Opening Ceremony of the An Giang Province Traditional Music and Singing Contest 2025

VHO - The An Giang Provincial Traditional Music and Singing Contest 2025 opened on the evening of December 16th, bringing together 24 competing teams and honoring cultural heritage associated with building new rural areas.

The Organizing Committee presented commemorative flags to the participating units in the competition.

On the evening of December 16th, at the An Giang Provincial Cultural and Arts Center, the Organizing Committee of the An Giang Provincial New Rural Development Culture Week solemnly inaugurated the An Giang Provincial Traditional Music and Singing Contest 2025. The contest will take place from December 16th to 19th, 2025, within the framework of the "Cultural Activities Week - New Rural Development 2025".

This is a significant cultural and artistic event, demonstrating An Giang province's efforts in preserving, conserving, and promoting the distinctive intangible cultural heritage of Southern Vietnam, while also contributing to spreading the spirit of emulation in building cultural life at the grassroots level, linked to the national target program for building new rural areas.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Van Mao - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of An Giang Province, and Head of the Organizing Committee of the competition, said: The An Giang Province Traditional Music and Singing Competition 2025 brings together 24 registered teams, representing communes, wards, and special zones throughout the province.

Mr. Nguyen Van Mao - Deputy Director of the An Giang Department of Culture and Sports, Head of the Organizing Committee of the competition, presented flowers to the Judging Panel.

"This is a positive sign, showing that the traditional folk music movement is still being maintained and developed widely, from urban to rural areas. The competition is not only an opportunity for units to exchange and learn from each other, but also a space to honor traditional cultural values, arousing pride and love for the homeland and country in the community," the Head of the Organizing Committee emphasized.

An Giang, a gateway region to the Southwest of Vietnam, boasts a long history marked by the cultural exchange of Kinh, Khmer, Cham, and Chinese communities. Within this historical context, traditional Southern Vietnamese folk music (đờn ca tài tử) has taken root and become a familiar form of community cultural activity, closely intertwined with the spiritual life of the people.

Although not the "cradle" of Southern Vietnamese folk music, An Giang is a space for preserving and developing this art form with its own unique characteristics, bearing the imprint of the border region and waterways, reflecting the free-spirited, simple, and gentle nature of the local people.

Welcome performance

In An Giang, traditional Southern Vietnamese folk music (đờn ca tài tử) is not only maintained within cultural institutions but is also present in the daily lives of the people: from performances during festivals, holidays, and ancestral commemorations; in religious and spiritual activities; in gatherings at communal houses, temples, and pagodas; to activities serving river and garden tourism .

For many families, the sounds of musical instruments and songs have become part of their folk cultural memory, a way for people to express their emotions, share their thoughts, and express their love for their homeland through each rhythm and each traditional melody.

The An Giang Provincial Traditional Music and Singing Competition in 2025 holds special significance as it links the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage with the new rural development program.

The competition entries not only focused on musical and vocal techniques but also conveyed content praising the achievements of building new rural areas, reflecting the cultural landscape of the grassroots and the increasingly prosperous lives of rural people in An Giang during this new development phase.

Through this competition, the Organizing Committee hopes to create a healthy cultural playground, contributing to improving spiritual life, strengthening community solidarity, and promoting the implementation of cultural criteria in building new rural areas.

The performance by the Rach Gia ward unit.

The opening ceremony took place in a solemn and joyful atmosphere, featuring outstanding artistic performances praising An Giang province, the achievements of the new rural development program, and the cultural movement at the grassroots level.

The 2025 An Giang Provincial Traditional Music and Singing Competition will feature a judging panel comprised of reputable artisans and researchers: People's Artist Pham Thi Tuyet (stage name Thanh Tuyet), member of the Ho Chi Minh City Cultural Heritage Association, Head of the Judging Panel; Meritorious Artist Vo Truong Giang, member of the Ho Chi Minh City Theatre Association; and Master of Culture Pham Thai Binh, member of the Vietnam Folk Arts Association.

With meticulous preparation, rich content, and the enthusiastic participation of numerous teams, the An Giang Provincial Traditional Music and Singing Competition 2025 promises to deliver outstanding artistic programs, contributing to enriching the series of activities of the "Cultural Activities Week - Building New Rural Areas in 2025," creating new momentum in preserving cultural heritage and building a sustainable rural cultural life in the province.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/khai-mac-hoi-thi-don-ca-tai-tu-tinh-an-giang-nam-2025-189172.html