Songs of the soong co have long become a unique cultural beauty of the San Chi people. This is a spiritual product, a pride of the San Chi people, however, over time it has gradually faded away. And the localities where the San Chi people live are making efforts to restore this type of folk performance to promote the value of heritage in social life and attract tourism .
According to San Chi language, Soong co means singing, antiphonal singing, love song. The lyrics consist of seven-word quatrains (each stanza consists of 4 lines, each line has 7 syllables). Soong co is sung by pairs of men and women, or groups of men and women, in response to each other during spring festivals, weddings, during production work, and during leisure time. Because of its improvisational nature, Soong co singing requires the singer to be quick-witted and good at creating new lyrics. In the past, the Soong co festival, also known as the March singing festival, was held by the San Chi people at the end of spring, when the planting season was over, when young men and women made appointments to gather on the hills and streams to express their love, tell each other happy and sad stories, about daily work to forget fatigue, share confidences, and dreams for a prosperous life.
The March singing festival is no longer maintained, but the artists still voluntarily collect, preserve and teach Soong co. Folk artist Trac A Thin, Head of the Soong co Singing Club, Huc Dong Commune (Binh Lieu District), said: We have researched and recorded old songs as well as new songs. According to incomplete statistics, there must be about 1,000 songs. To maintain them for the younger generation, the Club has opened classes for students at the commune's secondary school. Currently, the Club hopes to recruit more members, compose and maintain old songs.
Binh Lieu district has also organized the restoration of the annual Soong Co Festival associated with the restoration of the Soong Co singing of the San Chi people. The Soong Co Festival is held on the 16th of the third lunar month when the spring rice has just been planted, and all the hardships are temporarily put aside. In the past, the festival often took place on a bright moonlit night; now it has been extended and expanded to many villages, hills, and streams. The Soong Co Festival with its sweet singing and singing is like an invitation for tourists from all over to come to Binh Lieu to enjoy folk songs and visit the picturesque natural landscapes.
The 2023 Soong Co Festival recently recreated the “Legend of Soong Co” - the love song of the San Chi people. In addition to performing folk songs on stage, the 2023 Soong Co Festival also has many diverse and rich activities such as: A love song performance program at the foot of Khe Van waterfall, a campfire night to exchange Soong Co singing between artists, people and tourists, and reenacting the Soong Co performance when guests come to visit.
The Soong Co Festival contributes to improving the spiritual and cultural life of the San Chi people, preserving and promoting the value of intangible cultural heritage, turning cultural heritage into tourism assets. Mr. Hoang Ngoc Ngo, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Lieu district, said: In recent years, implementing the policy of preserving the cultural heritage of ethnic groups, Binh Lieu district has restored the cultural heritage of ethnic groups in the area, including the Soong Co folk singing heritage. The Soong Co Festival of Huc Dong commune was restored in 2005. Up to now, the festival's activities have taken place regularly and have become increasingly in-depth. The festival has spread with the participation of ethnic communities in the commune, in the district, San Chi people in the province as well as neighboring provinces.
In order for the Soong Co melody to be preserved and developed, Binh Lieu district is mobilizing all levels, sectors and the San Chi community to enhance their sense of responsibility in preserving the cultural identity of Soong Co singing. According to Mr. Hoang Ngoc Ngo, in the coming time, Binh Lieu district will create the best conditions to organize research, preservation, bring it to schools to teach students and create a highlight for the development of community tourism associated with the scenic spots of Khe Van waterfall, Cao Ly mountain, and Luc Ngu village of Huc Dong commune.
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