So that the Xoan folk song will continue to resonate.

Nurturing the legacy of our ancestors.

With its outstanding global values, on November 24, 2011, at the 6th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO held in Bali, Indonesia, the Xoan Singing dossier of Phu Tho province in Vietnam was recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of urgent safeguarding. On December 8, 2017, at the 12th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO, Phu Tho Xoan Singing was officially removed from the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of urgent safeguarding and became a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This is the first and only case in UNESCO's history. This event marked the initial success of Phu Tho province and the community that has strived and been determined to fulfill its commitment to protecting the Xoan Singing heritage in a state of need of urgent safeguarding, including the contributions of Xoan singing groups such as Xoan Thet group.

Artists from Xoan Thét ward perform Xoan singing.

Xoan singing is currently practiced in 18 communes across two provinces, Phu Tho and Vinh Phuc . Of these, 15 communes and wards belong to Viet Tri city and the districts of Phu Ninh, Lam Thao, Tam Nong, and Doan Hung (Phu Tho province), and 3 communes belong to the districts of Lap Thach, Song Lo, and Vinh Tuong (Vinh Phuc province).

In Phu Tho province, there are currently four established and active Xoan singing groups in Viet Tri city: An Thai Xoan singing group, Thet Xoan singing group, Phu Duc Xoan singing group, and Kim Dai Xoan singing group.

No one remembers when the Xoan Thét troupe was formed, only that Xoan has been deeply ingrained in the hearts of generations of people in Thét village for a very long time… Through the ups and downs of history, there were times when it seemed as if Xoan singing had lost its vitality, only remaining in the hearts of those performers deeply devoted to Xoan, like Mr. Điến, Mr. Mẫn, and Mr. Khả – those who quietly gathered the performers, practicing Xoan singing by oil lamp every evening to perform at festivals, village celebrations, or to perform when invited by sister villages. During those difficult years, the Xoan Thét troupe faced many hardships, and very few people remained dedicated to Xoan singing. At times, the entire troupe consisted of fewer than ten people. Funding usually came from the performers themselves, and when traveling far for performances, transportation was scarce, requiring days of walking to reach the performance venue. Nevertheless, the older generation of performers, such as Mr. Tiếu, Mr. Sủng, Mr. Phụng, Mr. Huê, Mr. Phúc, etc., remained passionate about singing and kept the flame of Xoan singing burning. In the early days of peace , life was still very difficult, but overcoming all obstacles, the few remaining performers of Xoan Thét troupe, driven by their love for Xoan singing, still harbored a deep desire to preserve and pass on the ancient Xoan folk melodies to future generations and the people of Thét village. During periods of agricultural inactivity, they would teach their children and grandchildren within their families and clans, and the Xoan songs spread from there to families and generations of villagers. The first generation of Xoan Thét troupe members were the parents, uncles, and aunts of the current members of the Xoan Thét troupe – the current leader of the Xoan Thét troupe, Meritorious Artist Bui Thi Kieu Nga, stated.

Xoan singing is not selective about its audience, so the number of people interested in learning and practicing Xoan singing is increasing. The Xoan Thét troupe at that time had about 25-26 members. Most of the members were farmers, hardworking and struggling, but they still voluntarily participated in the evening training sessions held at the troupe leader's house, and voluntarily contributed funds to support the troupe's activities, ensuring more frequent and continuous Xoan singing performances.

Throughout the period from 1998, when the Xoan singing club was established, to 2006, when the Xoan Thét ward was re-established based on the three original Xoan wards, Ms. Nguyen Thi Sung, Ms. Nguyen Thi At, Ms. Dao Thi Phung, Mr. Nguyen Si Tieu, Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Bao, and others became the pillars of the club. With their wholehearted dedication to Xoan singing, without demanding any compensation, they performed and undertook the important task of teaching and maintaining the club's activities. Later, due to their advanced age and inability to teach, these elderly artisans continued to serve as advisors to the ward. During this period, Xoan performances were not limited to festivals and village gatherings, but were also performed in neighboring villages such as An Thai, Kim Dai, Phu Duc, Hung Lo, etc., participating in folk song competitions and public arts events. In addition, the teaching of Xoan was also given great attention, with a wider range of learners, from the elderly to young people.

