'Keeping the fire' of Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk song heritage in contemporary life

After 11 years of being recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs are facing many challenges in contemporary life. However, thanks to the enthusiasm of those who "pass on the torch", this folk music genre is still preserved and strongly promoted in Nghe An - Ha Tinh.

The folk singing class at the Ngoc Son Commune Folk Song Club is a pioneering model not only in the former Thanh Chuong district but also a shining example throughout Nghe An province. Photo by Dien Bac.

A young artist with boundless passion.

“If you want to hear the heartfelt Ví and Giặm folk songs, come to my homeland, Nghe An…”, the warm, deep voice of Meritorious Artist Nguyen Tien Khoi (born 1972, Huong Khe commune, Ha Tinh province), emanating from his small room, blends with the melodious sound of the two-stringed fiddle, inviting us to immerse ourselves in his passion for Ví and Giặm folk songs. For over 40 years, Artist Nguyen Tien Khoi has diligently spread his passion for Ví and Giặm folk songs to generations, hoping that this genre of folk music will continue to flow like an unending stream.

Artist Nguyen Tien Khoi was born into a poor family in the remote mountainous region of Ha Tinh province. From a young age, he was a promising talent in the village's performing arts groups. From his mother's lullabies and the performances during the Mid-Autumn Festival, he was captivated and fell in love with folk music without even realizing it.

“After graduating from high school, I continued my studies in Ho Chi Minh City, learning piano, music theory, and singing. In particular, when I joined the Nguyen Du Arts Club, I met musician Tran Manh Chien – former Director of the Ha Tinh Cultural and Arts Training Center. If my hometown of Huong Khe nurtured my soul, then teachers like musician Manh Chien instilled in me a love for folk music that has led me to where I am today. The folk songs of the Vi and Giam genres are as deeply ingrained in me as my own flesh and blood,” Khoi shared.

Meritorious Artist Nguyen Tien Khoi not only sings well but also composes over 350 folk songs in the "vi" and "giam" styles. Photo by Hanh Nguyen.

Besides singing, artist Nguyen Tien Khoi has also written and directed hundreds of short plays, folk operas, poetic dramas, and epics for festivals, competitions, and events from the local to the national level. For him, folk songs and ballads not only serve his passion but also serve as an invaluable means of communication to convey the Party's guidelines, policies, and the State's laws, and to transmit necessary information and messages to the people.

He also serves as an advisor to all clubs, schools, organizations, and units inside and outside the province regarding programs featuring folk songs. In his journey to preserve, conserve, and promote the value of the Ví and Giặm folk song heritage of Nghe Tinh, Meritorious Artist Nguyen Tien Khoi has composed over 350 works, winning numerous prestigious awards.

Thanks to his tireless contributions, in 2013, Mr. Nguyen Tien Khoi was honored by the Vietnam Folk Arts Association with a certificate recognizing him as a Folk Artisan and a Medal for the Preservation of Folk Arts. In 2019, he was awarded the title of Outstanding Artisan by the President of Vietnam. He is also the first Catholic in Ha Tinh to be recognized as a Folk Artisan and Outstanding Artisan.

Artist Vo Thi Hong Van (wearing a yellow shirt and glasses) teaches folk songs (ví, giặm) to young children and members of the club she heads.

"The village teacher" of free classes

In the heart of Nghe An province, where folk songs and melodies flow like a refreshing stream through generations, there is a woman who quietly but persistently contributes to igniting the flame of passion and preserving the heritage of folk songs and melodies – that is People's Artist Vo Thi Hong Van, the "village teacher" of free folk singing classes, who inspires generations to follow the path of traditional music.

Born in 1965 into a farming family in Xuan Lam commune, Nghe An province, considered the "cradle" of Nghe Tinh folk songs (Vi and Giam), Vo Thi Hong Van showed a passion for folk music from a young age. Even during her village school years, she stood out as a talented performer. In 2009, after many years of active participation and significant contributions to the folk music movement, she proposed and launched the Ngoc Son Folk Song Club – a pioneering model not only in the former Thanh Chuong district but also a shining example throughout Nghe An province. At its launch, the club had only 24 members but quickly became a "common home" for folk song lovers, a place where songs imbued with the spirit of the countryside could be sung.

