The "keeper of the flame" of Phuc Ha traditional opera

A burning passion for Cheo (traditional Vietnamese opera) has motivated Mr. Nguyen Hong Chinh, Chairman of the Cheo Singing Club in Phuc Ha 1 village, Hop Ly commune (Ly Nhan district), to dedicate much time and effort to practicing and passing on his passion to younger generations. Through this, he contributes to preserving and promoting the value of this traditional art form of his homeland.

Having fallen in love with the art of traditional Vietnamese opera (cheo) at the age of 20, Mr. Nguyen Hong Chinh has now spent over 60 years involved with the cheo troupe in Phuc Ha 1 village. Along with his predecessors, Mr. Chinh is one of the key figures in establishing and developing the village's cheo troupe from the early 1960s to the present day, known affectionately as the "Self-reliant Cheo Troupe of Our Homeland." Since its establishment and operation, the Phuc Ha 1 village cheo troupe has consistently maintained over 20 members, many of whom are relatives, siblings, and descendants of Mr. Nguyen Hong Chinh. Whenever he talks about his hometown's cheo troupe, Mr. Nguyen Hong Chinh cannot hide his joy and pride, knowing that three brothers in his family have participated and contributed to building and elevating the melodies of Phuc Ha cheo to greater heights and wider audiences.

Mr. Chinh shared: "I've loved singing, especially traditional Vietnamese opera (cheo), since I was a child. From the age of 9 or 10, I often participated in the village's traditional opera and reformed opera troupes and performed on stages in the village and commune. Later, in the early 1960s, when cheo art flourished, I practiced cheo singing with my brothers and gradually developed cheo performances in our hometown. Back then, whenever I heard the sound of cheo drums in the village, my heart would fill with excitement."

Indeed, after talking to and interacting with Mr. Chinh and the people of Phuc Ha 1 village, one can clearly see the love and respect the local people have for the traditional Cheo folk songs. Everyone is extremely proud that for many years, the members of the Phuc Ha 1 Cheo Club have become the core group of the commune and district, participating in folk song and Cheo club festivals in Ha Nam province and winning many high awards. Although busy with work, farming, and family, and many members still face difficulties and hardships in life, with their passion and love for Cheo singing, Mr. Chinh and the members of the club always try to arrange time to organize activities and enthusiastically participate in the club's events. They are passionate and happy to contribute to preserving and promoting the artistic value of Cheo in their homeland, so that now, the "brand" of Cheo performances in Phuc Ha 1 is known to many people in the province.

It is known that, in addition to researching and collecting ancient cheo melodies, Mr. Chinh also actively composes new cheo melodies, praising the Party, President Ho Chi Minh, and the homeland and the country's renewal. He also composes many skits, musical scenes, and short plays to perform for the people during festivals, New Year celebrations, village festivals, and participates in cultural programs celebrating the Party and the Spring Festival, and bidding farewell to new recruits joining the army every year…

The — **Mr. Nguyen Hong Chinh, Chairman of the Cheo Singing Club in Phuc Ha 1 village, Hop Ly commune, Ly Nhan district, introduces some Cheo songs with new lyrics written by him.** Photo: Han Han

With a desire to preserve and spread the melodies of Cheo (traditional Vietnamese opera), Mr. Nguyen Hong Chinh also dedicates much time and effort to teaching the finest aspects of Cheo art to younger generations and students who love Cheo at schools in the commune. Many of his students have become members of the Cheo Singing Club in Phuc Ha 1 village. Overcoming difficulties and shortages due to a lack of operating funds, Mr. Chinh and the club members have crafted their own musical instruments for practice, performance, and teaching to future generations. At Phuc Ha 1 today, generations of Mr. Chinh's students still recall and pass down songs and melodies expressing their appreciation and gratitude for his contributions in teaching Cheo singing: "If you like to play, come and play / There are people to teach singing, places to learn musical instruments / There's no organ here / There are flutes, two-stringed fiddles, and one-stringed lutes / There's the teacher's moon lute / A small lute with incredibly beautiful sound / The oldest three-stringed lute in the region / A short four-stringed lute played together on one set / If you don't know something, just ask / There are people to teach singing and playing instruments properly…"

Having made numerous contributions to the art of Cheo (traditional Vietnamese opera) as well as the cultural and artistic movement of his hometown, in 2010, Mr. Nguyen Hong Chinh was honored with the Commemorative Medal for the Cause of Culture, Sports and Tourism by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Currently, despite being over 80 years old, he remains very sharp-minded, healthy, and dedicated to passing on his passion to the next generation. He actively composes new lyrics based on Cheo melodies with topical and humanistic content, reflecting the thoughts of the people and the changing countryside, to serve the activities of the club.

Sharing his thoughts on his upcoming work, Mr. Chinh said: "For me, traditional Vietnamese opera is like food and water every day. As long as I breathe, I will continue to sing and compose. Soon, I plan to release a new traditional opera performance featuring all members of my extended family, spanning multiple generations. Through this, I want to rekindle the love of traditional Vietnamese opera in the younger generation so that the Phuc Ha opera tradition can be maintained and developed, and this art form can live on in the lives of the people."

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