Lo Lo Folk Songs - Heritage Sounds in the Stone Plateau

Lo Lo women in colorful traditional costumes, interacting at the Lo Lo Chai cultural festival.

The song resounds among the vast gray rocks

For generations, the Lo Lo people have lived in the communes of Lung Cu, Pho Bang, Meo Vac, and Son Vi, in the newly merged Tuyen Quang province. The Lo Lo people have two main branches: the Black Lo Lo and the Flower Lo Lo, each group has its own cultural nuances, but both have preserved their original and rich ethnic identity.

According to researchers, the Lo Lo people are descendants of the inhabitants who once lived in the ancient land of Nam Chieu, gradually migrating to the South thousands of years ago. Through many historical changes, they brought with them a rich cultural treasure - from colorful costumes, sacred harvest festivals, to folk songs rising from the heart of the mountains.

Smiles on the lips of Lo Lo women - the rustic and warm beauty of the highlands.

In the life of the Lo Lo people, singing is not only lyrics but also the "soul of the nation". They sing when going to the fields, when weaving, when welcoming guests, during festivals and to express their feelings. In Lo Lo Chai village, Lung Cu commune - known as the "village of the national flag", visitors often hear the echoes of ancient songs in festivals, by the flickering fire in the middle of the night on the plateau. The singing seems to blend into the rocks and mountains, creating a rhythm of life that endures over time.

Comrade Tran Duc Chung, Chairman of Lung Cu Commune People's Committee shared: Lo Lo folk songs are the cultural soul of the people, the link connecting generations. Lung Cu Commune is coordinating with artisans to collect, teach and bring folk songs into community cultural and tourism activities, helping the singing of the Lo Lo people continue to resonate far and wide.

Lo Lo children are dressed up to participate in traditional folk song and dance performances at the festival.

Song of love and village pride

The Lo Lo people have many folk melodies associated with life - from lullabies, wedding songs, songs for the harvest, love songs, farewell songs. On moonlit nights on the plateau, the young man calls out to his friend: "My dear, don't rush home, the moon hasn't set yet, I haven't finished singing my love songs..." And the girl's voice responds as clear as mist: "If your words are a stream, I will be a cloud drifting with the water, to fly with you to the end of the horizon for the rest of my life."

The songs are simple, without fancy words, but contain a rich and profound soul. Lo Lo folk songs do not need elaborate musical instruments, sometimes just the sound of clapping hands, the sound of stones hitting each other, the sound of wind passing through the cliffs is enough to create a characteristic sound - deep but bright, strong but soft.

Lo Lo girl in traditional costume.

In particular, in rituals, the Lo Lo people also use bronze drums - the sacred treasure of the nation. For them, bronze drums are not only musical instruments but also "the voice of ancestors", connecting the living with the world of spirits. In the Harvest Prayer Ceremony, the New Year Jumping Ceremony, the Ancestor Worship Ceremony... the sound of bronze drums resounds with folk songs, creating a sacred and magical space. The drum beat opens the song, like a source that awakens ancestral memories in the hearts of Lo Lo people.

Mr. Sinh Di Gai, Head of Lo Lo Chai village, a prestigious person in the community, shared: The sound of bronze drums and folk songs are the soul of the village. In the past, only during festivals or welcoming distinguished guests, did the elderly sing and beat drums to pray for a good harvest. Now everyone knows the lyrics, boys and girls practice singing and dancing together to introduce to tourists. We consider it a pride and responsibility to preserve the singing of our ancestors.

Lo Lo folk songs are often associated with work and daily life. The song inviting guests in the middle of the harvest season, the lullaby in the rainy afternoon, or the dialogue on a wedding night all contain subtlety and humanity. Each song and melody not only tells about love between couples but also conveys gratitude to heaven, earth, ancestors, and the hope for a bountiful harvest and a peaceful life.

Keep the song from the heart of the stone

In the Lo Lo people's folk culture treasure, folk songs and bronze drums are two rare heritages, reflecting the romantic soul and rich spiritual life of the community living in the rocky region. Folk songs are considered the voice of emotions, while bronze drums are the voice of beliefs - together they create the unique identity of this ethnic group.

Traditional folk song and dance performance space of Lo Lo people, attracting many tourists and locals to watch.

Every year, when spring comes to the villages in the far North, the Lo Lo people hold a festival to pray for a good harvest, set up drums, and sing songs to thank heaven and earth. In the flickering firelight, the singing and the drumming blend together, bringing listeners back to the ancient cultural roots of the nation. That singing is both a memory and an aspiration - the aspiration to preserve one's soul in the midst of modern life.

Visitors to Lo Lo Chai village (Lung Cu commune) are moved when hearing the locals sing:

"Remember, send your memories in your heart,
Remember, send remember day and night,
Remember in the heart of the rock,
Remember, always remember yourself…”

The song is simple but passionate, making anyone who hears it feel their heart calm down.

Ms. Tran My Linh, a tourist from Can Tho City, said emotionally: The singing of the Lo Lo people is truly moving. Simple, sincere, and full of emotion. That singing seems to bring me back to the original values, making me appreciate the simple things in life more.

Lo Lo children are radiant in traditional costumes attending the Lo Lo ethnic cultural festival.

Nowadays, along with the development of community tourism, the government and people are making efforts to preserve and promote Lo Lo folk songs. Many traditional singing classes have been opened in villages and schools. Folk song performances for tourists have become a unique cultural highlight of the Karst Plateau Global Geopark.

Comrade Tran Duc Chung, Chairman of Lung Cu Commune People's Committee affirmed: Lung Cu Commune is coordinating with specialized agencies to turn folk songs, bronze drums, and Lo Lo festival into typical tourism products. Because it is not only culture, but also the pride of the entire rocky plateau.

Amidst the rustling mountain winds and the overlapping grey rocks, the Lo Lo folk songs still resound like the heart of the great forest - gentle yet strong, simple yet profound. That song has transcended layers of time, becoming the "rock soul" of the plateau, an endless song about love, faith and the enduring vitality of the people of the far North Tuyen Quang region today./.

Article and photos: Duc Quy

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/du-lich/202511/dan-ca-lo-lo-thanh-am-di-san-giua-cao-nguyen-da-d7c3fb5/