Honoring and promoting the value of the heritage of Southern amateur music

On the evening of November 13, at the National Historical Site of the Cao Van Lau Musician Memorial Site (Bac Lieu Ward, Ca Mau Province), the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the province organized the opening ceremony of the first expanded Southern Amateur Music Festival of Ca Mau Province in 2025.

Performance by the Southern Amateur Music Team of Ca Mau Province 1. Photo: Tuan Kiet/VNA

This is one of a series of events held during the 2nd Ca Mau Crab Festival in 2025, and is also a meaningful cultural event to honor, preserve and promote the value of the Don ca tai tu heritage, contributing to promoting the image of Ca Mau - a land rich in cultural identity and rich in tourism potential.

Attending the opening ceremony were representatives of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the provinces and cities participating in the Festival including: Can Tho, An Giang, Vinh Long, Tay Ninh.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Thanh, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ca Mau province, shared: Southern amateur music is a traditional music genre that was formed and developed in the late 19th century, originating from the roots of Hue royal court music. With the talent and intelligence of the previous generation of artisans, it has created and transformed into a unique, attractive, fresh and vibrant folk art form. Amateur music activities take place in many diverse and rich forms; the sounds of instruments and songs resound from families and villages; from cities to remote, isolated rural areas; and in meetings between talented men and beautiful women.

More humane is the art of Don ca tai tu that has joined the resistance war to protect the country to harmonize with "singing to drown out the sound of bombs"; "playing the instrument and gun", or with the far-reaching melodies in the work of building and innovating the homeland and country today. After more than 2 centuries of formation and development, the art of Don ca tai tu Nam Bo still retains its value and develops strongly in the local cultural and artistic movement, is a unique feature, deeply ingrained in the cultural life of the people of the South in general and the people of Ca Mau in particular.

Presenting flowers to the Jury of the 1st Southern Amateur Music Festival of Ca Mau Province in 2025. Photo: Tuan Kiet/VNA

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Thanh said: The first expanded Southern Don Ca Tai Tu Art Festival in Ca Mau province in 2025 is organized to contribute to honoring and promoting the quintessence and values ​​of the intangible cultural heritage of Southern Don Ca Tai Tu art recognized by UNESCO, demonstrating the unique characteristics in the cultural and spiritual life of the people in the Southern river region, maintaining healthy cultural and artistic activities, increasing the diversity, richness and practical effectiveness of the cultural and artistic movement at the grassroots level.

For the festival to be successful, the Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ca Mau province requested: Artists, amateur musicians, amateur singers, be confident, perform to the best of their abilities, and comply with the festival regulations. The Jury must demonstrate good professional qualifications, work with an objective and impartial spirit to help the Organizing Committee properly evaluate the quality of each performance to select the best performers in this festival, in order to add new elements, to be the core force for the local arts movement.

The Organizing Committee presented souvenir cups to the teams participating in the Festival. Photo: Tuan Kiet/VNA

The festival gathered nearly 100 amateurs and artists from the amateur music groups from provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region such as An Giang, Tay Ninh, Vinh Long, and Can Tho city. This is an opportunity to honor achievements and create conditions for artisans, artists, and amateurs who are active in the amateur music clubs of the provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta to meet, exchange, learn experiences, and improve their professional skills to preserve and develop the Southern amateur music movement in each locality. Thereby, strengthening the solidarity and close relationship in the community of people who love this traditional art form.

Immediately after the opening ceremony, the amateur music teams of An Giang province; Can Tho city and Ca Mau province performed in turn 20 pieces of Southern amateur music including: Nam, Bac, Ha, Oan; vọng cổ: Beat 4, beat 8, beat 16, beat 32... with the content praising the Party, Uncle Ho, the heroic revolutionary tradition of the nation, love for the homeland and country; praising the achievements in the renovation and economic - cultural - social development of the locality and the Mekong Delta region; setting typical examples of good people and good deeds in building a healthy cultural living environment in each locality.

The closing ceremony and award ceremony of the first Southern Amateur Music Festival of Ca Mau province in 2025 will take place on the evening of November 15, 2025 at the National Historical Site of the Cao Van Lau Musician Memorial Site, Bac Lieu ward, Ca Mau province.

According to VNA

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/ton-vinh-phat-huy-gia-tri-cua-di-san-don-ca-tai-tu-nam-bo-526593.html