Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs were recognized by the United NationsEducational , Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2014, including two main singing genres: Vi and Giam. Through the ups and downs of history, the vitality and value of Vi and Giam folk songs have endured over time, and are considered typical cultural products of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces. This art form reflects the image and spiritual character of the people of Nghe An, past and present.
Art program "Vi, Giam - Shining Soul of the Countryside" in the 10th Anniversary of Nghe Tinh Vi, Giam Folk Songs being recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity (2014 -2024)_Photo: nhiepanhdoisong
In Ha Tinh province, the performing activities of this art form are practiced by the people while creating heritage, thereby creating unique cultural products to serve the spiritual needs of the people. Many folk song suites of Vi and Giam are composed and performed with diverse themes reflecting many issues of social life, staged and broadcast on mass media and social media.
According to statistics, from 2015 to 2024, the whole province of Ha Tinh had 209 clubs with nearly 3,000 members of all ages and professions regularly singing and performing Vi and Giam folk songs. The number of Vi and Giam folk song clubs proves that the cultural space and performance space of Vi and Giam folk songs have expanded" (1) . As of October 2024, the whole province of Ha Tinh had established many Vi and Giam folk song clubs, including: "Ky Anh town: 11 clubs; Ky Anh district: 20 clubs; Cam Xuyen district: 22 clubs; Ha Tinh city: 15 clubs; Loc Ha district: 11 clubs; Thach Ha district: 22 clubs; Can Loc district: 19 clubs; Hong Linh town: 6 clubs; Nghi Xuan district: 17 clubs; Vu Quang district: 10 clubs; Duc Tho district: 18 clubs; Huong Son district: 17 clubs; Huong Khe district: 21 clubs" (2) . Many folk song clubs are active, such as: Cuong Gian, Xuan Lien (Nghi Xuan) Thach Chau, Thinh Loc (Loc Ha), Phu Viet (Thach Ha), Ky Thu (Ky Anh) folk song clubs... Folk song clubs regularly participate in festivals from the grassroots to the district and provincial levels, thereby expanding and widely popularizing the art form of Vi and Giam in people's lives.
To help the clubs operate more effectively, recently, artisans from the Center for Preservation and Promotion of Nghe An Folk Heritage ( Nghe An Province), Traditional Arts Theater (Ha Tinh Province) have directly gone to the grassroots to participate in teaching Vi and Giam folk songs to the people. Vi and Giam are also commonly practiced in art festivals and exchanges between community groups. In addition to organizing teaching in the community, in schools and promoting on mass media, musicians also use Vi and Giam as compositional materials, creating contemporary melodies to popularize and pass on through many generations. In fact, Vi and Giam folk songs of Nghe Tinh have had a great influence on many works of famous musicians, due to the combination of the material of the "Vi" melody, which is widespread, profound, free-rhythm and the "Giam" melody which is rhythmic and strong. Some typical works include: the song “Looking at the tree and remembering Him” by musician Do Nhuan; “The girl of Song La” by musician Doan Nho; “Listening to the boat singing at night and remembering Uncle Ho” by musician An Thuyen or “Tomorrow I will return to Ha Tinh” by musician Tran Hoan, which is the crystallization of Vi and Giam melodies… In addition, the Vietnam Musicians Association in Ha Tinh has worked hard to convey folk melodies and Vi to the younger generation; coordinated with teaching units to research and teach Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs in schools for students.
Ha Tinh province has issued many programs and plans, assigned the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to direct and carry out the task of researching and protecting current cultural and artistic culture, focusing on the task of collecting, restoring and promoting folk performances, folk dances, ancient folk songs and other traditional art forms such as small stage forms, dry puppetry, water puppetry, etc. to serve the people. In particular, the Ha Tinh Traditional Arts Theater is responsible for surveying, compiling, classifying the system of folk song treasures of Nghe An, recording tapes and videos of ancient folk songs circulating among the people; restoring and building small stage art programs to perform for the people; restoring and promoting the role of folk performances, folk dances of folk songs such as Ho, Ve, Vi, Giam Sac Bua, Ca Tru, Cheo, Kieu, etc.
