The struggle to keep the flame of Ca Tru alive.

QTO - At an age rarely seen before, the female singers and members of the Quang Phong Ca Tru Club still diligently perform their songs and rhythmic clappers during festivals at the Lu Phong village communal house. But behind that passion lies a concern: Who will continue to preserve this traditional art form in the future?

During the Lu Phong village festival at the beginning of the year, after the solemn rituals, the melodies of Ca Tru singing filled the village temple, bringing listeners back to the sounds of the past. Five members of the Quang Phong Ca Tru Club enthusiastically performed the incense and wine offering ceremony.

What was remarkable was that most of the performers that day were around 80 years old, including Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dung, the club's chairperson, who is 86 years old this year. Despite their advanced age and limited health, whenever the rhythmic clapping sounded, the elderly members were captivated by each song.

The Quang Phong Ca Tru Club was formed in 2009 with the goal of preserving and promoting this traditional art form of their homeland. In its early days, the club had only 6 members, all of whom loved Ca Tru and wished to preserve the cultural beauty of their ancestors. After the commune and ward were merged, the club gained several new members, bringing the total to 11. However, what worries the club members is that the average age of the club members has now reached 75.

The members of the Quang Phong Ca Tru Club are now of a very advanced age - Photo: HL

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuong (76 years old), Vice Head of the Club, shared: “Previously, the Club also had three young people who came to learn Ca Tru. They learned quite quickly, but later could not continue participating in the Club's activities because they had to go to school far away.” In recent years, encouraging young people to participate in Ca Tru training has become increasingly difficult. Many young people are attracted to modern forms of entertainment and are not very interested in traditional art.

Besides the difficulty in finding a new generation of performers, the club also faces many obstacles regarding operating costs. The meager financial support is mainly used to purchase costumes and performance props. The majority of the remaining expenses are covered by contributions from the members themselves. Despite this, they maintain regular activities and are ready to perform at traditional festivals and local cultural events.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Luy (84 years old), a long-time member of the club, recalled: "Learning Ca Tru singing used to be very difficult; you had to patiently practice each verse and each rhythm. Now, we only hope to pass it on to the younger generation so that it can be preserved for a long time, because we are old and will eventually have to retire."

"I sincerely hope that the local authorities will pay attention to building up more young talent to gradually take over. If there is support in terms of training and funding, I believe there will certainly be people willing to study," Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuong expressed.

Whenever the Lu Phong village festival takes place, the sounds of clappers and the melodies of Ca Tru (traditional Vietnamese singing) still resonate in the village temple. These are not just performances, but also the dedication and love for culture of the members of the Quang Phong Ca Tru Club, who tirelessly "keep the flame alive" for their homeland's heritage. However, they are still deeply concerned that in just a few years, as they age and their health declines, maintaining the club's activities will become difficult, and there is even a risk that this folk art form will disappear in their locality.

H. Le

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa/202603/tran-tro-giu-lua-ca-tru-ab236e9/