A walk with rowing

“At first, I came to Cheo as a walk, from interest, curiosity arose to learn and study...” That seemingly temporary walk made Meritorious Artist Nguyen Nhu Chi stick with Cheo for 60 years. Becoming one of the first Meritorious Artists of the Cheo art form in But Son town (Hoang Hoa).

A walk with rowing Meritorious Artist Nguyen Nhu Chi. Photo: Van Anh

Passion to the point of forgetting to eat

According to artist Nguyen Nhu Chi, at that time, Cheo, Tuong, Chau Van... were popular forms of entertainment, many famous troupes of Hoang Hoa performed everywhere in the province, loved by adults and children. "Children at that time loved Cheo, Tuong, Cai Luong just like young people today love modern music genres. Whenever the village had a festival, we forgot to eat and arrived early, choosing the best place. After the festival, we lingered around touching the musical instruments, talking with the actors, and discussing the play, excerpts... Only when there was no one left in the communal house yard did we go home." Those were Mr. Chi's first beautiful memories when coming to Cheo art.

“Indeed, at first I came to Cheo as a walk, from interest came curiosity to learn, study... No one in my family knew how to sing Cheo, nor did they intend for me to follow the profession of a “singing guild”, Mr. Chi confided. However, when taught by folk artists, young Chi soon revealed his talent. At the age of 14, young Chi was able to remember all the Cheo musical instruments, play percussion instruments (drum, cymbal, wooden fish) and difficult instruments such as the moon lute and the two-stringed fiddle. Not stopping at musical instruments, Mr. Chi also explored and learned from his seniors how to sing, how to breathe, pronounce words, and how to vibrate so that the notes resonate, rumble, and bounce properly in Cheo singing. Just like that, day after day, the art of Cheo gradually permeated him naturally like the breath of life without even realizing it. “I became the main actor, standing on stage performing with the artists that I had always wished to be able to perform with every day. "talk," Mr. Chi said.

When the war broke out, Mr. Chi joined the army, thinking that his “fate” with Cheo would end, his “trip” would come to an end. But no, in the most severe places of bombs and bullets, “singing” could “overpower the sound of bombs”, the exciting and enthusiastic performances were a joy to ease the pain of the soldiers on the battlefield. Realizing the great spiritual significance of “singing”, Mr. Chi joined the art troupe, both composing and performing.

It was the singing during the time of bombs and bullets that made Mr. Chi realize the true value and great power of traditional folk art in the life of Vietnamese people. He decided to devote his life to the art of Cheo.

The time Mr. Chi was discharged from the army was also the time when traditional arts were gradually being forgotten, the predecessors were getting old and passed away, the younger generation was not keen on learning. "This made me feel pain for many months. I must find a way to bring back traditional singing" - that thought urged Mr. Chi to find and gather those who were still "attached" to the Cheo to join the art troupe, which later became the But Son Town Folk Art Club. To maintain the art troupe's activities at that time, Mr. Chi spent his own money many times to fund the troupe's performances, buy enough practice equipment, and encourage and motivate the spirit of preserving the national cultural identity in everyone's heart.

The enthusiasm and passion of Mr. Chi and the members of the Club make the Cheo melodies more passionate and soulful, and the Club receives many invitations to perform. Mr. Chi and the Club regularly participate in major provincial and national festivals, receiving many certificates of merit from the province and the Central Government. Typical examples include: Gold medal for the Cheo play "Warning Bell" in 2005; Certificate of Merit from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism for Mr. Chi and the Club for their outstanding achievements in building grassroots cultural life in the New Rural Development period 2016-2018; Certificate of Merit from the Vietnam Music Development Center, Vietnam Musicians Association; Certificate of Merit from the Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Hoa province; The President awarded the title of Meritorious Artist 2019 in the folk performing art genre...

Bringing the "breath" of life into rowing

“A great joy fills my heart, my hometown is filled with excitement. The joy seems to spread to every home, congratulating Hoang Tien for achieving the model NTM criteria. Because the Party Committee and the People strive together, we have achieved today's results”... That is the lyrics for the Cheo performance that Mr. Chi composed with his colleagues for the Hoang Tien commune art troupe. The lyrics in the Cheo plays and Cheo performances are loved by local people because they carry the "breath" of life, reflecting the reality of life with the changes in NTM, digital transformation, smart countryside, the movement to donate land for road construction... and conflicts, anti-corruption... both carry the breath of life but always aim at the noble human values, the traditional values of the Vietnamese people for generations. The diversity of Cheo plays and Cheo performances makes Cheo art closer and more popular with the people. This is also one of the reasons why the But Son town folk art club, especially the art of Cheo, has become closer to the community.

“To preserve and promote the value of traditional Cheo art, I think we have to overcome certain barriers. One of the reasons is that the ancient Cheo lyrics associated with the stories are quite difficult for the younger generation to understand,” said Mr. Chi. Therefore, nowadays, in addition to the ancient Cheo melodies, he and his colleagues often compose and popularize Cheo scenes with short durations and content that focuses on the issue, helping actors to easily remember and memorize.

Another reason why Hoang Hoa's Cheo singing is so famous is the dedication of artists like Mr. Chi in teaching. Mr. Chi started teaching in 2001, after 22 years, his students have reached hundreds in and outside Hoang Hoa district. Although he is 74 years old and his health has declined, he brings his sincerity to teach and inspire passion wherever and whenever there is a need.

Van Anh

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