Among the genres of Vietnamese folk songs, few are as closely associated with dialect as the Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs.
The simple, rustic but profound and passionate Vi and Giam melodies have created a unique language, reflecting the rich, diverse and multi-faceted inner life of the people of Nghe An.
After 10 years of Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs being recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on November 27, 2014, preserving and teaching Vi and Giam folk songs has become one of the practical activities to preserve and promote the value of the heritage.
Thereby, contributing to fostering the love of Vi and Giam of each Nghe An resident, at the same time making the value of Vi and Giam folk songs increasingly spread and have lasting vitality in contemporary life.
A long life
Although it is not yet known when the folk songs of Vi and Giam Nghe Tinh first appeared, cultural researchers all affirm that this song originated from the community life of the people of Nghe An and Ha Tinh for a long time, becoming a folk culture, a precious cultural heritage of the homeland with deep love for the land and people.
Because Vi and Giam folk songs are a type of folk art, it is not easy to determine exactly when they were born. However, through many different sources of documents from scholars, researchers, collectors, musicians, etc., it can be seen that from the 17th to 18th centuries, Vi and Giam singing developed strongly and became a popular form of folk performance in the community of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, attracting the participation of many different social classes.
According to Associate Professor Ninh Viet Giao, the singing of the fabric guild has existed for hundreds of years, with the participation of both laborers and scholars and teachers. From the 19th century to the mid-20th century, Vi and Giam folk songs were widely circulated and formed a number of centers with the active participation of scholars and patriotic intellectuals such as Phan Boi Chau, Vuong Thuc Quy, Bui Chinh Lo, Dang Van Ba, Nguyen Thuc Canh, Le Vo, etc.
From a form of folk art of the working people, with the "carving" and editing of many generations of artisans over time, the participation of Confucian scholars, famous scholars, and scholars, Vi and Giam folk songs have been increasingly perfected, with tight structure, sophisticated words, and refined rhymes to become an attractive art form with high artistic value.
According to legend, the great poet Nguyen Du participated many times in the singing contests of the fabric guild in Truong Luu village with famous artists Nguyen Huy Tu and Nguyen Huy Oanh, with his mark still recorded in "Thac Loi Trai Phuong Non."
Nguyen Cong Tru, Dinh Viet Than, Dang Thai Than, Phan Boi Chau... were also great singers in the fabric singing guild.
During the resistance war against French colonialism and American imperialism, Vi and Giam folk songs began to transform from folk performances to artistic performances in the form of storytelling, antiphonal singing, and animated singing in mass cultural movements.
Some typical folk songs and performances include “Ngo khoai tranh dau,” “Hoi ai quan chinh,” “Truyen thot thap,” “Giat tuoc ben lieu ben Ben Thuy,” “Giat tuoc ben thuy,” “The greener the shirt, the more durable the brown shirt”…
Vi and Giam folk songs are also a source of inspiration for poets and musicians who have created contemporary musical works, songs and plays performed on stage.
Many songs have become timeless classics thanks to the exploitation of folk music from Nghe An, such as “Xa khoi” (Nguyen Tai Tue), “A song of the heart of a Ha Tinh person” (Nguyen Van Ty), “Vo wharf Lam afternoon” (Tran Hoan), “Giua Mac Tu Khoa nghe cau ho vi dam” (Tran Hoan), “Ha Tinh we love” (An Thuyen), “Khuc hat song song que” (Nguyen Trong Tao)…
Talking about the musical characteristics of Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs, the late musician An Thuyen said that there are two main characteristics - one is the sadness reaching "to the bottom", and two is the folk songs have the best lyrics.
Vi and Giam folk songs are the soul and character of Nghe An people.
Vi and Giam are the voice of the heart, the breath, and the character of the Nghe Tinh people. Therefore, it is not surprising that since ancient times, this folk art form has been deeply rooted in the thinking and living habits of the Nghe An and Ha Tinh communities, creating unique and unmistakable features of the Nghe people.
