The person who "rekindles" the love for Bài Chòi (a traditional Vietnamese folk game).

VHO - Distinguished artisan Nguyen Van Thu, Chairman of the Binh Thuan Bai Choi Folk Song Club in Binh Son district (Quang Ngai province), is one of the artisans who has been dedicated to and is considered a "fire starter," training the younger generation to preserve and develop the art of Bai Choi.

Distinguished artist Nguyen Van Thu, Chairman of the Binh Thuan Folk Song and Bai Choi Club (first from the left)

Distinguished artisan Nguyen Van Thu was born and raised in the coastal region of Binh Son. His childhood was filled with village festivals and Tet celebrations, accompanying his father to the village communal house or Lang Van to listen to elders sing traditional folk songs, offering sacrifices to the deities, especially the ceremony honoring the God of the South Sea.

While in high school, he began learning to play traditional musical instruments such as drums, the two-stringed fiddle, and the trumpet, and singing folk songs from the coastal region.

In 1983, Nguyen Van Thu was admitted to the Music Department of the Thua Thien Hue High School of Culture and Arts (now the Hue Academy of Music). However, due to difficult family circumstances, he had to put aside his dream of becoming a musician.

Returning to his hometown, while making a living from fishing, he continued his passion for collecting folk songs, traditional theater songs, and learning to play traditional musical instruments. Not only did he preserve these traditions, but he also composed new lyrics for folk melodies, making these ancient tunes even more relevant to contemporary life.

The Binh Thuan Folk Song and Bai Choi Club performs locally.

In 2011, the Binh Thuan commune government established the Folk Music and Singing Club (now renamed the Binh Thuan Commune Folk Song and Bài Chòi Club), with artisan Nguyen Van Thu serving as the club's chairman from 2018 to the present. He is always dedicated to preserving and promoting folk art, not only performing but also actively teaching the "bả trạo" folk singing style to students in local schools.

To preserve and promote the art of Bài Chòi, Quang Ngai province is implementing a project to preserve and promote this art form. This project focuses on developing Bài Chòi clubs and groups in various localities, linking this art form with tourism activities.

After 8 years as the head of the folk song and traditional theater club in Binh Thuan commune, he led the club to perform in many provinces and cities across the country, including Hanoi.

““Bả” means the hand holding the oar, and “trạo” means the oar, representing the image of a fleet of boats sailing out to sea. The Bả Trạo singing troupe consists of 15 people, including three leaders: Tổng Tiền, Tổng Thương, and Tổng Lái, while the remaining 12 people hold oars – called 13 Trạo – together vividly recreating the atmosphere of labor and rituals of coastal residents,” Mr. Thu said.

In 2019, artisan Nguyen Van Thu was honored by the State with the title of Outstanding Artisan. This is not only a source of pride but also a motivation for him to continue his dedication and passion to the folk melodies of Bai Choi and Ba Trao.

When visitors come to the Bau Ca Cai mangrove forest, they will have the opportunity to listen to the simple yet profound melodies of Bai Choi folk singing.

Currently, the folk song club in Binh Thuan commune, Binh Son district, Quang Ngai province has 30 members. Mr. Thu's biggest concern is preserving and passing on this tradition to the younger generation. "In the midst of the noisy and bustling Dung Quat industrial zone, local culture must be preserved and protected. No matter how difficult it is, we must do it, because culture is the root of human life," Mr. Thu said.

Nowadays, when tourists visit the Bau Ca Cai mangrove forest, they can admire the breathtakingly beautiful mangrove forests and listen to the simple yet profound melodies of Bai Choi folk songs. In particular, visitors can directly participate in the Bai Choi game, an intangible cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO. This is a meaningful experience, especially for young people who want to explore the beauty of traditional culture.

Tourists visit the Bau Ca Cai mangrove forest in Binh Thuan commune, Binh Son district.

“Enjoying the melodies and trying your hand at singing Bài Chòi has become an indispensable part of the exploration journey for tourists visiting and experiencing this place. In particular, the Club also invites Bài Chòi artists from many different places to interact and exchange experiences. This contributes to enriching the melodies and creating a more diverse and attractive cultural exchange space for visitors,” Mr. Thu shared.

"Bài chòi is a beautiful cultural feature of the village, so I want to do my best to develop the club and the art of playing bài chòi in my hometown sustainably, thereby passing on the passion for bài chòi to the younger generation so that this art form will never fade away," Mr. Thu expressed.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/nguoi-tiep-lua-tinh-yeu-bai-choi-144604.html