Mr. Nguyen Van Tuat was born in 1958 in a land rich in traditional Cheo (Vietnamese folk opera) culture. His childhood was intertwined with the melodious songs echoing from village courtyards, festivals, and even radio broadcasts with the familiar sounds of drums and Cheo songs. These ancient Cheo melodies deeply permeated the soul of young Nguyen Van Tuat as a matter of course, like the unending flow of his homeland's tradition.
When war broke out, Mr. Tuat answered the call of the Fatherland and enlisted in the army. He fought while also serving in the cultural and artistic activities of Military Region 5, using his singing to entertain soldiers on the battlefield. After 1975, Mr. Tuat transferred to the mining region of Quang Ninh and in 1985, he transferred to Mong Duong Coal Mine.
"I thought leaving my homeland meant leaving traditional opera behind, but it was this connection to this new land that revived it, making it a place where I could continue to sow the seeds of passion and dedicate myself wholeheartedly to this traditional art form," Mr. Tuat recalled.
Initially, it started with performances at the Mong Duong Coal Company's social events, but from those simple performances, the art of Cheo singing gradually spread throughout the residential areas. Workers from many rural areas such as Nghe An and Thanh Hoa gathered here, finding common ground in the melodies of their homeland's Cheo. They sang together, learned together, and the Cheo movement grew stronger.
Not only was he a performer, Mr. Tuat also opened classes to teach Cheo singing in Mong Duong and Cua Ong, then spreading to Quang Hanh, Cam Thach (now part of Quang Hanh ward), Cam Binh, and Cam Trung (now part of Cam Pha ward)... Thanks to this, he established and taught dozens of Cheo classes, promoting the movement. Old and young, from workers to retired officials, all found joy and passion in Cheo singing under his dedicated guidance.
He believed that to successfully teach Cheo (traditional Vietnamese opera), one must first make people love and be passionate about it. Therefore, he not only taught singing but also performed directly, guiding people on gestures, how to play roles, and how to emphasize lyrics with soul. The nights filled with the melodies of Cheo singing echoing through the neighborhoods, the classes lasting from day to day and month to month… have become beautiful memories in his journey of preserving Cheo art in the mining region.
In particular, Mr. Nguyen Van Tuat is a multi-talented artist, active in both music and theater. He became a member of the Quang Ninh Literature and Arts Association in 1992 and is the author of songs with a strong mining flavor such as "We Miners" and "Miners on Shift," along with many theatrical scripts that have been widely staged and performed at various art festivals and competitions.
With his talent and enduring dedication, he was awarded the title of Artist of the Mining Region (1996), received the Medal for the Cause of Mass Theater (1992), and was commended as an Outstanding Director at the National Amateur Arts Festival (2007)...
Although times change and traditional folk songs are sometimes forgotten in modern life, for Mr. Nguyen Van Tuat, folk opera has never been a thing of the past. "The drums and songs of folk opera must continue to resonate throughout the mining region, to ignite the flame for future generations to understand the tradition. Traditional art is not just a memory, but the rhythm of life, the culture, and the very soul of the people," Mr. Tuat believes.
Amidst the coal dust, the noise of excavators and trucks moving back and forth, the heartfelt and poignant voice of the elderly artist still rises, a testament to the enduring and vibrant beauty of traditional culture in this mining region.
Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/nguoi-giu-hon-lan-toa-nghe-thuat-cheo-tren-dat-mo-3364734.html
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