Sweet Then words, Tinh voice

In the chilly weather mixed with early spring drizzle, on the porch of the stilt house, time has carved the mossy mark, Then words, Tinh lute sounds invite friends, welcoming the new spring resounding together with the babbling sound of the stream. Coming to Cao Bang in the early days of spring, listening to the breath of spring sprouting, growing, listening to the clear, sweet Tinh sound permeating throughout the villages to love your homeland and country more.

TRADITIONAL CULTURAL TREASURE

Then is both a form of folk art and a manifestation of folk beliefs. One of the unique features of Then is its language, which contains cultural depth. The content of Then songs all exudes profound humanistic thoughts, containing love for nature and love between couples.
Through the process of cultural exchange, the art of Then singing and Tinh lute has followed the Tay and Nung people to all regions of the country. For the Tay and Nung people of Cao Bang, Then Tinh is not only a spring song to pray for peace and luck, but is also closely associated with religious rituals throughout the year. During each holiday, the Tay and Nung people organize Then Tinh singing or invite a monk to pray for peace, ward off bad luck, worship ancestors, celebrate a new house, celebrate the longevity of grandparents and parents...

“Then” means “Thien”, that is “Heaven”, therefore “Then” is considered by the people as a song left by the gods, often used by the Tay and Nung people in ceremonies and is believed to help convey prayers to heaven. Therefore, the spiritual and cultural colors are very clear in the art of Then singing.

Then lyrics are words that are refined and refined by the people, both lyrical and melodious, as well as advice and encouragement, and experiences in dealing with people. Then singing exists in two regions, each with its own unique melodies and instruments, which are Then singing in the West and Then singing in the East. Then singing in the West has a three-stringed Tinh instrument with a high pitch, and a sweet, soft, and simple Then melody like a young woman; Then singing in the East has a two-stringed Tinh instrument with a lower pitch, but when the Then sound is played, it is strong, endlessly heartfelt, with a bustling rhythm and a quatrain like a handsome, talented, and generous young man.

BREATH OF LIFE IN EVERY SONG

“Invite you to Cao Bang, my hometown/Cao Bac Pass on the border line… ah… oh… oh/Tai Ho Sin bridge connecting the feet (oh) of the clouds/Spring comes, swallows fly in the City/Take you back to Soc (oi) Giang market…/Come with me to visit Pac Bo cave… ah… oh… oh/Where Uncle Ho lived years (oh) ago/Bringing our country’s revolution to complete victory/Karl Marx Mountain has stood tall (a) for a thousand years…”.

Folk song, Then singing, Tinh lute club of Nguyen Binh town performed at Kim Dong walking street.

Each finger rhythmically glides over the surface of the Tinh lute with cheerful, passionate singing, members of the Folk Song, Then Singing, Tinh lute Club of Nguyen Binh town (Nguyen Binh) hum Then songs to welcome the new spring. Ms. Truong Thi Bay, Club Director, shared: Then singing, Tinh lute is the traditional cultural identity of the Tay people originating from stories about simple life, joy in labor production, love of nature, love of couples..., Then melodies are gentle, smooth, the high and low sounds of Tinh lute hum to relieve fatigue after a hard day's work. But Then singing, Tinh lute is a difficult folk art form to learn, to perform correctly and well requires the learner to have talent and perseverance.

Every Saturday and Sunday evening, members of the folk song, Then singing, Tinh lute club of Nguyen Binh town gather at the cultural house to practice Tinh lute and Then melodies. While gliding her hands on the Tinh lute and singing Then, Nong Thi Minh Nguyet, the youngest member of the folk song, Then singing, Tinh lute club of Nguyen Binh town, seems to be immersed in the melodies of her homeland. Growing up with Then singing and Tinh melodies, Minh Nguyet always cherishes and wishes to preserve the cultural source that has been attached to her.

Nguyet shared: Every year when Tet comes, my mother and the uncles in the neighborhood buy indigo clothes, bring along the Tinh lute and hum Then songs. I find Then songs like sweet lullabies, both gentle and clear. Therefore, I asked my mother's permission to join the club to learn from the grandmothers and aunts, my wish is to preserve Then songs, the folk song of my homeland.

Just like that, the Then songs and Tinh lutes have been passed down and preserved and developed by generations of the Club. Then lyrics and Tinh sounds follow the breath of life, deeply permeating the mind, resonating with songs rich in cultural identity, delicately depicting the life, rhythm and flow of contemporary national life.

THEN MELODY FOREVER

In order to promote the value and cultural beauty of Then lyrics and Tinh sounds, in recent times, the culture, sports and tourism sector has carried out many activities to preserve and promote Then singing through organizing art performances, Tinh lute festivals and Then singing. Many artisans and folk song clubs in the province have collected and composed new lyrics for Then revolving around the content of praising the Party, Uncle Ho, expressing love for the homeland and country... Currently, the whole province has over 800 mass art clubs, the Provincial Association for the Preservation of Folk Songs of Ethnic Groups (established in 2011) has so far developed 10 branches in the districts with 2,192 members, organized research and collected 45 folk songs of ethnic groups; composed and composed new lyrics for over 200 songs; built 96 folk art programs from grassroots branches; actively taught and popularized folk songs among the people; Organized teaching for more than 600 members of all ages in and outside the province. The association established 5 folk song clubs; developed 12 youth and children members; established 4 Then singing, Tinh lute, and folk song clubs at facilities associated with tourism development; established and launched a model group to preserve and promote the value of Then heritage in Hoa An City and District; organized Then heritage teaching for 27 students, equipped 15 traditional Tay ethnic costumes, 15 Tinh lutes for students of the teaching class in Cao Chuong Commune (Trung Khanh)...

Folk song club of Hoa Thuan town (Quang Hoa) practices performing arts.

Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism To Thi Trang said: The whole province currently has 7 intangible cultural heritages in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List (including the Then ritual heritage of the Tay people in Cao Bang). Along with the event of UNESCO recognizing "Then practice of the Tay, Nung, Thai people in Vietnam" as an official representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity, the province actively supports and encourages artisans, Then singing clubs, Tinh lute clubs in the province to research, collect and preserve traditional cultural values ​​of the nation. In the coming time, the culture, sports and tourism sector will continue to implement many activities and programs, contributing to introducing and promoting the cultural heritage values ​​of Then singing and Tinh lute to domestic and international friends, thereby honoring the unique cultural and artistic forms of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups, raising awareness of preserving, promoting, developing and constantly creating new cultural values.

Along with the flow of time, each Then song still resonates like a thread connecting traditional culture with present life. All intertwined, carrying every level of emotion, blending with the sound of the great stream flowing through many generations. Wherever the Tay and Nung ethnic groups live, the Then Tinh song still resonates.

Lighthouse

Source: https://baocaobang.vn/ngot-ngao-loi-then-tieng-tinh-3174927.html