Ca tru penetrates the blood

Along with Tan Hoi rowing boat and Ba Giang kite festival, Thuong Mo ca tru is one of the three typical folk cultural addresses of Dan Phuong district (Hanoi city). According to the remaining genealogy and royal decree, in the 17th century, under the Le Trung Hung dynasty, Thuong Mo commune had an outstanding daughter of the Nguyen Duy family named Nguyen Thi Hong. With her intelligence and virtuous character, she was allowed by the king to enter the palace, take charge of the concubines and teach music in the inner palace, especially teaching ca tru singing to serve the great ceremonies. Therefore, she was known as the "queen of ca tru".

Later, the second concubine Nguyen Thi Hong returned and taught Ca Tru to the descendants of the family. From here, the Nguyen Duy family produced many generations of Ca Tru masters. Among them, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam (born in 1950) is a typical artist, dedicating her whole life to and contributing to the heritage of her homeland.

At her "rare" age, People's Artist Nguyen Thi Tam still impresses with her powerful voice and skillful technique, from the way she emphasizes and holds her breath in her throat to the delicate way she enunciates words. In each song, she skillfully applies the singing style of "pouring seeds" and "pouring ant"; sometimes it is shrill and delicate, sometimes it is choked and sobbing, like a deep confession, penetrating the hearts of listeners.

People's Artist Nguyen Thi Tam sings the song "Sending a letter". Video: Hai Ly

The artist said that her parents and brothers were all great singers and actresses, so from a young age, she was immersed in the melodies of Ca Tru. “At that time, although I did not fully understand Ca Tru, I loved it very much, always looking forward to the night so that my mother could come home from performing and teach her how to sing. I sat close by, happily watching my mother in her professional outfit (bamboo inside, black silk shirt outside, pure white pants), listening to each verse, then swaying along. When she slept, my mother would tap the beat on my stomach, and when I woke up in the morning, when I lit the stove, my hand would unconsciously hold a stick to practice the beat,” Ms. Tam recalled.

After more than 400 years, in Thuong Mo commune, the descendants of the Second Royal Concubine Nguyen Thi Hong, including People's Artist Nguyen Thi Tam, are preserving the tradition of singing Ca Tru every day. Photo: NVCC

At the age of 8, Tam followed her mother to perform at village temples and theaters in Hung Yen, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An... By the age of 12, she had mastered 36 traditional Ca Tru styles, from "Thet Nhac", "Ngam Vong" to "Ty Ba", "Bac Phan". Just like that, Ca Tru became ingrained in her blood, becoming an indispensable part of Tam's life at that time.

Preserving the soul and beat of Ca Tru in the Doai region

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, Vice Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Thuong Mo commune, said: During the period of 1945-1975, due to the influence of the two resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism, ca tru performances gradually became scarce, artists had few opportunities to perform, causing Thuong Mo ca tru to have a period of silence.

In 1999, artist Nguyen Thi Chan (Mrs. Tam’s mother), who was considered the “soul” of the Thuong Mo Ca Tru tune, passed away. The passing of Mrs. Chan sounded the alarm about the risk of losing the traditional tune here. Because the next generation at that time only had Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tam and Mr. Nguyen Duy Sach (Mrs. Tam’s brother).

“Before she passed away, my mother held my hand and told me to preserve this art. Then, she recited each ancient tune for me to copy, then gave me the set of clappers that had been with her all her life. Holding my mother’s keepsake, I am determined to preserve the legacy that my ancestors left behind,” artisan Nguyen Thi Tam said emotionally.

Since then, every day, the people of Thuong Mo have seen a small, persistent woman knocking on doors, encouraging people to learn Ca Tru. Ms. Tam said that Ca Tru is a difficult art form to listen to, difficult to learn, and difficult to sing. The lyrics of Ca Tru are ancient, the melody is solemn, and evokes old feelings, not suitable for young people. Therefore, at first, many families were hesitant and did not want their children to learn it. But with her perseverance and dedication, she gradually convinced many people.

“At first, not everyone felt the beauty of Ca Tru, but when they saw their neighbors sending their children to study, they also let them go, simply because they thought the children would be less naughty. However, over time, the children gradually understood and loved Ca Tru without realizing it. The class gradually became more crowded,” Ms. Tam proudly said.