"In 2009-2010, when the State was compiling the dossier for the Xoan singing heritage, the elderly people in the ward, who possessed the knowledge and skills of ancient Xoan singing and had many years of experience performing Xoan singing, enthusiastically helped, providing knowledge about Xoan singing, Xoan melodies, re-enacting ancient Xoan tunes, and mobilizing members to actively participate in completing the dossier through activities such as performing Xoan singing at communal houses and temples, participating in film shoots in other localities, and performing at workshops on Xoan singing… contributing significantly to the preservation and restoration of Phu Tho's Xoan singing with the hope that Xoan singing will reach a wider audience," shared Meritorious Artisan Bui Thi Kieu Nga.

Dao Xoan singer Le Thi Hoa and the leader of Xoan Thet troupe Bui Thi Kieu Nga (from left to right)

Spreading the value of heritage

Continuing the legacy of their ancestors, the Xoan Thét troupe now has about 80 members, 20 of whom have been awarded the title of artisan by Phu Tho province. Each week, the artisans dedicate two evenings to training the younger generation. Currently, the Xoan Thét troupe has 30 successors under the age of 18 who are still learning to continue and preserve the Xoan singing tradition of their forefathers. Besides the spring festival, the troupe also performs cultural exchange shows in Bac Ninh, Cao Bang, Hanoi, and other locations; and performs for groups visiting the Hung Temple festival who stop by to enjoy the folk culture.

The members of the Xoan singing troupe mainly work in agriculture, as factory workers, taxi drivers, hairdressers, and spa owners. Driven by their passion and desire to preserve traditional art, they take advantage of their free time to participate in the troupe.

Just minutes before the performance, 39-year-old Nguyen Van Tuan, driving a taxi, quickly parked in front of the temple courtyard after a passenger. Dressed in a traditional Vietnamese long robe and headscarf, Tuan instantly transformed into a Xoan singer, taking on the role of drumming and leading the female singers. Tuan shared that because he loves Xoan singing and the unique beauty of this heritage left by his ancestors, he always makes time to participate whenever the troupe has a performance scheduled. According to Tuan, his love for Xoan singing has been ingrained in him since childhood. Following his father and uncle to the Xoan Thet troupe, listening to the melodies, the drums, and watching the dances, he gradually came to understand more about the beauty, the charm, and the specialness of Xoan singing.

Nguyen Van Tuan, the male performer of Xoan singing.

Meanwhile, 44-year-old Xoan singer Le Thi Hoa shared: "I absorbed Xoan songs from a young age. In 2013, when the commune started community classes, I registered to attend. In mid-2016, I went abroad for work, but the songs stayed with me. While working in Japan, I still missed Xoan singing very much, and occasionally I would open YouTube to learn or watch programs from my homeland." And at the end of 2022, just three days after returning to Vietnam, Xoan singer Le Thi Hoa resumed her activities with the Xoan singing troupe.

Not only Hoa, but her daughter, Le Thi Thao, also follows her mother to singing classes. Thao was born in 2006 and has been taken to rehearsals by her mother since she was three or four years old. According to Hoa, the little girl learned the melodies by heart from a young age. At home, if Hoa sings the wrong lyrics, her daughter will remind her to correct her.

Meritorious Artist Le Thi Nhan, 67 years old, said that in her family, her daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren all know how to sing. Even the youngest children, who can't read yet, can hum the lyrics and move along when they see their grandmothers and mothers performing. Meritorious Artist Nguyen Thi Nga has known how to sing Xoan folk songs since she was nine years old; her mother is also a Meritorious Artist in Phu Duc ward. After marrying and moving to Thet village, she continued to pursue the craft and passed it on to her children and grandchildren.

The heartfelt concern of the head of the Xoan folk singing troupe, Bui Thi Kieu Nga, is the desire to increase income for the members of the troupe so they can continue their passion for preserving the artistic heritage of their ancestors. The head of the Xoan folk singing troupe, Thet, stated: "For the Thet Xoan folk singing troupe, whenever there is a performance or cultural exchange, almost all members voluntarily contribute their time and effort. When performing for tourists, they receive a few hundred [Vietnamese Dong] as compensation, which is divided among the members as a small amount as encouragement. I am concerned and wish for funding for the Xoan folk singing troupes to operate. For the People's Artists and Distinguished Artists who have been awarded these titles, I hope the local authorities will have a policy of providing regular monthly support to motivate and encourage the artists to keep the flame of the craft alive and pass it on to the younger generation."

Source: https://toquoc.vn/de-cau-xoan-con-vang-mai-20240413235027779.htm