From ancient folk songs to national heritage: The story of artisan Nguyen Dinh Lau

There are cultural values ​​that seem to have faded over time, but thanks to people who are determined to preserve them, they are revived in today's life. For Meritorious Artist Nguyen Dinh Lau in Thanh Binh Commune, Ninh Binh Province, singing the drum is not only a folk melody, but also a cultural memory of an entire countryside. For more than thirty years of diligently collecting, restoring and teaching, he has contributed to bringing that rustic melody back to life and making it a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Meritorious artist Nguyen Dinh Lau, Thanh Binh commune, has spent 30 years diligently collecting, restoring and teaching to make Liem Thuan military drum singing a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

A silent journey to find the melody of the homeland

Born in Chay village, Liem Thuan commune, Thanh Liem district, Ha Nam province (old), now Lau Chay village, Thanh Binh commune, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Lau grew up with the simple, sweet, and soulful drum singing. The drum sounds and singing became childhood memories, nurturing the souls of many generations.

In 1965, following the call of the Fatherland, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Lau volunteered to join the youth volunteer force, fighting with the people of the whole country against the US. After completing his military service, in 1985, he returned to his homeland. Realizing that the military drum melodies were gradually being forgotten, he worried: if no one stood up to collect and teach them, the songs his ancestors left behind would be lost. From that thought, he began his journey to find and restore ancient songs, with the desire to preserve them for future generations.

Thinking is doing, he began his journey to collect the drum melodies with an almost instinctive passion. For many years, he quietly cycled everywhere, from Lau Chay village to neighboring villages, from Ninh Binh to the old Ha Nam region to meet people who had listened to and sung the drum melodies just to record them, adjust each beat, check each word to keep the old spirit.

“At first, when I started collecting the tunes of the military drum, many people did not support me. However, later, when they understood the meaning of the work, they enthusiastically helped and guided me through many valuable things. It was through the documents and stories provided by the people that I gradually exploited and restored the original value of this tune. Another advantage was that at that time I was working as a collaborator for Ha Nam Newspaper. Therefore, every time I collected documents or discovered something new, I could write an article and publish it in the newspaper right away, contributing to spreading the value of the military drum to more people,” Mr. Lau shared.

In a small house filled with worn-edged notebooks, he carefully recorded each song, some only a few lines, some a whole page long. With all the passion of a lover of the homeland's drum melodies. Up to now, he has collected more than 100 dum songs, 98 love songs and 18 enemy songs during the resistance war against the French.

During his collection, Mr. Lau also researched and learned about the origin of the military drum singing, about the military drum singing festival; and learned about the good, unique and distinctive features of the old military drum singing of Liem Thuan. “Each song is a piece of the soul of the countryside, the confidences of the ancients. I consider them treasures,” he said, his eyes shining with pride.

Awakening heritage from love of homeland

From those old pages, in 2006, Mr. Lau founded the Liem Thuan Drum Singing Club - the first step in the journey to "awaken" the heritage. Without a stage, they sang in the communal house yard; making drums themselves from earthenware jars and bamboo. Initially, there were only 5-7 participants, but Mr. Lau was very persistent, bringing a notebook to every practice session, teaching each beat and each sentence. Thanks to that, after many years of absence, the drum melody resounded under the roof of the Chay village communal house in the joy and excitement of the villagers.

Meritorious artist Nguyen Dinh Lau enthusiastically guides members of the Liem Thuan Military Drum Singing Club in practice.

Mrs. Hoang Thi Nhan, 80 years old, Gua Song village emotionally recounted: “I heard my mother sing the military drum lullaby since I was little, it was so much fun, I sang while planting and harvesting. Then, for a time, around 1966, the military drum melody was forgotten, absent from life. Since Mr. Lau collected and restored it, then brought it into the cultural activities of the community in his hometown, until now the military drum melody has flourished again.”

The Liem Thuan Drum Singing Club has gradually become a familiar cultural space for the people. In the middle of the communal house yard, the elderly sing, the young beat the rhythm, the simple songs and responses resound amidst the yellow lights, amidst the friendly laughter. Drum Singing has not only returned as a cultural activity, but also become a bond connecting the community.

After many years of absence, the Trong Quan melody resounds again under the roof of Chay village communal house thanks to the tireless efforts and dedication of Meritorious Artist Nguyen Dinh Lau.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tang, a resident of Gua Song village, shared: “The military drum is a unique cultural beauty of the lowland area. Listening to the drum sound again, I feel like I hear the sound of my hometown. Now our children and grandchildren can learn to sing and understand the tradition, that is the great contribution of Mr. Lau”.