Nghe An and Ha Tinh have organized many inter-provincial Vi and Giam folk song festivals and Vi and Giam folk song festivals; built specialized pages, columns, wrote news and articles about these folk songs on websites and mass media; coordinated in making reports, documentaries, releasing CDs and VCDs about Vi and Giam folk songs; participated in exchanges and performances of Vi and Giam folk songs at festivals, festivals, and festivals of provinces and cities across the country and in the European Union (EU) and Southeast Asia regions... The two provinces continue to promote the development of a network of Vi and Giam folk song clubs down to each village and hamlet; maintained the organization of annual Vi and Giam folk song festivals and singing competitions; and effectively implemented activities to teach Vi and Giam folk songs in the community. At the same time, focus on restoring the performance space of Vi and Giam folk songs, prioritize the restoration and transmission of traditional songs and performance forms that have been lost, and encourage self-composed works. Build plays and performance programs to introduce and promote Nghe Tinh folk songs in, outside the province and internationally. It can be affirmed that the work of protecting and promoting the value of the cultural heritage of Vi and Giam folk songs of Nghe Tinh is not only the task of the Nghe Tinh people's community, but also the task of the nation and people to protect the cultural heritage of humanity.
Currently, the art of performing folk songs and Giam is classified as a type of performing art and is included in the criteria of cultural industries. According to UNESCO, “cultural industries” are understood as industries “associated with the creation, production and commercialization of intangible cultural content. These contents are protected by copyright law and can be expressed in the form of cultural goods and services” (3) . According to Decision No. 1755/QD-TTg, dated September 8, 2016, of the Prime Minister, approving the "Strategy for the development of Vietnam's cultural industries to 2020, with a vision to 2030", the specific tasks and development solutions for the performing arts sector are: "Performing arts - Developing the market for theatrical works, music, and performance programs. Preserving and promoting traditional national art combined with contemporary art forms, creating many high-quality works, demonstrating the creativity and uniqueness of traditional art. Encouraging the establishment of enterprises, prioritizing enterprises operating in the fields of music, performance programs, and event organization; strengthening cooperation between sectors and fields related to performing arts" ( 4) . Accordingly, Vietnam's cultural industries include: Advertising; architecture; software and entertainment games; handicrafts; design; cinema; publishing; fashion; performing arts; fine arts, photography and exhibitions; television and radio; cultural tourism become important service industries, developing significantly in quality and quantity, contributing positively to economic growth. The strategy also sets out the goal of developing cultural industries “to become important service industries, developing significantly in quality and quantity, contributing positively to economic growth and job creation through the production of more and more diverse, high-quality cultural products and services,... establishing cultural product and service brands” (5) .
In the context of international integration and development of cultural industries, the performing arts of Nghe Tinh folk songs are subject to certain impacts, requiring innovation and elevation to suit the new trends of modern society, contributing to spreading the sustainable values of this intangible cultural heritage to the domestic public and international friends.
Solutions to promote the value of Nghe Tinh folk singing and singing performance art in building the cultural industry
To promote the cultural heritage value of Nghe Tinh folk songs in the context of building a cultural industry and international integration, it is necessary to pay attention to the following solutions:
Firstly , to innovate thinking and awareness about developing the cultural industry in the process of preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritage. In order for traditional arts in Ha Tinh province in general and folk singing and singing of Nghe Tinh in particular to be preserved and developed, first of all, it is necessary to identify the development of the cultural industry as a regular, continuous, long-term process that needs to be continuously supplemented and improved. In particular, the cultural industry is a new economic sector, requiring appropriate steps, with specific breakthrough mechanisms and policies, meeting the requirements of developing the cultural industry into a spearhead economic sector.
Second , ensuring the quality of human resources. In any stage of the cultural industry, the quality of human resources is the most important factor. Cultural and artistic human resources have always been of interest to all levels and sectors of Ha Tinh province, focusing on improving their quality, qualifications and professional capacity, making many positive contributions and achieving achievements. However, cultural human resources are still in short supply, especially high-quality human resources, so there needs to be worthy investment through many different forms and levels, such as: Strengthening training, fostering, and passing on the profession; having a working regime and satisfactory treatment for artists, artisans, and heritage practitioners so that they can focus on the work of transmitting cultural heritage values.
Vi and Giam folk song performance of Tan Giang ward at the 2023 Ha Tinh City Elderly Singing Festival_Photo: daidoanket.vn
Third , build folk art programs to perform Vi and Giam songs imbued with Nghe An culture, associated with economic development. Today, the cultural industry is considered an effective tool for the process of building a creative economy, making culture an important component of the economic growth process and strong international competition. In fact, the cultural industry brings both economic and spiritual values. These two values are closely related to each other because culture is the condition and basis for promoting economic development, and vice versa, the economy creates material potential for cultural development and preservation of traditional values. The strategy for developing Vietnam's cultural industries to 2020, with a vision to 2030, sets the goal: "Strive for the revenue of cultural industries to contribute 7% of GDP and continue to create more jobs for society" (6) . To effectively exploit this art form for economic development, we need to be very careful, because besides the positive factors, there are also issues related to heritage protection, with the interests and rights of the community.
