On the origin of Nghe-Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs
(Baonghean.vn) - When talking about folk songs of Nghe An, people immediately think of Vi and Giam because they are the "specialties" of this land. Someone once commented: "Vi and Giam folk songs of Nghe-Tinh are two unique "local products".
That unique “native product” represents the wonderful combination of Vietnamese language with local dialect, Vietnamese folk songs with the rhythm of life, the rhythm of the sunny, windy, hard-working, brave countryside. From the cradle, the souls of Nghe An people have been bathed in poetry in the lullabies of their grandmothers and mothers. Growing up with nursery rhymes and folk songs, the folk songs are always associated with the life of making a living and the love of the homeland and couples. Simple but subtle, simple but smooth, optimistic but passionate, exciting but profound.
It can be said that Vi and Giam folk songs are an art form inspired by life. Vi and Giam melodies are created and passed down during the process of labor, production, and daily life associated with familiar spaces such as rice fields, mountains, rivers, wells, banyan trees, communal houses, etc. The simple but profound lyrics, full of dialect but no less sophisticated, concise and subtle, the passionate and lingering melody have comprehensively reflected the life, customs, emotions and character of the people of Nghe Tinh.
Vi and Giam folk songs may have been formed long ago in history, but it was not until the 17th and 18th centuries that they reached maturity with singing performances that had strict procedures and rules, as some folklore researchers have commented. Nghe folk songs have since then been like a sweet stream of milk that nourishes the souls and character of many Nghe people.
At the end of the 19th century, after the Nguyen Dynasty signed the agreement to cede three eastern provinces to France, Vietnamese society also experienced many changes, first of all the Van Than movement, then the Can Vuong movement. During this period, revolutionary Vi and Giam folk songs appeared in Nghe Tinh, reflecting these two uprisings. In addition, patriotic scholars in the late 19th and early 20th centuries had new perspectives and new directions of struggle, which was to use Vi and Giam folk songs as a fighting flag, arousing national pride, patriotism and calling on people to unite in the struggle. Among them were national heroes, famous sages, patriots, writers such as Nguyen Du, Nguyen Cong Tru, Phan Boi Chau, Ho Chi Minh...
By the end of the 20th century, Vi and Giam opera was born. This is a highly professional art form, with a tight artistic organization and modern stage organization. To this day, in contemporary literature, music, and stage art, Vi and Giam folk songs are still a source of life, an endless source of emotions for writers, poets, and artists to create new works...
References:
- International scientific conference: "Preserving and promoting the value of folk songs in contemporary society (the case of Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs)"Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 2014.
- Vinh City Local Language and Literature, Author Duong Xuan Hong (compiler), Vinh University Publishing House.
- About Nghe Tinh folk literature, Associate Professor Ninh Viet Giao, Nghe Tinh Publishing House, 1982.
- Article:“The vitality value of Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs”, Tu Thi Loan, Nghe An Culture magazine, May 29, 2015.
