Preserving the soul of Cheo art in the heritage land

For decades, the “barefoot” artists, including many elderly people in Xuan Ang village, after a hard day’s work in the fields, have gathered in the communal house yard to perform traditional Cheo tunes. With their burning passion, the members of the Xuan Ang Cheo Club have preserved and promoted the value of traditional Cheo art in the heritage land...

Barefoot artists

Located on the land of the Ho Dynasty Citadel Heritage Site, Xuan Ang village, Vinh Long commune, Vinh Loc district, Thanh Hoa province, is famous for its traditional Cheo melodies, which are carefully preserved by "barefoot" artisans.

At the age of nearly 70, but Mrs. Ha Thi Dien, in Xuan Ang village, Vinh Long commune, Head of Xuan Ang Cheo Club, has been attached to the traditional Cheo art for more than 50 years. For Mrs. Dien and the members of the Club, traditional Cheo melodies have long become indispensable "spiritual food". After washing off the mud, the "barefoot" artists gather in the communal house yard, under the moonlight they perform Cheo melodies to dispel the hard days of working in the fields, fostering village relationships and arousing love for the homeland and country.

Xuan Ang Rowing Club

Ms. Dien shared: “For us, the love for traditional Cheo art was kindled by the elders. Back then, although life was still lacking in many ways, when night fell, under the flickering oil lamp, the elders were still engrossed in Cheo melodies. Because of that, the love for Cheo art has been deeply ingrained in the blood of generations of people in Xuan Ang village.”

In the days when the country had just been unified, Ms. Dien, who was only 12 years old at that time, enthusiastically participated in performing melodies such as "Quan Am Thi Kinh", "Co gai song Lam", "Tam Cam", etc. In 1996, with the attention of the Party Committees and authorities, the Xuan Ang Cheo Club was established, with 24 members. The club members are all farmers aged from 40 to over 70 but share a passion for the art of Cheo. "Currently, the Xuan Ang Cheo Club still maintains 24 members, including 6 male musicians and the rest are female actors. After completing the farm work, we gather in the communal house yard to perform Cheo melodies to celebrate the Party, celebrate Spring, celebrate the homeland and the country," Ms. Dien excitedly said.

Preserving and promoting the art of Cheo

Since its establishment, the Xuan Ang Cheo Club has maintained its membership. In addition to the elderly members, Ms. Dien has also actively encouraged young actors to participate in its activities.

Ms. Ha Thi Dien, Head of Xuan Ang Cheo Club.

In recent years, in addition to performing for local people, Xuan Ang Cheo Club has also participated in district and provincial competitions and performances. In 2016 and 2018, Xuan Ang Cheo Club represented Vinh Loc district to attend the Ethnic Culture Festival in Thanh Hoa province and won the A prize (2016) and B prize (2018). In addition, the Club has been awarded many Certificates of Merit at all levels.

Not only performing in competitions and festivals, Xuan Ang Cheo Club also regularly serves tourists at relics such as: Ho Dynasty Citadel World Cultural Heritage, Kim Son National Scenic Area, Trinh Palace Festival, Tran Khat Chan Festival...

“The rewards from participating in competitions and performances will be used by the club to maintain its activities as well as to purchase costumes and props. Because of the passion for traditional Cheo art, despite limited funds, the club members are still very excited,” Ms. Dien said.

With her active contributions in preserving and promoting the value of traditional Cheo art, Ms. Ha Thi Dien was proposed by the Party Committee and government to be awarded the title of Meritorious Artisan by the State.

According to Mr. Ha Nguyen Phan, Vice Chairman of Vinh Long Commune People's Committee, Xuan Ang Cheo Club currently has over 20 members directly participating. Every year, the Club still develops plans and maintains regular activities. In addition to participating in local cultural events, the Club has also represented the district many times in provincial competitions and performances. "In addition to focusing on socio-economic development, the local government has also paid attention to the Cheo and Tuong art forms and included them in resolutions to preserve and promote them. Currently, the funding source for this art form is still limited, but through competitions and performances, the Clubs also report to the locality for support. In the coming time, we will develop a plan to submit to all levels, and at the same time promote socialization to support the funds for the Clubs to maintain their activities," Mr. Phan emphasized.

Mr. Trinh Huu Anh, Deputy Director of the Ho Dynasty Citadel Heritage Conservation Center, said: For people living on the heritage land, the art of Xuan Ang Cheo and Vinh Long classical opera has been deeply imprinted in their subconscious. Although the actors are all elderly "barefoot" artists, they have achieved many outstanding achievements in competitions and performances. "In recent times, the Center has also regularly invited clubs to perform at the Ho Dynasty Citadel Heritage to serve tourists. During the performances, the Center also provided financial support to the clubs," Mr. Trinh Huu Anh shared.

Source: https://ngaymoionline.com.vn/giu-hon-nghe-thuat-cheo-o-vung-dat-di-san-57573.html