Besides organizing regular activities, the club also writes scripts and stages performances to promote social issues, while actively participating in competitions and festivals and winning many high awards. From those first steps, Ms. Hong Van gradually became the driving force behind many activities to preserve and promote the folk songs of Vi and Giam not only within the province but also extending to other provinces and cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang…

What's special is that for over 14 years, her small house at the Cau Ro intersection has become a "free folk song class," a class without blackboards or chalk, and without tuition fees, but filled with laughter and songs from adults and children. Every summer, her class has 20-30 children, whom she teaches wholeheartedly, from how to sing melodies like "vi do dua," "giam ve," and "giam ke," to performance styles and character portrayals.

With over 40 years dedicated to folk music, artisan Vo Thi Hong Van has collected and composed dozens of new songs and suites; opened more than 25 folk music classes with over 350 students; and made practical contributions to cultural and artistic movements at the local, regional, and national levels.

In 2015, she was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist, and in 2022, she became the only People's Artist in the field of intangible cultural heritage in Nghe An province. Not only that, she has also won many high prizes in folk song competitions… “I only hope that the folk songs of the Ví and Giặm genres will forever endure in the hearts of the younger generation. I will continue to sing and teach them until I can no longer sing,” she said.

For over 40 years, Artisan Nguyen Tien Khoi has served as an advisor to numerous schools, units, and organizations. Photo: Hanh Nguyen.

Solutions for spreading awareness

Although artisans like Mr. Nguyen Tien Khoi and Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Van are always striving to pass on and spread the Nghe Tinh folk songs (Vi and Giam) throughout the community, amidst the whirlwind of the times, this folk art form still faces challenges.

Ms. Phan Thi Anh, Head of the Heritage Management Department of the Nghe An Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, shared that while the preservation of Vi and Giam folk songs is currently under favorable conditions, it also faces numerous challenges. These include the fact that most artisans do not make a living from professional singing, only participating in folk song clubs on a voluntary basis. The number of practitioners of these ancient melodies is decreasing due to old age and declining health, while younger generations are less interested in learning them. The practitioners are mainly middle-aged, lacking a successor generation; the number of artisans capable of teaching systematically is small, with most teaching occurring orally within club activities. Therefore, the resources for teaching are shrinking, posing a significant challenge to heritage preservation.

According to Ms. Le Thi Nhu Quynh, a specialist in the Cultural Management Department of the Ha Tinh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, before July 1, 2025, Ha Tinh province alone had 209 Nghe Tinh folk song clubs, corresponding to the number of communes and wards at that time. However, after the administrative unit merger, Ha Tinh now has only 69 communes and wards.

“The Department is currently developing a proposal to advise the Provincial People's Council on the preservation and promotion of Nghe Tinh folk songs (Vi and Giam) in the current period. The draft proposal suggests increasing support and remuneration for clubs and artisans… However, the question is whether to merge the Nghe Tinh folk song clubs into commune-level administrative units or keep them as they were before. Keeping them as they are would allow for better dissemination and promotion of this folk music genre, but it doesn't align with current trends. Merging them would make management easier but create difficulties for members in terms of travel and activities, and would lead to a contraction rather than further dissemination. Therefore, this is a major headache for the management unit,” shared Ms. Le Thi Nhu Quynh.

Regarding this issue, according to artisan Nguyen Tien Khoi, it is best to maintain the current Nghe Tinh folk song clubs to better promote this heritage. Furthermore, it is necessary to organize venues for folk songs and incorporate them into festivals, holidays, and major and minor events in localities and organizations to prevent their decline.

“To preserve and promote the intangible cultural heritage of Nghe Tinh folk songs (Vi and Giam), for many years, the Department has coordinated with relevant agencies to organize and implement many programs and activities aimed at preserving, protecting, and promoting the heritage. In particular, in recent years, the Department has coordinated the inclusion of Vi and Giam folk songs in extracurricular programs in schools and taught them on television. In the future, we will incorporate Vi and Giam folk songs into tourism development so that the heritage can spread and connect memory, the present, and the future,” said Tran Xuan Luong, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ha Tinh.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/giu-lua-di-san-dan-ca-vi-giam-nghe-tinh-trong-doi-song-duong-dai-10313600.html