Associate Professor Ninh Viet Giao once commented on the Vi and Giam melodies: “… as smooth as silk, as light as silk, warm and melodious, echoing from the villages, spreading throughout the fields and trees.”
Writer Nguyen Quang Vinh once wrote: Vi and Giam are therefore the soul of the people of Nghe An: Hard-working but still soaring, poor but still romantic, arduous but still heroic, deprived but still generous, worried but still leisurely...
The sound of Vi and Giam melodies from Nghe An is like glue, like magic, like storms, like clouds and waves, easy to bury, easy to bury, easy to twist, addictive, love-inducing, hurt-inducing, like "poison" of love...
Experts estimate that there are about 15 Vi melodies and 8 Giam melodies named after the context of life, work, and occupation, such as Vi phuong vai, Vi do dua, Vi phuong cay, Vi leo non, Giam ru, Giam ke, Giam ve...
Among them, some typical works are “Gian ma thuong,” “Hat quyen,” “Dai thach,” “Tu hoa,” “Xam thuong,” “Xam cho,” “Mont nang hai suong,” “Tinh dem nghia trong,” “Em troi van,” “Khoc cha,” “Cuc doi buon tro,” “Ai thuu trai,” “Con coc,” “Lap loi,” “Deo bong,” “Khen thay tai,” “To dan,” “Uat uc,” “Buom intoxicated with flowers,” “Chong chen,” “Long phi long sung,” “Voi hoi dong xuan,” “Dang nguoi tuc ngu,” “Dang oi sit up and see.”
One of the outstanding features of Vi and Giam singing is that it always has a profound educational value, going straight to the point, contributing to educating people about ethics, morality, love for humanity, compassion, etc., guiding people towards truth, goodness and beauty.
Vi and Giam Nghe Tinh is a singing style that is both spontaneous and has specific procedures and rules; it shares local characteristics in terms of scale, mode, rhythm, melody and voice, and is performed in three forms: solo singing, antiphonal singing and song singing.
Hat Vi is a type of folk song that is sung in response between men and women, in the form of chanting and singing using the method of popularizing folk poetry. Hat Vi is usually sung freely, without rhythm or beat. The expressiveness of Hat Vi depends on the situation, space, time and temperament of the singer.
Therefore, the Vi tune sometimes sounds immense, deep, wistful, fluttering, passionate, affectionate, and sometimes witty, humorous, and youthful. There are many different types of Vi such as: Vi Phuong Cay, Vi Phuong Cua, Vi Phuong Non, Vi Do Dua, Vi Phuong Vai...
Giam is similar in meaning to Giam lua, Dien nan, is a singing style using fables and five-word verses. Unlike Vi, Giam is a singing style with clear rhythm, strong and weak beats, internal and external beats with two main melodies: chanting and speaking.
Giam is rich in narrative, self-love, telling, advising, explaining, expressing, and sometimes witty, humorous, satirical, ironic, and lyrical love. There are many different types of Giam such as Giam Ke, Giam Noi, Giam Ve, Giam Nam Nu, Giam Cuu Quyen, Giam Lullaby, Giam Xam... with two performance forms: Giam Ve and Giam Nam Nu.
Unlike some other types of folk songs that are closely associated with a space and time of performance, especially with festivals, Nghe Tinh folk songs in general and Vi and Giam in particular are sung by Nghe people regardless of time, almost all year round.
In the fields, in the midst of the busy farming season - pulling up seedlings, planting, plowing, harvesting; in the forest during trips to collect firewood, burn charcoal, and pick bamboo shoots; on the Lam and La rivers when the boat is going up and down or rowing freely; on bright moonlit nights or at night in many villages... the sound of Vi and Giam singing always resounds, sometimes gently and passionately, sometimes solemnly and deeply, sometimes melancholy and sorrowful, sometimes humorous and witty...
