Journey to find my voice again
The Chut ethnic group currently has a population of only about 8,000 people, with 5 ethnic groups: Sach, May, Ruc, A Rem, Ma Lieng, mainly living in the mountainous areas of northern Quang Tri province.
Despite their small population, the Chut ethnic group possesses a treasure trove of ethnic culture with unique folk melodies, sounds and improvisations; as well as a system of festivals and consistent social and religious customs, associated with community life, harmoniously connecting nature and people, preserving the morality of drinking water and remembering its source as well as reflecting the soul's attachment to the mountains and forests and productive labor. Many songs and musical instruments are still preserved in the memories of the elders.
To restore the singing voice of generations, the cultural workers of Quang Tri province had to embark on an arduous journey. According to Meritorious Artist Vo Thanh Nhan, Deputy Director of the Quang Tri Province Cultural and Cinema Center, the officials, with their love and responsibility for culture, "ate and lived together" with the Chut ethnic people, learning about their thoughts, aspirations and daily lives to collect, restore and transmit the sounds.
“To successfully organize a training course, we will return to the village, coordinate with the local authorities to learn, get acquainted and get closer to the people. Only then will the elders of the community open their hearts, trust us and let us listen to a song again, see the precious musical instrument kept as a "treasure"... From there, we will record both the melody and lyrics and agree with the people on the performance", Meritorious Artist Vo Thanh Nhan said.
Also according to Meritorious Artist Vo Thanh Nhan, in the journey of preserving and teaching intangible culture to ethnic minorities, the team of cultural workers was fortunate to meet many artisans, village elders... who always care about preserving the national soul, to open the way to connect with more elders as well as support writing more songs and new melodies in the spirit of the ethnic group.
Highlighting the heritage colors
After a long journey of listening to the sounds in memory, the complete performances of the Chut ethnic people have been restored, choreographed and performed in the community. In the mountains and forests of Kim Phu and Tuyen Lam communes... the melodious songs with simple, soulful sounds resounded, reminding generations of a common "household tradition" that is being preserved and maintained.
Notably, the performances in the training class were warmly received and spread throughout the community through social networks and phones. The romantic love songs, sweet lullabies, or the songs "Going to the fields to pick up rice", "Meeting in the cave"... began to be engraved in the memories of the young generation.
Mr. Dinh Xuan Bang, one of the people who is enthusiastic about preserving, restoring and transmitting intangible cultural heritage in the Chut ethnic community in Kim Phu commune, said that he has been singing ethnic songs since he was young, listening to his parents and remembering them forever in his subconscious. "Now that the young generation is singing again, I am very happy. These days we still gather to sing at home, practicing more to perform during the village festival."
Thanks to the work of preserving and promoting good cultural values, and passing on intangible cultural heritage, folk culture clubs in the four villages of Mo O O O, On, Yen Hop, and Phu Minh were established one after another. The cultural activities became a space for strong community connection, where the Chut people revived their customs, rituals, and ancient dances.
It is known that after the training period and completion of the performances, the activities will be coordinated and handed over to the local authorities, with the hope that these performances can be periodically performed in local events, so that generations can continue to pass on sounds, preserving the cultural foundation, which has nurtured people through many generations.
Vice Chairman of Kim Phu Commune People's Committee Hoang Thanh Binh affirmed that preserving the cultural identity of the Chut ethnic group is a regular and long-term task. The commune is expanding and developing traditional cultural clubs to both preserve heritage and develop cultural tourism in the western mountainous region of Quang Tri, creating sustainable livelihoods for the people.
Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/trao-truyen-phat-huy-gia-tri-van-hoa-dan-toc-chut-10397554.html
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