The lingering melody of the ancient zither…

From the first warm flame nurtured and cherished by the father, a renowned folk artist, the beauty of the ancient zither's melodies has been passed down through generations of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, creating a unique source of pride and a beautiful story about preserving the flame of traditional music in today's life...

The family of artists Ngoc Tam, Hong Hiep, and Hong Trang.

The passion for craft of an artisan

It can be affirmed that among the traditional musical instrument players in Quang Nam and Da Nang City in particular, and Central Vietnam in general, when mentioning folk artist Nguyen Chau (Tu Chau, born in 1907) from Nghi An village, Hoa Phat commune, Hoa Vang district, Da Nang... everyone knows him. Artist Nguyen Chau was fascinated by the sound of drums and the two-stringed fiddle from a young age because he was born in a region with many skilled craftspeople.

At the age of 12, he began practicing drumming and received instruction from a renowned village musician, Master Tư Nhàn. At that time, the Nghi An village's traditional eight-instrument orchestra was quite famous. Artists like Tư Nhàn, Tư Nhiên, Tám Hùng… were once invited to perform musical ensembles to welcome King Khải Đình during his visit to Hải Vân Pass, receiving high praise from the king.

Having mastered various traditional musical instruments at an early age, Tu Chau's reputation gradually spread beyond Nghi An village, becoming the next in line to pass on the craft to the village's veteran artisans. He was in charge of the orchestra at the then-famous Hoa Phat Theater.

After 1975, the Tư Châu family became a training ground for musicians in Quảng Nam - Đà Nẵng . At the Quảng Nam - Đà Nẵng Provincial Folk Arts Festival in 1992, his family's orchestra won a silver medal for their ensemble performance. His son, musician Nguyễn Ninh, brought home a gold medal for his solo performance on the two-stringed fiddle at the "National Competition for Talented Performers of Traditional Stage Musical Instruments" held in Đà Nẵng.

For his contributions to theatrical musical instruments and to the mass arts movement, in 2010, along with the renowned folk artist Ha Thi Cau, Mr. Nguyen Chau was honored with the title of Folk Artist and a Commemorative Medal for his contributions to Vietnamese folk arts.

He was also the only artisan to live past 100 years old and still hold these accolades in his hands. Leaving behind much sorrow and longing for his family and many generations of artisans and students, artisan Tư Châu breathed his last on June 19, 2011, to return to the land of white clouds.

Passed down through generations

Perhaps the late folk artist Nguyen Chau was fortunate because, upon his passing, his descendants continued to preserve, develop, and spread the precious values ​​of the ancient zither that he left behind. His son, Meritorious Artist Nguyen Ninh, who works at the Nguyen Hien Dinh Traditional Opera Theatre, is a skilled erhu player.

Hong Trang and her parents looked back at family memories.

People's Artist Tran Dinh Sanh - former Director of the Nguyen Hien Dinh Traditional Opera Theatre, once affirmed: "We highly appreciate the contributions of the Tu Chau family to the troupe. His son, Nguyen Ninh, and daughter-in-law, Meritorious Artist Le Phuong Lan, have continued the legacy he passed down, contributing captivating melodies of the traditional zither to the troupe's performances."

Indeed, it's not just Nguyen Ninh and his wife; the sons, daughters, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, and other members of the artisan Nguyen Chau, such as Nguyen Thi Hong Hiep, Doan Ngoc Tam (Hiệp's husband), Nguyen Loc, Nguyen Sau, Nguyen Hoa, Nguyen Thi Loi, etc., are all proficient in playing traditional musical instruments. Even more valuable, this tradition has been passed down from his children to the next generation in the family.

One example of preserving that traditional beauty is the family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Hiep and Mr. Doan Ngoc Tam. Both of them were formerly actors in the Quang Nam - Da Nang Opera and Drama Troupe.

Ms. Hiep is a zither player, a skill passed down from artisan Nguyen Chau to his daughter, and she continues to preserve and develop it. Mr. Doan Ngoc Tam, originally a pure actor, became captivated by the drumming and zither playing of the father after marrying into the Tu Chau family.

Mr. Tam recounted: “I was his son-in-law, but I was often close to him. Back then, the sound of his guitar and trumpet always captivated me. At first, I only appreciated the beauty and the nuances emanating from his skillful hands. But then, unable to resist, I decided to ask his permission to learn the trade…”

When the province was re-established, Mr. Doan Ngoc Tam joined the opera troupe in Quang Nam to continue his work, while Ms. Hiep temporarily retired from her job and stayed at home. Remarkably, continuing the family tradition, their children, such as Doan Ngoc Vu (playing the zither) and his wife, folk singer Do Trinh, along with their young son, formed a new generation of artists within the extended family, achieving considerable success in amateur artistic activities in Da Nang City. Mr. Tam and Ms. Hiep's daughter, Doan Thi Hong Trang, is currently a talented young actress with the Quang Nam Opera Troupe.

“I am very happy and proud to have been born into a family with a tradition of folk music. My maternal grandfather, uncles, aunts, and my parents and siblings are all warm flames of passion for folk music. That has been, and continues to be, like shimmering threads, weaving into my soul an inexhaustible attachment to the melodies of the ancient zither…” - Ms. Trang shared.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/van-vuong-am-dieu-co-cam-3152209.html