Special attachment in life
The proverb of the Tay and Nung people (meaning: The old man passing by hears the sound of the then wind/ Returning home, he turns into a young man...) shows that then is especially attached to life. Since ancient times , then has been born and existed naturally in the social life of the Tay, Nung, and Thai people. People often use then on occasions of moving into a new house, celebrating longevity, weddings, worshiping the midwife, warding off bad luck, praying for love, and receiving titles...
Artists perform Then heritage on stage in Paris, France. Photo: XB
The Tay, Nung, and Thai people believe that humans and all things have a body and a soul. Then is an important form of belief that connects these two elements, closely associated with human life from birth until death. In each Then ceremony, the Then master tells stories about the process of leading the Then army to offer offerings to the gates of the gods. Stories such as the story of Huong, the story of the fairy in the sky, the story of the ferryman, the Tam Quang market, the story of the village... Stories take place throughout the Then journey to bring offerings to the gates of the gods. Each story reflects an event, a piece of life that is both magical and familiar.
Having been involved with rituals and Then melodies for decades, Meritorious Artist Chu Thi Hong Van, Bac Ninh , shared that in the daily life of the Tay, Nung, and Thai people, the sounds of the Tinh lute and the sound of the Soc Nhac have penetrated the consciousness of many generations. It is not only an art but also a sacred ritual.
“Then rituals attract many people to come and watch and participate. Sometimes they themselves are intoxicated by the songs and sounds of Tinh instruments. Everyone listens attentively to the stories expressed through the Then master’s singing and sees the history of their nation in it. After each ritual, there is joy and satisfaction both spiritually and culturally,” said Meritorious Artist Chu Thi Hong Van.
Opening up new directions
Not only does it carry religious values deeply rooted in life, becoming a custom in community activities, the then practice of the Tay, Nung, and Thai people also preserves many other art forms such as music , dance, folk songs, and fine arts that reflect people's lives in historical periods. This can be considered a priceless folk cultural treasure, helping us to learn and research about history, culture, art, and ethnic psychology... However, as life becomes more and more modern, these values are facing great challenges, as the traditional performance environment is shrinking and the performing artists are increasingly fading away.
One of the biggest changes of then in the digital age is the expansion of practice space, spreading great value. Source: BTQ
Faced with the above situation, the story of preserving Then is no longer limited to the old way of transmission but is opening up new directions. Artist Xuan Bach, Viet Bac College of Culture and Arts, has long been concerned with promoting the value of Then heritage. On the one hand, he has deeply researched, collected, restored and innovated approaches to bring Then singing and Tinh lute closer to young people. On the other hand, he and other artists bring Then to the stage, participating in domestic and international performance programs.
“Spreading the value of Then means bringing good things that are easy to touch people’s hearts so that we and our friends from all over the world can know the unique features of Then singing. That is why Then can fly high and far in all regions and be preserved and conserved by generations,” said artist Xuan Bach.
When Then practice was included in the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 12, 2019, it opened up opportunities for Then to integrate into the flow of contemporary life. In particular, the 2024 Law on Cultural Heritage also stipulates management principles, prioritizing the allocation of state budget for activities to protect and promote the cultural heritage values of ethnic minority and mountainous communities. This is the basis for provinces such as Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, Lai Chau ... where many Tay, Nung, Thai people live to have solutions to preserve and promote Then heritage.
From here, the development of new Then and ancient Then exist together, complementing each other, both preserving and promoting national culture. Then is brought into schools, performed in offices, tourist areas, festivals... In particular, one of the changes of Then in the digital age is the expansion of the practice space, from the sacred space of rituals, to cyberspace, creating a wide spread of values.
Like young artist Nguyen Van Huu, Bac Quang commune, Tuyen Quang province, born into a family with a Tay cultural tradition, passed down from his father and veteran artists, he has taken advantage of digital platforms to post videos of his performances of the Tinh lute and Then singing. The YouTube channel Xuan Huu Tinh lute currently has more than 50 thousand followers, and the TikTok channel also has more than 12 thousand followers. Xuan Huu's videos are all associated with mountain scenery, ethnic people, Then singing, Tinh lute... attracting tens of thousands of views, comments, and shares...
“In the videos, I always keep the original Then but choose to tell it in a modern, easy-to-understand way. Dramatization or digital platforms cannot replace traditional performance spaces, but I believe that it is still a useful tool for the Then heritage to reach many people,” artist Nguyen Van Huu proudly said.
Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/bao-ton-va-phat-huy-di-san-then-trong-doi-song-duong-dai-10397134.html
Comment (0)