In the treasure trove of intangible cultural heritage of the Raglai people in the mountainous district of Khanh Son, lullabies were once very popular in the daily lives of the people. However, nowadays, to hear lullabies sung by Raglai mothers and sisters is indeed a rare thing.
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| The sleep of a Raglai baby in Khanh Son. (Illustration photo) |
1. Nearly 15 years ago, after Meritorious Artisan Mau Quoc Tien showed us the translation of the melody and lyrics of the tunes Du anáq (lullaby for children) and Du adơi (lullaby for children) of the Raglai people, we were very interested and went to learn about the current status of these lullabies in the lives of the people. But since then, the lullabies have gradually faded away. Meritorious Artisan Mau Quoc Tien once shared: “Our generation grew up with the lullabies of our grandmothers and mothers. From our mothers' backs, the lullabies gradually seeped into our souls so that when we grew up, we would always remember those sounds. But now, the children and grandchildren no longer know those lullabies.” Recently, meeting and chatting with Meritorious Artisan Mau Quoc Tien, we still encountered the same regretful eyes as before: “The Raglai people no longer sing lullabies…”.
Lullabies were once used by the Raglai people as an emotional bond, sharing between mothers and children, grandmothers and grandchildren, sisters. Lullabies were sung in every house; on the way to the fields; when sowing corn, planting cassava; when picking wild vegetables... And on the backs of mothers and sisters, children fell into deep sleep with the gentle, steady humming sound of lullabies: "Hey, my child! Wait for me to come home, I'm going to the fields/Little child, go to sleep/The cool afternoon is getting dark, you just fall into a deep sleep..."; or "Hey, my child! Go to sleep/I'll pick you some swaying chrysanthemum beans/The cool afternoon is getting dark, go to sleep/Mom is coming back from the fields/Mom is carrying a lot of firewood to warm up... Oh, my child! Dad is working far away in the fields/Mom is going down to the stream to get water/But my child! Don't cry anymore...". However, all of this now is just nostalgia for some elderly people or a few people interested in the cultural capital of the Raglai people in Khanh Son.
2. According to Meritorious Artist Mau Quoc Tien, the lullabies of the Raglai people often have gentle, soulful sounds to help children fall asleep easily. The content of the lullabies is simple and rustic, depicting the daily life and work of the people on the fields, the beautiful mountain and forest scenery, the close-knit village... A few lullabies mention the origin of the Raglai people's ancestors, praising the heroes in legends: "When our children grow up, remember the cool breeze under the banyan tree/Remember the river, remember the sacred forest, remember the animals of the old forest/Sleep, sleep, my child...".
In the book “Khanh Hoa Folk Culture” published by the Truth National Political Publishing House in 2014, musician Nguyen Van Hao (member of the Provincial Literature and Arts Association) wrote an article “Lullabies of the Raglai people in Khanh Hoa”. In it, there is a passage: “The Raglai people call lullabies Du anáq (lullaby for children), Du ađơi (lullaby for children). Both Du anáq and Du ađơi have melodious, gentle melodies. The content of the Raglai lullabies is very rich, containing profound humanistic values, truly reflecting the life of the Raglai people”. Also according to musician Nguyen Van Hao, a rather special point is that the lullaby performance environment is not only used by the people in daily life, but also in festival activities.
Once a popular folk performance method of the Raglai people, but like many other ethnic groups, lullabies are gradually fading away in community life. In recent years, Khanh Son district has implemented many solutions to restore and preserve the traditional culture of the Raglai people in the area. Initial results have brought positive signals when a number of traditional festivals have been restored; many classes teaching the use of traditional musical instruments such as lithophones and ma la have been opened, attracting dozens of young people to participate; activities to teach folk songs and Raglai epics have also been carried out... However, the locality has not paid attention to restoring lullabies for the Raglai people. It is advisable that mass organizations such as the Women's Union and the Youth Union in the district pay attention to opening lullaby classes for members. This is also a way to contribute to preserving the traditional culture of the Raglai people from the roots.
FAMILY
Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/van-hoa/202410/vang-dan-nhung-khuc-hat-ru-raglai-e0d2f98/
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