People who "light the fire" of traditional folk art

Core of Tuong Club

In Hoang Dan commune, Tam Duong district, Tuong Club has become a common home for "old farmers" who are passionate and determined to preserve ancient songs. And one of the people who "lights the fire" to keep the Club shining is Ms. Phan Thi Luong, Director of Hoang Dan Tuong Club.

Ms. Phan Thi Luong, Head of Hoang Dan Tuong Club, puts on makeup before performing Tuong.

Although she is 76 years old this year, Ms. Luong still maintains good health and a strong singing voice. Sharing about her chance to come to Tuong art, Ms. Luong said: “In the 60s of the 20th century, Hoang Dan commune had an art troupe that specialized in singing at the village communal house to serve holidays and Tet and I was a young member of the team. In 1964, when the resistance war against the US to save the country was fierce, the North Central Tuong Troupe (now the Vietnam Tuong Theater) evacuated to the locality and borrowed the village communal house as a place for artists to practice and perform. Realizing that the local art troupe had a passion and love for ancient Tuong art, and that many individuals had good and suitable voices, the artists taught and guided us to approach and practice Tuong singing and dancing. Thanks to that, I became one of the first 20 members of the Hoang Dan commune Tuong Club.

From then on, every holiday and Tet, the Tuong Club set up a stage to perform for the people in the commune. Not only that, the Club also toured all the provinces in the Northern region to serve the people as well as to encourage and cheer up the soldiers in the fight. The typical Tuong plays were performed by actors who knew them by heart, such as Son Hau, De Tham, Ngo Quyen, Dao Tam Xuan, Trung Nu Vuong, etc.

Through the ups and downs of time and the changes of society, Tuong art gradually faded away, the audience was not as large as before, causing the club to temporarily stop operating. Gradually, the desire to preserve traditional Tuong art urged more and more members to gather and restore the club. At that time, Ms. Luong and her husband, Ms. Lien and Mr. Phuc (club members) contacted artists from the Vietnam Tuong Theater so that the artists could support and help the club with costumes, performance props, send teachers to guide the script, and restore some ancient Tuong plays.

Not only that, every day, Ms. Luong also diligently "recruits" more members who love Tuong art in local art clubs to pass on the profession. With much effort, in November 2015, Hoang Dan Tuong Club was officially re-established, Ms. Phan Thi Luong was elected as the Club's President. The youngest member is over 50 years old, while the oldest is over 80 years old. The Club currently has 3 members who have been awarded the title of Meritorious Artistby the President : Ms. Phan Thi Luong, Le Thi Viet, Nguyen Thi Lien.

Up to now, whenever the locality organizes a festival or has an important event, the Club always plays a key role in cultural and artistic programs. Ms. Luong confided: “All my life, I have been attached to Tuong, bringing my singing and voice to serve the people. Every time I perform, I am very happy to be able to sing and transform into a character with all my ability. I hope that there will be more and more young people who love singing Tuong so that this art form will resonate forever.”

Contribute to keeping the fire of Kim Xa Xoan Singing Club burning

In Hoang Thuong village, Kim Xa commune, Vinh Tuong district, Mrs. Tran Thi Hong Ky, 72 years old - Vice President of the Xoan singing club is respected by many people not only for her famous Xoan singing talent but also for her burning passion and dedication to preserving and conserving the art of Xoan singing.

Born and raised in Hoang Thuong village (Sau village), formerly famous for the Sau Xoan troupe, from a young age, Ms. Ky was exposed to Xoan singing melodies from her grandmother and mother and often went to watch the elders sing Xoan at the village communal house. Her love and passion for Xoan singing were increasingly nurtured and developed. From the age of 17, she was able to sing and dance some ancient Xoan melodies.

Ms. Ky shared: “Xoan singing has a melody that is different from any other folk song, the lyrics are mostly in Han Nom, the hand and foot movements must be coordinated rhythmically with the lyrics. Therefore, if you do not truly love it, are passionate about it and practice diligently, it will be very difficult to learn.”

Like other intangible cultural heritages, the ups and downs of time have had a significant impact on the art of Xoan singing. In addition, the elders who are famous actors and actresses in the village are old and have limited memory. Many of them have passed away, so Xoan singing in Kim Xa is at times at risk of being lost.

Realizing that, Mrs. Ky and her friends went to the houses of the village elders who were actors and actresses of the Xoan Sau troupe to learn and preserve the ancient singing style. Once they had learned, they copied it into notebooks, carefully wrapped it in plastic to preserve and protect it. Mrs. Ky was also one of the members who gathered members with the same passion to participate in the Xoan singing group of the village. By 2020, the Xoan singing club of Hoang Thuong village was officially established with 25 members, Mrs. Tran Thi Thanh Khu was elected as the Club's Chairwoman, Mrs. Tran Thi Hong Ky and Mr. Dau Duc Do as the Club's Vice Chairmen.

Ms. Tran Thi Hong Ky (second from left), Vice President of the Xoan Singing Club of Hoang Thuong village, Kim Xa commune (Vinh Tuong) regularly teaches and guides members in practicing Xoan singing.

Every week, whenever they have free time, the women gather at Thanh Long Pagoda to practice. The old teach the young, the knowledgeable teach the less knowledgeable through oral tradition. The songs echo, erasing all age gaps and all the hardships of daily life.

In addition to actively performing at festivals, special events of the locality, the Xoan singing club of Hoang Thuong village also regularly organizes exchanges with Xoan singing clubs in localities inside and outside the province. Club members all say that participating in Xoan singing helps them have more joy in their old age and contributes to preserving the art of Xoan singing to live forever.

Those who "light the fire" of traditional arts, active "nuclei" like Ms. Luong and Ms. Ky have created motivation, strengthened and enhanced activities to preserve and maintain cultural heritages in the community, contributing to building an advanced Vietnamese culture with strong national identity, so that the traditional cultural values ​​of the nation will forever exist and develop.

Article and photos: Thao My

Source: http://baovinhphuc.com.vn/Multimedia/Images/Id/128523/Nhung-nguoi-“thap-lua”-nghe-thuat-dan-ca-truyen-thong