When the club was first established, Ms. Tam had to spend her own money to rent costumes for members to perform, and even support money to encourage young people to join the club. Photo: NVCC

Further motivating her, in 2003, the People's Committee of Thuong Mo Commune decided to establish the Thuong Mo Ca Tru Club. Ms. Tam shared: “Initially, the Thuong Mo Ca Tru Club only accepted descendants of the Nguyen Duy family to preserve the profession. But I thought, if it was only kept within one family, Ca Tru would soon disappear. To preserve it, it must be spread. Therefore, that same year, I decided to break the rules and teach everyone, regardless of whether they were inside or outside the village, as long as they truly wanted to learn and stick with this art.”

After more than 20 years, up to now, Ms. Tam has taught nearly 100 students. The club always maintains 30 members, aged from 6 to 80 years old, many of whom have become Meritorious Artists (NNUT), Folk Artists of Ca Tru. Ms. Tam began to smile when she saw 11, 12 year old girls, sitting cross-legged on flower mats, their hands beating the rhythm and starting to pronounce words and sentences: "Hong hong, tuyet tuyet, just yesterday you still didn't know anything..."

Every Saturday and Sunday evening, Mrs. Tam's house is filled with singing. Photo: NVCC

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, Vice Chairwoman of Thuong Mo Commune People's Committee, proudly said: "Thanks to the dedication of artist Nguyen Thi Tam, Thuong Mo Ca Tru has not only revived but also expanded. From a melody that was once at risk of being lost, it has now resounded on many domestic and international art stages such as the US and China, and has won many awards from the district to national level."

Spreading the quintessence of Ca Tru Thuong Mo

In 2009, the art of Ca Tru was recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. As someone who has devoted her life to Ca Tru Thuong Mo, artist Nguyen Thi Tam always strives to preserve and develop so that her homeland's heritage flows forever in contemporary life.

To maintain the Thuong Mo Ca Tru Club, Ms. Tam opened classes every Saturday and Sunday evening. When there were few students, she taught at home; when there were many, the class moved to the village communal house to have more space. She taught singing to the female singers, guided the players on how to play the Dan Day, and also taught the technique of the Chau drum.

“Young people today have many types of music to listen to, while Ca Tru is difficult to learn and difficult to feel. Therefore, to help children learn, love and stick with this subject, I always try to create the most comfortable learning environment. When teaching, I guide them in each way of breathing and pronouncing words, and at the same time tell stories about the history and meaning of the song so that they understand, gradually become passionate and voluntarily pursue it,” Ms. Tam emphasized.

With her outstanding contributions to preserving and promoting the nation's intangible cultural heritage, in 2015, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam was honored to receive the title of Meritorious Artisan by the President. In 2022, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam was recognized as a People's Artisan.

Folk artist Nguyen Manh Hung, Vice President of the Thuong Mo Ca Tru Club, said: “Mrs. Tam has devoted all her heart to preserving and developing Thuong Mo Ca Tru, inspiring the love of this art form for many generations. Her efforts have given the next generation like us the responsibility to continue. Therefore, the Club and I will continue to maintain the class, strive to pass on the passion to the younger generation, so that Ca Tru will forever resonate.”

People's Artist Nguyen Thi Tam always strives to bring Ca Tru closer to the young generation. Photo: NVCC

According to information from the People's Committee of Dan Phuong district, in order to implement Plan No. 55/KH-UBND dated February 18, 2022 of the Hanoi People's Committee on preserving and promoting the value of intangible cultural heritage of the City until 2025, and Plan No. 242/KH-UBND dated September 19, 2023 of the People's Committee of Dan Phuong district, the district will organize a Ca Tru teaching class in 2025. The class takes place from March to December, taught directly by People's Artist Nguyen Thi Tam, with a scale of 30 students per session.

Thanks to the dedication of People's Artist Nguyen Thi Tam, Ca Tru Thuong Mo has not only been revived but also passed down to many generations. The seeds she has planted today are the foundation for Ca Tru to continue to be preserved, spread, and affirm its position in contemporary life.

Article and photos: TRAN HAI LY

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/cuoc-thi-nhung-tam-guong-binh-di-ma-cao-quy-lan-thu-16/nghe-nhan-nhan-dan-nguyen-thi-tam-ca-tru-la-le-song-cuoc-doi-cua-toi-821192