The guardian of the flame of folk songs and Bài Chòi theater in Quang Nam province.

GAME — Artist Trinh Tam (right) during a media performance. Photo: HOANG LIEN

Passionate about Bài Chòi art

Visiting the humble home of artisan Trinh Tam in mid-May, and listening to him hum folk songs and traditional Quang Nam opera tunes, brings a sense of calm to the heart.

Artist Trinh Tam recounts that he was born and raised in a farming family, but from a young age he knew about folk songs and traditional theater through watching local festivals with famous works such as: "The Kingfisher Team"; "Thoai Khanh - Chau Tuan"; "Listening to the Swallows Crying in the Mist at Night"...

From then on, he developed a passion for it and taught himself to sing. He doesn't know when exactly, but the folk songs and traditional theater of Quang Nam province became an indispensable part of his daily life, inseparable from him like blood and flesh...

Despite lacking formal training, driven by his passion for folk songs and traditional theater, and possessing innate talent, outside of his work at the commune, Mr. Tam takes the time to collect and compose new melodies and participate in performances at community cultural and artistic events both locally and internationally.

Not only is Mr. Tam familiar with the folk melodies of Quang Nam province, but he is also proficient in singing all 30 of the Bài Chòi card games and knows how to create many different lyrics for the same card.

According to Mr. Tam, singing Bài Chòi is not difficult, but the challenge lies in knowing how to use vocal embellishments to touch the hearts of the listeners. Furthermore, Bài Chòi singing has many unique melodies and rhythms. Sometimes it's poignant and moving, other times it's lively and urgent... all aimed at conveying the full content of a complete story.

At each stage, different melodies and nuances need to be added, along with the integration of local cultural and musical elements, enriching the Bài Chòi folk songs.

To bring folk songs and Bài Chòi (a traditional Vietnamese folk theater) closer to the public, in April 2011, Mr. Tam established the Folk Song and Bài Chòi Club of Dai Phong commune with 20 members. The club members are of various ages and professions, sharing a common passion and desire to contribute to preserving and spreading these beautiful traditional cultural values to the community.

"Many times, the members of the club would use their own money to sing and bring joy to the audience. The applause and appreciation from the audience fueled the members' passion for Bài Chòi even more," Mr. Tam shared.

Along with the Folk Song and Bài Chòi Club of Dai Phong commune, the Dai Loc Folk Song and Bài Chòi Club was established in 2015 with 10 members. Under the guidance of artisan Trinh Tam, the club not only maintains regular monthly activities but also participates in performances for festivals and holidays.

Mr. Tam was both a scriptwriter and director, playing the role of the caller at card game gatherings. He was also a leading solo actor, performing many roles with masterful acting skills.

Give your all.

In 2017, Mr. Trinh Tam was honored by the State with the title of "Artisan of Bai Choi". Artisan Trinh Tam, along with members of the Folk Song - Bai Choi Club, has participated in numerous competitions, performances, and cultural and artistic festivals organized by Quang Nam province, achieving many outstanding accomplishments.

GAME 1 — Artisan Trinh Tam (right). Photo: THUY LIEN

For example: Gold medal at the first Quang Nam Provincial Folk Song and Music Competition in 2015; second prize overall in the first Bài Chòi singing competition organized by the Quang Nam Provincial Cultural Center in 2020…

Artist Trinh Tam also made important and positive contributions to disseminating the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws and regulations through folk songs and Bài Chòi (a traditional Vietnamese theatrical art form).

From 2019 to the present, with his smooth singing voice and charming, slightly humorous acting style, he has conveyed important information to the public during legal awareness campaigns.

"The village roads are winding and narrow/ speeding and reckless driving can lead to accidents. Please stop immediately/ speeding and reckless driving bring more risks than rewards. Please remember one thing/ obey traffic laws, don't cut across recklessly and ruin your car" - Mr. Tam improvised.

Along with that, he immediately recited a folk song related to traffic safety laws. In this way, using an easy-to-understand and easy-to-remember method, the seemingly dry content of the laws became soft, easy to listen to, easy to remember, and easy to understand.

Artisan Trinh Tam is often invited to teach at folk singing and Bai Choi singing training courses in various localities, clubs, and schools. For him, preserving and conserving folk art and Bai Choi is not only a passion but also a responsibility of both himself and the community...

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/nguoi-giu-lua-dan-ca-bai-choi-xu-quang-3156304.html