Fourth , innovate the method of operation, invest in upgrading the performance facilities and equipment to attract audiences. Building and developing cultural industries is important to bring new ways of seeing, evaluating, and enjoying the current folk performing arts of Vi and Giam. On a general level, art forms in general, and folk performing arts of Vi and Giam, need to innovate in the method of operation, proactively change the approach to the public to meet the development needs of modern society. However, this unique art form is facing many difficulties in attracting audiences, the audience is "mainly the elderly who have a passion for this art form, while the younger generation or middle-aged people are only interested in new cultural and entertainment products. Although the number of clubs and members has increased compared to before, the quality of activities is still heavy on the movement, lacking creativity in both form and content, so it has not attracted the community" (7) . In recent years, Ha Tinh province has devoted resources to investing and improving infrastructure, equipment, and performance facilities. However, to meet the increasing demand for art enjoyment of the public in the context of increasingly developing technology, it is necessary to increase investment and apply modern technology in performing folk art.
Fifth , educate the awareness of preserving and promoting the value of the performing arts of Vi and Giam folk songs. Developing the cultural industry is a long journey with many tasks to be done, so it is necessary to propose appropriate mechanisms and a reasonable roadmap for long-term development in the future. It is necessary to continue promoting propaganda and education activities to raise awareness and responsibility of the entire political system and the whole society, especially the young generation, for protecting and promoting the value of the cultural heritage of Vi and Giam folk songs of Nghe Tinh. At the same time, increase investment in resources for the preservation and promotion of the value of cultural heritage, building and promoting the value of Vi and Giam folk performing arts into an economic heritage product of Nghe An.
Vi and Giam folk songs are priceless spiritual heritages passed down through many generations, deeply ingrained in the souls, minds and lives of the people of Nghe An. Preserving and promoting the precious value of this intangible cultural heritage from the perspective of the cultural industry helps to elevate Vi and Giam folk songs and maintain a strong vitality over time./.
----------------------------
(1) Nguyen Chi Ben: Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs accompany today's generation, People's Army Newspaper , November 27, 2024, https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/dan-ca-vi-giam-nghe-tinh-dong-hanh-cung-the-he-hom-nay-804672
(2) Nguyen Nga: Ha Tinh: Activities of Vi and Giam folk song clubs contribute to preserving and promoting intangible cultural heritage, Culture and Arts Magazine , April 10, 2025, http://vanhoanghethuat.vn/ha-tinh-hoat-dong-cua-cac-cau-lac-bo-dan-ca-vi-giam-gop-phan-bao-ton-va-phat-huy-di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the.htm
(3) See: UNESCO: Culture, trade and globalization: Questions and answers , 2000, en.unesco.org
(4) See: Decision No. 1755/QD-TTg, dated September 8, 2016, of the Prime Minister: Approving the Strategy for the development of Vietnam's cultural industries to 2020, with a vision to 2030, Government Electronic Information Portal, https://datafiles.chinhphu.vn/cpp/files/vbpq/2016/09/1755.signed.pdf
(5) See: Decision No. 1755/QD-TTg, dated September 8, 2016, of the Prime Minister: Approving the Strategy for the development of Vietnam's cultural industries to 2020, with a vision to 2030, Government Electronic Information Portal, https://datafiles.chinhphu.vn/cpp/files/vbpq/2016/09/1755.signed.pdf
(6) See: Decision No. 1755/QD-TTg, dated September 8, 2016, of the Prime Minister: Approving the Strategy for the development of Vietnam's cultural industries to 2020, with a vision to 2030, Government Electronic Information Portal, https://datafiles.chinhphu.vn/cpp/files/vbpq/2016/09/1755.signed.pdf
(7) Dang Kim Thoa: Preserving and promoting the value of Nghe An folk songs associated with cultural industrial products, Culture and Arts Magazine , April 19, 2023, http://vanhoanghethuat.vn/bao-ton-va-phat-huy-gia-tri-dan-ca-vi-giam-nghe-an-gan-voi-cac-san-pham-cong-nghiep-van-hoa.htm
Source: https://tapchicongsan.org.vn/web/guest/thuc-tien-kinh-nghiem1/-/2018/1099002/phat-huy-gia-tri-cua-nghe-thuat-bieu-dien-vi%2C-giam-trong-phat-trien-nganh-cong-nghiep-van-hoa-o-tinh-ha-tinh.aspx
Comment (0)