, they have brought rustic folk songs such as "ho boi thuyen", "vi do dua", "hat quyen", and "hat tu hoa" into their activities or picnics, reviving somewhat the ancient space of "vi and giam".

The Song Lam Vi and Giam Folk Song Association hopes to ignite passion and spread Vi and Giam in the community. Photo: Huy Thu

However, what they are doing is just an effort to kindle love and passion for their lover, to understand the precious capital of the song and the song in contemporary life. Meritorious artist Nguyen Manh Cuong - Head of the Folk Song Club of Do Luong district, said: Although we were established in 1994 of the last century and have had very good activities, and have won many big awards, but in order to expand and spread, we still feel that we have not done much. The spread of folk songs must indeed become natural in the daily life and activities of the people. The more people can sing folk songs, practice folk song dialogue, and have many activities in inter-family groups, then the spread will reach its destination.

Folk song suite at the program "Homeland folk songs in the heart of the people". Photo: Thanh Nga

Certainly, because in addition to people with the mission of spreading, the approach to folk songs needs a new performance space, outside the stage, outside the velvet curtain and colored lights. The performance space of folk songs is the key factor that makes folk songs honored and permeate each person. It could be a Vi tune sung on the Lam River like the Vi and Giam Folk Song Club of Hung Tan performs on every festival occasion; it could be the Vi and Giam tent scene organized on anniversaries or major holidays in places along both sides of the Lam River. Mr. Nguyen Trong Tam - Head of the Vi and Giam Folk Song Club of Hung Tan said: To have a performance, we must arrange it into repertoires, performances that have been rehearsed, and the performers are of course proficient. This creates a good, beautiful stage and we get to listen to familiar songs that are easy to listen to. But what we need is for every person who comes to listen to be able to sing and to compare, then we will be successful.

That is the concern in the journey of "returning" heritage to the people, by passing it on to the younger generation. People's Artist Trinh Hong Luu once said, we are trying to make folk songs luxurious or theatrical or artistic, of course this is very necessary. But what we need most is to let folk songs permeate our lives, become natural so that wherever we go, we can hear somewhere a folk song, a folk song,...

Folk song suite about Mother of Sen Village. Photo: Thanh Nga

Dramatizing and glamorizing heritage is the way we preserve and promote heritage, bringing heritage to all five continents so that it can be adapted and integrated into the contemporary flow. That is why there are folk song plays that are honored on the golden boards of traditional theater. That is why there are artists who dedicate their whole lives to the elegance of a folk song. And on that red carpet stage, we meet famous people with their childhood folk songs, we see revolutionary currents conveyed through folk songs. But that is "based on borrowings from other forms, the ambiguous and persuasive singing of Cheo that is transformed; so that step by step, while walking and lining up, short plays, long plays and plays with dramatic twists such as "Co gai Song Lam" and "Loi nguoi loi cua nuoc non" become "classics" that are preserved forever in the minds of the audience...", said artist Thanh Luu - former Head of Nghe Tinh Folk Song Troupe.

Stepping onto the stage is the hustle and bustle of life, artists, artisans and "outsiders" who have a burning love for the folk songs of their homeland, are trying their best to fulfill their mission. That is the mission of spreading. Then, they find new ways, sit together and chat with folk songs, anywhere, anytime, with the desire to let folk songs naturally spread to everyone, every space. "Now we must absolutely apply digital technology 4.0 so that folk songs can enter every corner of life with every person and every generation. It is difficult, but we are people who are no longer young but are eager to live truly young, we will do this", Mr. Nguyen Thanh Ngan - an officer of the Hung Nguyen District Cultural Center, Chairman of the Song Lam Vi and Giam Association shared his passion like that.