48h rowing is a rare playground for young people who love traditional music.

Turn ideas into vivid reality

The story took place 10 years ago, but for Dinh Thi Thao and some of the founding members of Cheo 48h, it seems like it was just yesterday. Dinh Thi Thao - the project team leader recalls that in 2013, her team discovered that young people lacked playgrounds and environments to learn about traditional arts. Traditional arts such as Cheo, Tuong, Cai Luong or Ca Tru... were only performed at theaters and shown on TV at that time, and young people had almost no information about these arts, let alone love them.

From the common idea of ​​establishing a club for everyone to participate and experience together, Thao and her group of friends, after luckily winning the "My Idea 20" contest, received support from organizations including finance and media, to officially launch the 48h Cheo project.

With two sections "Cheo Discovery Month" and "Cheo Experience Week", through interactive activities about the origin, characteristics, and basic techniques of folk Cheo; practicing basic Cheo singing and dancing techniques under the guidance of Cheo artists; getting acquainted with Cheo costumes and musical instruments; visiting theaters, artists' practice places, and working at Cheo cradles... The Cheo 48h project, with the help of Folk Artist Dao Bach Linh, People's Artist Doan Thanh Binh (Cheo), Artist Nguyen Tuan Kha (Cheo) and Director Le Tuan Cuong (Director of Vietnam Cheo Theater),... quickly made a strong impression on young people, becoming a truly useful playground, helping them to both play and learn, and learn about the unique values ​​of Cheo in particular and folk music in general.

Members of the 48h Rowing group practice. Photo: NVCC

Good news spread far and wide, Cheo 48h continued to create many classes such as Xam 48h, Quan ho 48h... At the same time, the project also spread to schools such as the cooperation program with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities Hanoi, bringing traditional art from the communal house yard to schools, helping students have the opportunity to get closer to traditional art.

Not stopping there, Cheo 48h also reaches children and primary school students. Experience sessions on traditional art at Hao Nam communal house, or some short introductory courses on Cheo at 2 kindergartens in Hanoi... for children from 5 to 13 years old brought success beyond the expectations of the project team members. The specific results are a series of awards such as First Prize in the My Idea 20 Contest in 2014, Third Prize in the FBAIC Contest of Foreign Trade University in Hanoi, Top 10 startups with Kwai in 2015...

However, above all, the name of Cheo 48h has resounded far and wide, not only within the capital but also spread widely when successfully organizing nearly 30 courses with traditional art forms such as Cheo, Xam, Chau Van; more than 60 creative experience programs organized both in person and online, attracting the participation of more than 400,000 students and audiences at home and abroad.

Xam singing artist Khuong Cuong assessed that Cheo 48h is valuable and special compared to other music projects because it is carried out by young people who have absolutely no connection with music or research. Everyone knows that the majority of the current young generation is following trendy, modern music genres, and young people like Cheo 48 are very rare.

48h rowing spreads… Xam to everyone

In the blink of an eye, the 10th anniversary of the birth of the Cheo 48h project is approaching. The first members are now all grown up and of course under more pressure in terms of time, work or family… but the love for Cheo 48h remains intact. All of them are still full of enthusiasm, still passionate about their mission.

“The public’s knowledge of the Cheo 48h project helps us find a community where everyone can share their passion and build a community of young people who love traditional folk art. And later, when they come to the project to learn Cheo or other classes, it is not just out of curiosity, but they are looking for passion and somewhere a strong desire for traditional Vietnamese folk art” - Dinh Thi Thao, leader of the Cheo 48h group shared.

Compared to the early days, Cheo 48h is now smaller in scale, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, which limited the number of people participating in direct classes. However, the quality and participants of the project have expanded, with not only students but also working people. With experience after many training courses, some members of the project have now become "classroom teachers" instead of being assisted by real artists like before.

One example is the case of folk artist Ngo Van Hao - who has been with the project since 2016 and also the first time there was a Xam class. Currently, Xam is the most crowded class among the classes in the 48h Cheo project.

Folk artist Ngo Van Hao talks with students. Photo: NVCC

Having been involved with Cheo 48h for nearly 10 years, although Ngo Van Hao has now graduated from university and works as an accountant for a company, he and the members of the group are still trying every day to preserve and promote the artistic value of traditional music.

Up to now, Ngo Van Hao has “taught” many courses for those who love the art of Xam singing, and has also introduced this art in many performance programs in provinces and cities across the country, along with many other school art programs. Xam classes with diverse ages from children, teenagers, students to the elderly are not only immersed in the artistic space of traditional music melodies, but also learn for free.

“Currently, the core group has 6 members, all of whom are young people with very good Xam singing skills, many of whom are able to sing many art forms such as Quan Ho, Xoan, Chau Van... In addition, the number of students approaching and applying to join the Xam singing group is increasing day by day. In addition, the project also opens intensive classes for core members to exchange and practice together to improve their singing skills. Because the dream and ambition of young people is to affirm their mark, to bring traditional art closer to the public through their own way, truly creative and close" - Mr. Hao shared.

Ngo Van Hao believes that the difference of these classes is the approach. When coming to class, young people will return to the most ancient things, through oral tradition, ancient singing, and ancient performing forms.

Talking about the upcoming goals, Ngo Van Hao and the group members have been building a plan for the next long journey, to maintain the activities of community classes. At the same time, organize more talk shows, performances, and heritage film screenings to spread the value of love for Xam singing in particular and traditional Vietnamese folk art in general, thereby continuing to affirm that Cheo 48h is a truly useful playground for everyone, especially for young people who are passionate about traditional music.

Huu Ke - Dinh Trung

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/cheo-48h-san-choi-hiem-co-cho-gioi-tre-me-am-nhac-truyen-thong-post300109.html