The last artisans
One March morning, amidst a gentle spring rain, Mrs. Ngo Thi Hue (born in 1942) braved the rain to visit Mrs. Ngo Thi Thoi (born in 1941). They are elderly artisans of Nhu Le village, preserving a vast "treasure" of Nhu Le folk songs. Mrs. Hue's house is at the beginning of the village, while Mrs. Thoi's is near the end... "The footsteps of old people are weary from traveling long distances. But when we miss each other and long to sit together and sing a few folk songs, we seek each other out," Mrs. Hue said warmly.
Mrs. Thoi's small house faced a vast rice field in its prime, and a little further away was the Nam Thach Han irrigation canal leading water downstream. That morning, Mrs. Hue and Mrs. Thoi were very happy, they were captivated by the melancholic Nhu Le folk songs that drifted through the spring air. The songs went: “How far are Tich Tuong and Nhu Le? / Separated by a stream and three stretches of fields”; “Whoever returns to my hometown of Nhu Le / Admire the Thach Han river, the alluvial plains, the young melons / Somewhere I hear the lullaby / The Nhu Le folk song still lingers”... “I love Hai Le so much / Its rich tradition is full of glory / Two periods of resistance have passed / My homeland of Hai Le continues the heroic legacy”...
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| Nhu Le Village - Photo: Archival |
In the memories of Mrs. Hue and Mrs. Thoi, the Nhu Le folk songs were formed in the life, labor, production, and cultural activities of the people of Nhu Le; they were present from the time they were born and grew up. During the two wars of resistance against the French and the Americans, Nhu Le village became a "buffer zone" on the left bank of the Thach Han River, a stopping point for soldiers and guerrilla fighters from the North to the South or from the plains to the Ba Long war zone. Therefore, the village became a "white zone," trapped between a dense system of enemy outposts, and subjected to fierce bombing and shelling.
In the context of war, the Nhu Le folk song became a sharp weapon, motivating the people to remain steadfastly loyal to the Party and President Ho Chi Minh. Besides that, the songs, sung nightly near enemy outposts, whispered and heartfelt, helped awaken those who had gone astray: “Oh, my dear, the family is desolate; you left not for the people and the country, but for the cruel American-puppet regime. My dear, please return quickly to enjoy the blessings of the Government , and then prove yourself worthy as a man of the nation”; “Oh, how I suffer, my child cries in the dead of night, my mother is in pain, I bear it all alone. Do you understand, standing guard alone in the outpost? Remember the old days when you were at home with your wife and husband. Now you are gone, following the enemy, and my heart aches”... Therefore, the Nhu Le folk song also has other names such as “enemy mobilization song” and “resistance song”.
Recalling her memories, Mrs. Ngo Thi Hue reminisced: After the reunification of the country, Hai Le commune was chosen as the site for the construction of the Nam Thach Han irrigation project. In early 1977, construction began. At the Nam Thach Han irrigation project site, thousands of soldiers and volunteer youth from the entire Binh Tri Thien province gathered day and night, their hands firmly gripping hoes and compactors, building dams, blocking rivers, digging canals, and straightening waterways... In the difficult and scarce conditions of the large-scale Nam Thach Han irrigation project at that time, the Nhu Le folk song rose up, spreading and motivating the enthusiastic labor of everyone: “We straighten the canals across rivers and streams / We let that clear water flow down to the distant fields / Oh brothers and sisters / Let's quickly dig deep / Now, with sweat, we will have a bountiful harvest tomorrow / So that the barren fields will become green with rice / Oh, our homeland river, we love and cherish it / Let it flow upstream to irrigate the distant fields / So that night after night we can hear the faint sound of the folk song…”
Deeply concerned about passing on knowledge.
Ms. Ngo Thi Thoi shared: "Nhu Le folk songs differ from other folk songs and chants in their performance style, improvisation, and presentation. That is, there are no fixed patterns or pre-written lyrics. In combat, production, or community cultural activities, the singers base their performances on reality, improvising and singing immediately. Therefore, Nhu Le folk songs are very simple, rustic, and easily resonate with people... but they are very difficult to learn and teach."
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| Two distinguished artisans, Ngo Thi Hue and Ngo Thi Thoi - Photo: Archival |
Mr. Ngo Huu Truyen, former Secretary and Chairman of the People's Committee of Hai Le commune from 1994 to 2015, recalled: Faced with difficulties in preserving, maintaining, and promoting the intangible cultural heritage of Nhu Le folk singing, when the former Hai Le commune embarked on building a new rural area, the Party Committee and People's Committee of the commune, in their leadership and management, determined that socio -economic development must be linked to cultural development, including the urgent need to preserve and promote Nhu Le folk singing. Thanks to this, in 2012, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the former Quang Tri province compiled and published the book "Nhu Le Folk Singing". In Nhu Le village, artisans such as Ngo Thi Thoi and Ngo Thi Hue organized classes to teach Nhu Le folk singing to the younger generation. And Nhu Le village established the Nhu Le Folk Singing Club with 17 members.
Respecting and acknowledging the contributions of individuals in preserving and promoting the intangible cultural heritage of Nhu Le folk singing, the President of Vietnam signed a decision in 2022 to confer the title of Outstanding Artisan on Ms. Ngo Thi Hue and Ms. Ngo Thi Thoi.
Returning to the story of the transmission of the Nhu Le folk song, fortunately, Mrs. Thoi has three daughters who are continuing her tradition: Meritorious Artist Nguyen Thu Hang, Nguyen Kieu Nhu (Hue Imperial City Opera Troupe), and Nguyen Thi My Binh (Culture and Social Affairs Department of Quang Tri Ward). Whenever her daughters have the opportunity to return home, Mrs. Thoi gently guides them through the simple, rustic charm of the Nhu Le folk song. Mrs. Thoi's daughters always remember their mother's teachings, learning, preserving, and promoting the folk song as a treasure of their mother and their homeland.
For many years, Ms. Ngo Thi Hue has chosen to preserve the Nhu Le folk songs for future generations by remembering, collecting, and writing down the melodies in a notebook. Ms. Hue currently possesses over 100 Nhu Le folk song melodies. “People may pass away, but the soul of the village will never fade. I am confident that the Nhu Le folk songs will always flow, like the Thach Han River, full of meaning and affection,” Ms. Hue believes.
Ngo Thanh Long
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa/202604/neo-giu-dieu-honhu-le-f963a0f/
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