For generations, Then singing has become an indispensable cultural activity of the Tay ethnic people in Ha Quang district, Cao Bang province, especially in early spring.
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| Then singing artists in Ha Quang district. (Photo: TGCC) |
The smooth Then melodies blend with the Tinh Tau sounds, sometimes high-pitched, sometimes low-pitched, creating a poetic musical space. The melody is like a dialogue between heaven and earth and humans, filled with sincere and simple emotions. The lyrics not only connect humans with gods and ancestors, but also reflect the soul, conveying wishes for a peaceful and happy new year.
The beauty of Tay culture
Then singing is a synthetic art form, crystallizing many elements such as literature, music, fine arts, dance and folk performance, carrying profound historical, cultural and social values. The Tay people in Ha Quang district often sing Then melodies on important occasions, especially village festivals, family and clan prayers every New Year.
Then singing in each region has the same pitch, but the way of singing is slightly different and the lyrics have many variations to suit the characteristics and customs of each locality.
Artisan Be Thi Bich Do in Ha Quang district said that the Tay ethnic people have some popular types of Then such as: Then cau mong (a happy type of Then, singing about love songs, historical songs, usually held in January every year; people often invite grandparents with good singing voices to their home to perform the ceremony to pray for peace and luck); Then cure disease (people believe that Then has the function of encouraging, comforting, soothing, and healing the pain of the sick).
In addition, Then singing also has other forms such as Then song tong tien, often performed when a family member passes away, to send the deceased's soul out of the house, avoiding affecting the living; Then song of joy and congratulations appears in important events, especially in wealthy families in the past, with the purpose of blessing, praising and praying for luck; Then trung le and dai le cap sac are important rituals, usually taking place every three to five years to grant sac to Then masters. If the homeowner does not have the conditions to organize the grand ceremony on time, they can perform trung le - a simplified form, only inviting a Then master to perform the ceremony with incense, fruits and offerings to the soldiers and ancestors, and at the same time asking to postpone the grand ceremony until the next time.
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| Children in the singing class of artist Be Thi Bich Do. (Photo: TGCC) |
Spreading Then melody
Over the years, the leaders of Cao Bang province and the people have always paid attention to preserving, developing, promoting and honoring the Then melody. The Then singing festival was organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Cao Bang province three times in 2017, 2019 and 2022. In particular, the Then singing and Tinh lute performance with the participation of 1,000 artisans, actors and Tay ethnic children at Ban Gioc Waterfall set a Vietnamese record, contributing to the widespread promotion of this art form.
Particularly for Ha Quang district, Then singing has been included in Resolution No. 03-NQ/HU dated April 23, 2021 of the Executive Committee of the Ha Quang district Party Committee (term XX) on developing services and tourism in Ha Quang district for the period 2021-2025 and Resolution of the 2nd Congress of Delegates of the Association for Preserving Folk Songs of Ethnic Groups of Ha Quang district for the term 2023-2028.
Mr. Hoang Van Khanh, an officer working at the Culture and Communication Center of Xuan Hoa town, Ha Quang district, shared: “The district’s Department of Culture and Information is building a mechanism to encourage and honor artisans who have contributed to preserving and teaching traditional arts. At the same time, the locality also guides hamlets and villages to collect folk cultural materials, including Then singing, to build performance programs to serve the community. This is not only a task but also contributes to raising awareness of preserving national cultural heritage.”
Recently, the Ha Quang District Cultural and Communication Center opened a Then class at Xuan Loc and Xuan Dai groups in Xuan Hoa town, led by artisan Be Thi Bich Do. The class currently has 21 students in the age group of 9-35 years old.
While teaching, the artisans incorporated historical and cultural stories, the origin of Then singing, or the legend of the Tinh lute and how to make it, which made the students very excited.
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| Artist Be Thi Bich Do. (Photo: TGCC) |
Concerns about preserving heritage
Cao Bang provincial leaders have paid attention to and invested heavily in the art of Then singing. However, according to many researchers, the value of this tune is gradually fading under the pressure of modern art forms. In particular, the indifference of young people while Then artists are getting older makes the risk of fading even more obvious. In addition, the State's support policy for artists is only at the level of encouragement, there is not enough funding to ensure the teaching and preservation of this unique art form.
Artist Be Thi Bich Do worries: “I am fortunate to have many years of experience and good skills in Then singing and Tinh playing, but all of them are passed down through family tradition, without going through professional training. What is worrying is that while the middle-aged and elderly generations are still enthusiastically accepting this heritage, the young generation is not really aware of the value of this heritage. The number of young students is still very small, mainly because of a lack of passion for traditional arts.”
She hopes that the State and relevant agencies will pay more attention and organize more Then singing festivals so that artisans have the opportunity to exchange and improve their skills, thereby promoting this art form more widely and attracting the attention of the younger generation.
For the art of Then singing to develop sustainably, it first requires the dedication of the artisans – the ones who preserve and breathe life into each melody. Collecting and restoring ancient Then melodies, while diversifying preservation methods on the basis of preserving the original value, is essential.
In Then regions, opening classes, establishing Then singing clubs and art troupes with regular activities will contribute to spreading and maintaining the vitality of this unique art.
The art of Then singing is imbued with the oral folk performance culture, in which artists play an important role in training the next generation. To preserve and promote this art form, local authorities need to regularly organize conferences to honor artists, have reasonable remuneration policies, and at the same time build a long-term development strategy so that Then singing can exist and develop sustainably, without depending on economic factors. Investing in organizing Then singing festivals and performances from the provincial, regional to national levels will contribute to promoting exchanges and spreading artistic values in the community.
In particular, it is necessary to promote Then singing in the media, and integrate it into educational programs and extracurricular activities in schools. This is not only a way to raise awareness but also to foster a love of traditional art for the younger generation with Then singing in particular and other folk art forms in general.
Then singing appeared around the end of the 15th century, the beginning of the 16th century during the Mac Dynasty. According to legend, among the mandarins of the Mac Dynasty, there were two men named De Phung and De Dang who loved music and singing. They created the Tinh Tau and established two singing groups to serve the royal court. Later, people found it interesting and imitated it, and it was passed down among the people. On December 12, 2019, the Then practice heritage of the Tay, Nung, and Thai people in Vietnam was officially recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. |
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nguoi-ha-quang-phat-huy-di-san-hat-then-306069.html
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