About Ban Bong, listen to the tunes of the whole homeland

(Baonghean.vn) - At the age of 74, Mrs. Lo Thi Huong in Bong village, Thanh Son commune, Anh Son district still sings clear, resonant melodies every day. For her, singing is a joy.

From the center of Thanh Son commune, Anh Son district, upstream of Con river, you will reach Bong village. This place is considered a cultural area with strong local identity, the stilt houses are close together, creating the peace of a village. When coming here, everyone knows about Mrs. Lo Thi Huong, because she is a treasure trove of ancient melodies.

As soon as we entered the alley, we heard Mrs. Huong’s singing voice. For us, this was the first time we heard an ancient song, so we felt even more excited, it felt strange but very attractive…

Me Lo Thi Huong is one of the few people in Bong village, Thanh Son commune, Anh Son district who still retains the ancient melody. Photo: Huyen Trang

Over a pot of green tea, Mrs. Huong said: “My family has a singing tradition. When I was young, my mother was also a famous singer in the area. She and the elders in the village taught me the songs of the song, so I loved it very much. For me, each song only needed to be learned two or three times to memorize it and get my voice right. At the age of 15, I followed the young men in the village into the forest to collect firewood and pick bamboo shoots. At that time, the songs of the song were sung loudly by the village girls to dispel the fear of the deep forest and also to pray for the protection of the mountain god.”

Until now, she can't remember how many places and how many times she has sung. Me Huong added: For generations, the Thai people in Bong village have considered the "Dieu Thap" to be a form of cultural art, a spiritual food in labor and production. This type of intangible culture contains humanity, has the sound of folk culture and is closely linked to national identity. That's why for Me Huong, preserving ancient singing has become a responsibility and a burning passion.

These melodies are often used by Mrs. Huong in daily life. Photo: Huyen Trang

Her concern was how to preserve the singing of her homeland and people in the face of the infiltration of many cultural forms. To enrich the village's songs and also to teach her children and grandchildren, Mrs. Huong composed many new melodies related to the work of farmers such as building new houses, picking up brides, building new bridges...

It is known that today, Me Huong is one of the very few people who still preserve and promote the original melodies of the Perfume River. By keeping a clear, resonant voice, knowing and singing many melodies well, Me Huong has been invited to many cultural and artistic exchanges in the district and province and has won many awards.

With all her passion, efforts, and desire to preserve and promote, Ms. Lo Thi Huong has been contributing to renewing and enlivening this art form./.

Huyen Trang