Continuing the folk song tradition of the Ancestral Land

Folk songs in the homeland of the Ancestors have been passed down for many generations through lyrics, dances, poems or simply through stories told by grandmothers and mothers. From the plains to the highlands, folk songs and dances with their own characteristics of each locality, region and ethnic group are still preserved. There was a time when folk songs seemed to be lost and forgotten, however, with their love, responsibility and dedication, artisans and folk song lovers in the province still inspire day by day so that the source of national culture can be continued for future generations.

Members of the Xoan Singing and Phu Tho Folk Song Club of Phuong Vi commune practice before the performance.

Before Xoan singing was taught at Phuong Vi Parish, Cam Khe District, not many people in the commune knew about the folk songs passed down from their ancestors. In 2015, priest Nguyen Van Hanh decided to open a class to teach Xoan singing to parishioners in the parish and invited artist Nguyen Thi Lich to teach directly. For parishioners in Phuong Vi Commune, the melodies: Nhap tuc khiem cau Vua, Ha thoi cach, Xoan thoi cach, Do hue... were quite strange at first, but after a short time of being taught, they became proficient in both the lyrics and the dance.

Nearly 10 years have passed, and the ancient Xoan melodies are still practiced and performed regularly by many young people and children in the Xoan Singing and Phu Tho Folk Song Club in Phuong Vi Commune. Taking advantage of the summer or weekends, 45 members of the Club gather at the church and the cultural house of the area to practice the ancient Xoan melodies. Every time the drums and clappers beat and the singing of the actors and actresses, it creates a lively practice atmosphere.

Although she is the youngest member of the club, in the past 2 years since joining the club, Du Thao Ly, a 4th grade student at Phuong Vi Primary School, has become an outstanding singer every time she performs on stage.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong - Club President shared: “As the first provincial-level Xoan and folk song club of Catholics in the province, we have a special love for Xoan. The members of the club are mainly school-age children, who practice with a passion for Xoan and see their responsibility to protect the unique cultural heritage of the homeland. Along with singing hymns in the church, Phuong Vi parishioners have gone to the communal house to watch the performance of ancient Xoan melodies. The love for heritage has created an increasingly strong bond between religions.”

Mrs. Dinh Thi Lan in zone 18, Tu Vu commune, Thanh Thuy district still sings lullabies and teaches lullabies to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren every day.

“A a a oh/ Go to sleep, my dear/ Go to sleep, my dear/ Go to sleep so that grandma can go plant rice in the fields/ Go to sleep so that grandma can go harvest the fields/ Go to sleep so that grandma can go to the forest to get fruit for you to eat...”. These are the smooth lullabies in the U hay (Ru em) tune that have for generations become the spiritual food that nourishes the soul of every Muong child from the time they cry at birth until they grow up. Even though she is 92 years old, her eyes are dim, her legs are slow, her hands are shaking, but Mrs. Dinh Thi Lan in zone 18, Tu Vu commune, Thanh Thuy district still sings lullabies to her great-grandchildren every day.

He said: “In the past, life was difficult, there was no radio, no television, no music, only Muong folk songs to lull babies to sleep. My family has maintained singing lullabies for children through many generations. From my children's generation to my grandchildren's generation, I still sing lullabies every day. I also teach my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren those songs in Muong language with the desire to preserve the nation's lullabies for future generations.”

To preserve the lullabies of the Muong ethnic group, for many years now, 40 members of the Muong Cultural Heritage Conservation Club in Tu Vu commune have been teaching and practicing them. Each lullaby not only helps children fall asleep easily but also acts as a source of affection to nurture, warm the soul and shape the personality of children.

Ca Tru is a folk art preserved and practiced by the people of Binh Phu commune, Phu Ninh district.

Phu Tho - the land of origin, where there are many unique cultural heritages associated with the spiritual and cultural life of the Vietnamese people, possesses folk songs with strong regional identities. Typical ones include Xoan singing - a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity, in addition to Gheo singing, Trong Quan singing... Ethnic minorities in the province also have very typical folk songs such as: Rang singing, Vi singing, lullabies, Drum dance, Ho du... of the Muong people, Sinh ca singing of the Cao Lan people, Sinh tien dance of the Dao people...

Each type of music is accompanied by its own rituals, customs and practices, expressing the cultural beauty and community of the ethnic groups. At the same time, Phu Tho is also one of the provinces and cities spreading the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in need of urgent protection - Ca Tru is a representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity - Practice of the worship of the Mother Goddess of the Three Realms of the Vietnamese people. In particular, the melodious, lyrical, sweet and profound Xoan singing melodies have become a characteristic of the midland of the Hung King's Land. The whole province currently has 37 Xoan Singing and Phu Tho Folk Song Clubs attracting more than 1,600 members, thereby helping Xoan singing and folk songs to spread more and more widely in contemporary life.

To make folk songs in the homeland of palm forests and tea hills increasingly spread, creating lasting vitality in the community is not only the responsibility of those working in cultural work, artisans but also requires the responsibility of each citizen, contributing to creating a spreading force, nurturing the source, fostering love for the homeland, and national pride.

Hong Nhung

Source: https://baophutho.vn/tiep-noi-mach-nguon-dan-ca-dat-to-225405.htm