A special feature of Vi and Giam that is completely different from other folk music genres such as Cheo, Tuong, Quan Ho... is that when performing Vi and Giam melodies, the actors not only have to sing the melodies well, but also have to compose the lyrics themselves.
Because the lyrics are composed quickly for response, it requires the actors to have literary talent, the ability to improvise, as well as profound knowledge of words, history, philosophy and life. The lyrics of Vi and Giam are composed from the singer's heart, and the soulful melodies are the charm of Vi and Giam.
It can be seen that Vi and Giam folk songs have a strong vitality. That vitality does not only exist in the past, but until now it is still constantly growing and developing in the souls of the people of Nghe An today. That is why the people of Nghe An have a famous saying: "When the people of Nghe An lose their voices, then Vi and Giam folk songs will be lost."
To keep Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs forever alive and shining
Overcoming the changes of time, Vi and Giam folk songs still affirm their eternal vitality. The quintessence of Vi and Giam folk songs becomes the source of contemporary songs.
Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs are the artistic quintessence not only of the people here but also of the whole country of Vietnam, contributing to preserving the ancient cultural capital of the nation, making the spiritual life of Vietnamese people more diverse and rich.
Over the past 10 years, along with the investment of resources (both human resources and funding) in restoring, collecting and researching ancient Vi and Giam folk songs, the Nghe An - Ha Tinh cultural sector has had long-term programs and projects for the development of representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Not only searching, discovering, nurturing and nurturing Vi and Giam folk singing talents for transmission and inheritance, the province has also had many policies to encourage and create conditions for Vi and Giam clubs to form and develop. Currently, the whole province has 130 Vi and Giam folk singing clubs and 48 recognized Vi and Giam folk singing artists.
Along with organizing annual competitions and festivals, the Department of Culture also coordinates with the Department of Education and Training to bring folk songs into schools, organize student competitions with Vi and Giam folk songs; build performance spaces, invest in developing the Center for preserving and promoting Vi and Giam folk songs; organize competitions to compose folk melodies, promptly commend and honor artists and artisans who have contributed to Vi and Giam.
The functional sectors of the two provinces have also made efforts to bring Vi and Giam back to the daily lives of the people. Many years ago, the Vi and Giam Folk Song Conservation Center (now the Provincial Traditional Arts Center) sought to restore the performance space throughout the province. Typical examples are Vi Phuong Vai, Vi Phuong Non, and Vi Do Dua in many villages where there are craft villages for spinning silk, weaving cloth, and making hats.
As part of the roadmap to promote and develop Vi and Giam folk songs, Nghe An has organized and coordinated the organization of 4 Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk song festivals at the provincial and inter-provincial levels in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018.
In 2023, the 5th Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam Folk Song Festival is an important activity in the series of activities of the Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam Folk Song Festival - the first event held in the two provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh. The most obvious thing is that each Festival is a big festival for the people of the two provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, attracting dozens of clubs and hundreds of artisans and actors to participate in composing and performing.
Many talented young faces have also emerged from the festivals, such as Ha Quynh Nhu (Yen Thanh), Nguyen Cong Phuoc, Nguyen Tra My, Le Khanh Vy (Vinh city), Le Cong Anh (Nam Dan), Nguyen Thi Thanh Xuan (Thanh Chuong)... many of whom have become professional actors and singers.
To look back on the 10-year journey of preserving, conserving and promoting national cultural heritage, from November 22 to 30, 2024, a series of cultural events and activities were jointly organized by the two provinces of Nghe An - Ha Tinh and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The event is expected to bring an important mark and turning point for Vi and Giam to continue to expand. The highlight is the art television show “Doi bo Vi and Giam”, taking place on the evening of November 27, 2024, with the participation of many famous artists and singers.
With a strong source of life from many generations until now, the Vi and Giam folk songs have always been promoted and preserved in the hearts of every Nghe An resident and will live forever./.
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