Keep the spirit of the drum in today's life

Not stopping at restoration, Mr. Lau also wondered how to make the military drums "live" in modern life. He sought to bring this heritage closer to the young generation - those who will be the bridge to the future. With his experience and enthusiasm, Mr. Lau coordinated with schools in Thanh Binh commune to incorporate military drum singing into the school's educational activities. To inspire students in the process of learning to sing, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Lau compiled his own lesson plans, choosing short, easy-to-sing songs with content related to love for the homeland, people, and nature for students to easily absorb.

Ms. Trinh Thi Nhan, a Literature teacher at Liem Thuan Primary and Secondary School, Thanh Binh Commune, said: “When Mr. Lau proposed the idea of ​​bringing the military drum song to the school, the school was very supportive. We have included the military drum song in music and local education lessons. From the military drum club activities to the local and school cultural and artistic competitions, the students have listened to ancient songs, practiced singing and responding to the military drum song, and especially interacted with the artisans in the village, so they are very interested. Through that, they understand more about their homeland's traditions and the value of folk songs.”

Meritorious artist Nguyen Dinh Lau talked with students of Liem Thuan Primary and Secondary School, Thanh Binh commune about the cultural value of the homeland's drum melody.

With the attention of the school's Board of Directors, the enthusiastic guidance of teachers and members of the Liem Thuan Drum Club, the students have had a comprehensive view and a deeper understanding of the traditional cultural activities of their homeland. From there, they have further developed their love for this unique folk tune. Nguyen Ngoc Diep, a 9A student, shared: "I feel very proud because our hometown Thanh Binh has a sweet and mellow drum tune. I understand that this is not just a tune, but the soul of my homeland."

Not only teaching, Mr. Lau also directly organizes performances and exchanges between folk song clubs inside and outside the province. Thanks to his persistent efforts, the military drum has gradually revived, brought back to festivals and community cultural activities, becoming a bridge between the past and the present. In 2019, he was awarded the title of "Meritorious Artist" by the President for his contributions to preserving and popularizing the military drum singing. And in 2023, the military drum singing of Liem Thuan was officially recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage - a worthy reward for the persistent dedication of the artisan who has devoted his life to "calling the soul" of the heritage.

Mr. Doan Van Thuy, Head of the Department of Culture and Society of Thanh Binh Commune, said: “We always appreciate the efforts and dedication of the artisans and members of the military drum clubs who have diligently preserved, conserved and promoted the cultural values ​​of military drum singing. In particular, the locality acknowledges and expresses gratitude for the contributions, responsibilities and deep affection of artisan Nguyen Dinh Lau for this heritage. In the coming time, we will continue to focus on promoting teaching activities, creating conditions for the military drum singing to spread and develop more and more among the young generation in the area.”

Hat Trong Quan has been brought back into festivals and community cultural activities, becoming a bridge between the past and present in Thanh Binh homeland.

Few people know that, throughout those 30 years, Mr. Lau had to fight an incurable disease. However, every day there was a practice session, he still came early, personally stretched the drum strings, and adjusted the rhythm for each person. For him, his health may have weakened, but his love for the drums never faded.

Thirty years of silence, thirty years of cycling on village roads, meeting, recording, teaching singing, the journey of Meritorious Artisan Nguyen Dinh Lau is a journey to revive a heritage back to life. Today, in the village festival nights, the sound of Liem Thuan's drums resounds rustically, sweetly, and passionately like the scent of new rice. Amidst the noisy sounds of the times, that drum sound still retains its clarity and sincerity, like the soul of the person who preserves it. The story of Meritorious Artisan Nguyen Dinh Lau has proven that heritage is never lost, it only needs one person who loves it enough to help it revive.

Thanks to the heart of the old artisan, Liêm Thuận military drum singing is no longer an echo of the past, but a “living heritage”, with people singing, people listening and young people continuing. And from those drum beats, the soul of the countryside still resonates, gentle and persistent, like a cultural source that never stops flowing in the land of Ninh Binh rich in tradition.

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/tu-khuc-hat-que-xua-den-di-san-quoc-gia-cau-chuyen-cua-nghe-nhan-nguyen-dinh-lau-251031171340926.html