The story of the Soọng Cô flame keepers.

As evening falls over the San Diu villages in Nam Hoa, the melodies of Soong Co still echo through the mountains and hills, like a conversation with ancestors and origins. To prevent these songs from fading into oblivion, some people have spent decades searching for, preserving, and passing on each melody to the younger generation…

Meritorious Artist Diep Minh Tai has spent 30 years collecting, translating, and preserving Soong Co songs.

Searching for the sounds of memory

Not music born for stage performances, Soọng Cô is an integral part of the San Diu people's lives. They sing while working, during village festivals, at gatherings, in love, or at farewells. Each verse is a story, each melody a slice of life.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu, who has been involved with Soong Co clubs in Nam Hoa for many years, recounts: "In the past, courtship singing nights could last from dusk until dawn. Hundreds of songs could be sung in a single night, each with its own unique melody. There were songs to greet the village and its people when visitors came; songs for moonlit nights; and songs expressing the love between couples. This repertoire preserved the customs, ways of thinking, and soul of the San Diu community through many generations."

Artisan Mieu Thi Nguyet passes on the Soong Co melody to her descendants.

However, like many other forms of folk culture, Soọng Cô is facing the risk of disappearing. Those who know the most songs are getting old, and those who truly understand the Sán Dìu language are becoming fewer and fewer. Young people growing up in modern life no longer have many opportunities to sit by the fire and listen to their grandparents sing as the previous generation did. Amidst this worry, there are still those who quietly keep the flame of their ethnic group's culture alive.

At the age of 80, Meritorious Artisan Diep Minh Tai still travels to places where the San Diu people live. Sometimes he goes by bicycle, sometimes by bus, or he is driven by his children and grandchildren. Many trips are just to meet an elderly person who knows a few traditional songs.

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That journey began in 1996. While researching for the recognition of Hang Pagoda as a national historical site, he stumbled upon many ancient songs and rituals of the San Diu people that were still preserved in folklore. From then on, he embarked on a nearly three-decade-long journey to collect, translate, and preserve these values ​​that were in danger of being forgotten.

The job was never easy. Some families absolutely refused to let him take the documents out of the house. Others only agreed to let him photocopy them, and he had to return them immediately. He was often suspected of being an antique dealer. But through sincerity and perseverance, he gradually gained the trust of the people. “I just thought that if we didn’t preserve them, this ethnic group would have nothing left. How could the archives of 54 ethnic groups be missing from the San Diu people?” he said.

For thirty years, he has diligently collected, translated, and preserved over a thousand ancient Soọng Cô songs. These are not just love songs, but also the memories of a community, layers of cultural sediment crystallized over time. What worries him most is not his own age, but the age of those who hold this treasure. The first Soọng Cô club he founded once had over thirty members. Now, most are over seventy years old, many are in declining health, and some have passed away.

When the flame is passed on

While Mr. Tài is a collector of precious memories, artisan Miêu Thị Nguyệt in Nam Hòa commune has chosen a different path: passing on the torch. She began practicing Soọng Cô when she was only thirteen or fourteen years old. The songs accompanied her throughout her childhood, naturally seeping into her soul like the voices of her parents, like the breath of her village. Upon retirement, with more time to reflect on the cultural values ​​of her people, she began diligently recording each song and dialogue in the Sán Dìu language, continuing her collection. She has preserved over a thousand songs. However, for her, even the most valuable books cannot replace someone who knows how to sing, understands, and loves the heritage of their ancestors. Therefore, instead of simply keeping it in documents, she decided to open free classes to teach it right in her local area.

The melodies of Soọng cô still resonate thanks to the dedication of those who have devoted their lives to preserving this heritage.

Then a special class was born. No blackboard, no neatly arranged desks and chairs, just a few children gathered around the elderly artisan. There, they learned to sing, to speak the San Diu language, to pronounce words, and to feel proud of their ethnic group. Three courses have been held, even though the number of students is small. Some dropped out midway because they had to travel far to school. Some needed a long time of encouragement from their families before they joined. Even so, Mrs. Nguyet never lost heart. "As long as the children keep coming to learn, I will keep teaching," she said.

In that small classroom was Hoang Anh Thu. From listening to her grandparents converse in the San Diu language, the little girl gradually fell in love with the language and traditional melodies of her ethnic group. Thanks to the dedicated guidance of Mrs. Nguyet, she can now sing her first Soong Co songs, knows how to dance, speaks her ethnic language, and understands more about her roots.

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Young talents like Anh Thu are the greatest hope of those who are preserving this heritage day by day. Both Mr. Tai and Mrs. Nguyet understand that simply keeping the flame alive isn't enough; they also need people to carry it on. Their biggest worry isn't that the younger generation won't know the lyrics, but that they'll know the lyrics but not understand the meaning, that they'll know how to sing but won't feel the soul of the heritage.

Evening falls again over the San Diu villages. The Soong Co folk songs still echo through the mountains and hills, blending with the wind and the rhythm of daily life. Within those melodies lies the dedication of those who have devoted their lives to preserving this heritage, and the hope that this cultural flame will continue to be passed on to future generations.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202606/chuyen-nhung-nguoi-giu-lua-soong-co-b7971a7/