Binh Hai village loves singing Cheo

The Binh Hai Village Cheo Club, Yen Nhan Commune (Yen Mo District) was established in 2008. The first people who laid the foundation for the club, some are now old, some are no longer here, but the passion for the ancient art is still preserved intact and passed on to today's generation.

Mr. Mai Truong Giang and Mrs. Kim Ngan were the first two people to establish the first Cheo singing club in Yen Mo district. Mr. Giang said that in Binh Hai village, everyone loves Cheo singing. His generation, and later generations, grew up with the gentle Cheo melodies of his grandmother and mother, and the deep guitar sounds of his father. Binh Hai people love Cheo and consider it an indispensable spiritual food in their daily lives. Adults and children can sing a few ancient melodies... On moonlit nights, during planting and harvesting days, Cheo melodies still echo in the distant fields.

With the desire to gather people who are passionate about Cheo and Cheo singing to preserve their homeland's Cheo, in 2008, people who are passionate about Cheo art established the Binh Hai Village Cheo Singing Club.

"Once we found people who shared our passion for Cheo, we started practicing ancient Cheo plays. This was both a way to preserve our homeland's Cheo plays and also to serve the needs of local people to enjoy the arts, especially during holidays, Tet or village festivals. At that time, there were about 15-16 people participating in the club and I was the chairman, Ms. Kim Ngan was the instructor," said Mr. Giang.

In the early days of its establishment, although there were still many difficulties, with the passion of the team members, they overcame them by working in the fields in the morning and practicing and performing in the evening. The village artists brought their songs and voices to encourage the spirit of enthusiastic production work, the spirit of joining the army of the youth classes, and to serve the national holidays. Although at the village level, the Binh Hai Cheo Club was very well organized: 1 team leader, 1 director, 5 musicians with instruments such as flute, monochord, two-stringed fiddle, drum, wooden fish and dozens of actors.

The plays that made the name of the Binh Hai village's Cheo troupe are: Quan Am Thi Kinh, Luu Binh - Duong Le; Tong Tran - Cuc Hoa...; in addition, there are dozens of Cheo stories, excerpts and hundreds of ancient Cheo verses that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Not only performing traditional Cheo plays, the people here also write their own works. Cheo melodies are like the breath of life with new songs, expressing love for the homeland, reflecting the real life of the people in the countryside rich in revolutionary traditions, loved and appreciated by many viewers. The Cheo team has truly become a strong unit in the local arts.

Binh Hai village loves singing Cheo — Traditional arts are passed down to the younger generation.

Ms. Tran Thi Lung, a member of the club, said: I have loved singing Cheo since I was a child. But when I got married, had children, and was busy with farm work, I rarely had the chance to sing or listen to other people sing. Therefore, when the Cheo Club was established, I was one of the first people to register to join. Being able to sing and dance has satisfied the nostalgia for Cheo of Binh Hai people. Although my husband and children do not know how to sing Cheo, they love Cheo very much. They are my most enthusiastic supporters.

A few years ago, due to his old age, Mr. Mai Truong Giang handed over the responsibility of leading the Binh Hai Cheo Club to younger people. In 2022, the Binh Hai Cheo Club also merged with another Cheo Club and changed its name to Yen Nhan Cheo and Xam Singing Club, with more than 20 members, chaired by Mr. Do Van Nguyen. Mr. Nguyen used to work in construction. Although the work was hard, since the Binh Hai Cheo Club was established in 2008, he still spent his free time practicing and performing with the Club.

"Singing Cheo calms the soul. All the hardships of making a living seem to disappear. After each performance, we feel more energetic to work better the next day. Fortunately, in a life that is often rushed and rushed, people would think that they would turn their backs on Cheo due to the strong penetration of modern music forms. However, in Binh Hai, Cheo is still cherished and preserved by the people. Some young people are just over 30, many families have 2 or 3 generations who know how to sing Cheo. In particular, we also organize classes to teach Xam singing to children in the area. Although they are new to this traditional art, they are very passionate about it," said Mr. Nguyen.

Just like that, "old bamboo shoots grow", generations passed on to each other to preserve this traditional art as a valuable asset of the village. They loved Cheo so much that, despite not receiving any salary or remuneration, and even having to spend their own money to buy musical instruments and costumes, they still sang enthusiastically for many years.

The stage of the Cheo troupe is just an empty plot of land or in the village communal house yard, but the audience in the commune packed it in. The audience's applause and cheers were heartwarming, adding strength and passion to the performers. Therefore, for generations, the people of Binh Hai in particular and Yen Nhan commune in general have been immersed in the traditional art environment.

When farming hours are over, the people of the fields put on new clothes to sing enthusiastically, transforming into fairy tale characters to relieve their worries and fatigue. The soulful rowing lyrics are like an endless source that seeps deep into the blood and flesh, nourishing the souls of many generations of people here.

Dao Hang - Minh Quang

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