Struggling to keep the Xam language

One autumn morning, we returned to Quang Phuc village, Yen Tu commune, Ninh Binh province, one of the cradles of the art of Xam singing, associated with the name of artist Ha Thi Cau. In a simple house, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Man (daughter of Mr. Cau) was kindly instructing the children on the techniques of playing the two-stringed fiddle, tapping the senh, playing the mach drum and vibrating to the ancient Xam tune. Her voice rose passionately: "Ngai me sinh sinh, don't forget the merit of father Ngai me sinh sinh...". The ten-character Xam song "Ngai me sinh thanh" echoed throughout the village, poignant and affectionate.

Artist Nguyen Thi Man is passionate about teaching children the art of Xam singing.

Having been imbued with her mother's singing since she was young, Ms. Man did not spend much time learning to play and sing Xam. But what worried her was that if only middle-aged people preserved it, Xam would soon disappear. Therefore, she began teaching Xam to young children in the area, although it was not easy at first, because the young generation was attracted by many modern forms of entertainment. Ms. Man persistently "entices" her grandchildren and some neighborhood children to practice singing, and then the good news spread far and wide, parents from all over the area came to send their children to study. From there, the Ha Thi Cau Xam Singing Club was established in 2021.

Not only preserving and teaching Xam singing, the club has also become a place to nurture young talents. Many children have participated in music festivals in and outside the province, achieving encouraging results. Dinh Thuy Linh, 15 years old, is an example. In addition to a good singing voice, Linh can play many traditional instruments such as the two-stringed fiddle, drum, clapper, monochord, and zither. “The most difficult thing is to sing along to the ancient Xam melodies. In addition to studying at the club, I also listen to recordings by Ha Thi Cau on YouTube to learn from,” Linh shared.

About 5km away, the Kim Ngan Xam singing club was founded in 2014 by Meritorious Artist Pham Thi Kim Ngan, an excellent student of Ms. Ha Thi Cau. Since then, the club has attracted hundreds of students from 6 to 20 years old, organized dozens of classes, and contributed to bringing Xam back to community life. The club regularly participates in performances and music festivals, won many high prizes, and spread the love of Xam to students in schools. Meritorious Artist Pham Thi Kim Ngan shared: “Xam is very difficult to learn and difficult to listen to. Talented people need at least a year to sing; normal people may need 3 to 4 years. But each performance is an opportunity to bring Xam closer to the public, so that listeners can feel the humanistic beauty in each rustic sound.”

Multiply the number of people practicing Xam singing

Xam singing art in Ninh Binh is currently concentrated mainly in Yen Mo, Kim Son and Ninh Binh city (old), in which the most prominent are Yen Tu, Quang Thien and Hoa Lu communes and wards. Xam practitioners are divided into 3 groups: artisans and artists who can play, sing and teach; talented Xam lovers who learn and promote in the community; Xam-loving audiences who sing and spread the love of this art form.

In 2019, the People's Committee of Ninh Binh province approved the Project "Restoring, preserving and promoting the art of Xam singing in Ninh Binh province, period 2019-2022", with the goal of supporting clubs and artists, bringing Xam singing closer to the young generation, especially in schools. Along with that, the province organized an international conference on Xam singing, 3 extended Ninh Binh Xam singing festivals, creating an environment for exchange and experience sharing between artists, researchers and practitioners. However, according to a representative of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ninh Binh province, currently the whole province has only more than 30 artists and nearly 50 people practicing Xam singing regularly - a very modest number compared to other traditional art forms such as Cheo, Ca Tru, Hat Van.

Professor, Dr. Tu Thi Loan, Vietnam Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism, said: “The biggest difficulty of Xam singing today is the lack of a team of successor artists and changes in public taste. While modern, easy-to-listen music dominates the market, Xam is at a disadvantage. Without artists, there is no heritage. Strengthening and building a team of successor artists is the core to preserving Xam singing.”

From the reality of Xam singing clubs in Ninh Binh, many artists wish to receive more attention in terms of mechanisms and policies, creating favorable conditions for maintenance and teaching. Comrade Vu Thanh Lich, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ninh Binh province, said: "The province has coordinated to organize many seminars and festivals, inviting experts and scientists to consult to have a more comprehensive and in-depth view of Xam singing. We are looking for scientific and practical solutions to preserve and effectively promote this unique folk art form, so that Xam singing will forever resonate with time."

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/van-hoc-nghe-thuat/bao-ton-trao-truyen-nghe-thuat-hat-xam-trong-doi-song-duong-dai-1011354