In Dong Hieu, you hear folk songs and melodies.

(Baonghean) - For nearly 20 years, the folk songs performed by the farmers from the Dong Hieu commune folk song club (Thai Hoa town) have become familiar to many people in the Phu Quy region. This is truly a valuable achievement, because preserving folk songs, especially in a mountainous commune, is not an easy task...

The Dong Hieu commune folk singing club practices.

I came to know the members of the Dong Hieu commune's folk singing club by chance through a short play called "Family Home," which was broadcast on the loudspeaker to raise awareness about the drug problem. Unexpectedly, such a dramatic and emotional performance was entirely staged by farmers with calloused hands.

The initiator and chairman of the club is Mr. Tran Van Hong, now the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Hieu commune. He recounts that in 1995, when it was first established, the members didn't have a concept of a club or a performing arts group; it was simply a group of 4 to 5 people who loved folk songs and shared activities together. Whenever there was a cultural program in the village or hamlet, they would spontaneously stage and perform for the villagers. Later, seeing the group's effectiveness, especially after they had created several short plays with high propaganda value, the commune encouraged them to record them on cassette tapes and broadcast them on the village loudspeakers; the members were then allowed to participate in performances at the town level. After more than ten years of consistent activity, in 2008, when the province initiated the establishment of folk song clubs in Nghe An province, the Dong Hieu Commune Folk Song Club was officially established. The club's membership has also increased from 5, 7, 15, and now to 25. Furthermore, even more members can be recruited for events or programs.

Dong Hieu commune has been chosen by Thai Hoa town to host the "Village of Fun, Village of Singing" program, so the club members practice diligently every day. The youngest members, Trang and Tuan, who are only in 5th grade this year, also make time to practice to keep up with the program. Although they have only recently been introduced to Nghe An folk songs, they handle them quite skillfully, even the high-pitched verses. Mr. Tran Van Hong is very happy because the club not only performs and brings Nghe An folk songs closer to the local people, but also discovers and teaches folk songs to the younger generation.

For the club to develop to its current state, Mr. Tran Van Hong, Ms. Pham Thi Huong, and Mr. Pham The Lam, the club's veteran members, have overcome many difficulties, especially in recruiting new members. Although Dong Hieu is a mountainous commune, its inhabitants are mostly migrants. It's not the birthplace or origin of Nghe An's folk songs, so finding people who understand and know how to sing them is not easy. But driven by their love for folk music and their desire to preserve this form of folk dance from their homeland, the club members have tirelessly traveled to villages and hamlets, searching for talented individuals and then teaching them traditional folk melodies. The members themselves were passionate about folk music but lacked prior knowledge, so to teach the younger members, they had to learn and research on their own. In addition, there is the issue of funding, because the club operates spontaneously on a voluntary basis, so almost all expenses are covered by contributions from everyone involved…

Overcoming all those difficulties, the club members were warmly received by the people, and they made the Ví Dặm folk songs a familiar source of spiritual nourishment for the people in the region. Mr. Lâm recounted: "Every cultural night featuring performances of Ví Dặm folk songs from Nghe An province was enthusiastically received by the locals. Many elderly people from Do Luong, Thanh Chuong, and Nam Dan who had settled here long ago and hadn't heard the songs of their homeland for a long time couldn't hide their emotions; after the performance, they even asked us to sing them again and again. And that's why we've stayed with the club from then until now."

Not only active within the commune, the Dong Hieu Folk Song Club has also made a name for itself after many successful performances at the town and regional levels. Currently, the club members can't even remember how many cultural and artistic festivals, the Lang Sen Festival, and the provincial folk song festivals they've attended. The club has received numerous valuable certificates and awards, such as: the A Prize for the "Dialogue and Love" performance at the provincial folk song club festival, the Silver Prize at the Nghe Tinh Folk Song Festival, and many other awards. Mr. Tran Van Hong, after 24 years of actively contributing to the preservation and teaching of folk songs, has been honored with the title of Vietnamese Folk Artisan and is currently preparing his application for the title of "Outstanding Artisan". Since the club began operating, the grassroots cultural and information work of the commune has made significant progress, contributing to 12 out of 14 hamlets achieving the title of Cultural Village and aiming to become a Cultural Commune by 2015. In 2011, Dong Hieu was awarded a certificate of merit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for its outstanding achievements in organizing cultural and sports activities in the locality and has currently met 16 out of 19 criteria for new rural development.

Bidding farewell to the club members, we believe in the enduring vitality of the Ví Dặm folk songs. Because there are still people who are truly dedicated, people who truly yearn to make folk songs a source of spiritual nourishment for the entire community, like the members of the Ví Dặm Folk Song Club of Đông Hiếu commune…

Text and photos:My Ha