Laying the foundation of identity for creativity to create artistic products worthy of serving the integration process and moving towards cultural industry is necessary today.
Endless "creative gold mine"
From the colorful "Ho Chi Minh City River Festival 2024" at Bach Dang Wharf, Saigon River, to the international premieres of "A O Show" or traditional-contemporary stages such as "Mekong Show", "Southern Jade Seal"..., the public can see a steady flow. There, traditional art does not stay still in museums but is shaping the new face of Vietnam's cultural industry every day.
Each successful work proves a simple thing: heritage - if properly understood and exploited - is an endless "creative gold mine". Many insiders believe that international tourists do not come to Vietnam to see or hear things that are too familiar in their country. What they are looking for are unique, unmixed values. "A O Show" does not tell stories with words, does not use complicated techniques, but only with carrying poles, bamboo baskets, drum beats, physical performance techniques..., the crew has created an emotional "village memory", from which it has traveled across European stages.
Artists of the HCM City Hat Boi Art Theatre are always creative, incorporating traditional materials into new works to serve tourists. (Photo: THANH HIEP)
"Mekong show" recreates the flow of river civilization with adapted folk music , dance and light performances. "Sac an ngoc phuong nam" brings the breath of hat boi music and southern amateur music into a modern orchestral language, creating subtle emotions while still maintaining the Southern rhythm. The puppet-circus art program "Huyen su Rong Tien" attracts audiences when using materials from cultural heritages to exploit... Recently, the water puppet show "Huyen su Yet Kieu" has conquered audiences at home and abroad, when it brings regional cultural heritages into the story of Yet Kieu using his intelligence to defeat the invaders.
All of this shows that if the cultural industry wants to develop sustainably, it must stand on the foundation of national culture. "That is a very skillful application, creating achievements for the cultural and artistic appearance in Ho Chi Minh City. That is a very confident start to bring products into the machine, building the foundation for the development of the cultural industry" - People's Artist Tran Minh Ngoc acknowledged.
Bringing traditional materials into creative language
Each cultural and artistic product not only reproduces but also needs to regenerate artistic language, so that this skillful application can create an impression on tourists.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Thai analyzed: "Many directors have applied the form of minimalist symbols instead of illustrations. Cai luong, tuong, cheo not only perform stories but also transform them into colors, acting intonations, poetry, and images to exude the creative spirit when applying traditional materials and cultural heritage for each play."
In the field of cinema, recent films have begun to pay more attention to regional cultural materials or traditional props and costumes. The works "Sang den", "Song lang"... apply traditional materials, creating a positive effect on the screen. In the field of music, contemporary folk music is developing strongly, with young singers combining modern music with folk songs of the South, Hue , Central Highlands, Cham...
Residents and tourists experience activities at the "Ho Chi Minh City River Festival 2024". (Photo: HOANG TRIEU)
"There is still a large creative gap that needs to be constantly nurtured. The Ho Chi Minh City Music Association has organized many traditional music seminars for its branches to effectively apply to composition" - Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi My Liem, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Music Association, informed.
According to experts, works on the theme of celebrities and national heroes have not yet been fully exploited. The culture of the Central Highlands, the culture of the South, the diverse collection of epics and legends... are still "treasures" that have not been opened much. Traditional festivals have not yet been transformed into cultural products with added value...
Need a comprehensive, long-term strategy
Cultural researchers say that to create masterpieces, it takes time, investment and a favorable environment for artists to create wholeheartedly.
Author Mai Van Thanh, Khanh Hoa Cultural Center, gave an example: "Cham cultural materials are very rich. In Ho Chi Minh City, the Cham ethnic group lives in large numbers but there is still no regular coordination to apply Cham ethnic cultural materials into creations aimed at the cultural industry."
"A comprehensive strategy is needed so that traditional culture is not only preserved but also expressed in theater, music, cinema and popular products. Traditional culture is the strength that accompanies us towards the future" - Meritorious Artist Ca Le Hong commented.
Many insiders see that investment in the creative sector is still scattered, mainly from public units. The long-term funding mechanism for socialized units is unclear. The copyright system is not guaranteed, so artists find it difficult to feel secure investing in large works. The connection between museums - theater - tourism - cinema is still fragmented, not forming a value chain.
For traditional arts to truly integrate into the cultural industry, Ho Chi Minh City and localities need to build a creative investment fund, aiming at works with national and contemporary elements. In addition, perfect the copyright system; ensure income for artists to reinvest. Localities need to develop a closed-loop festival - performance - tourism model; invest in training young artists - directors - producers who understand tradition but have a global mindset.
The producer of "A O Show" once emphasized: "We do not remake the old. We do something the world has never seen before in Vietnam." That is necessary when developing the cultural industry: creating with traditional materials will create valuable products.
Heritage is not only a memory but also a source of creative energy for the present and the future. If Vietnam's cultural industry wants to step out into the world with worthy products, national art needs to be placed in the right foundation position and be the core to create identity.
(To be continued)
(*) See Lao Dong Newspaper from November 16 issue
Source: https://nld.com.vn/phat-trien-cong-nghiep-van-hoa-viet-nam-tao-ban-sac-va-gia-tri-khac-biet-196251116213103296.htm
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