The parishioners "keep the fire" of Vi and Giam in the mountainous region

VHO - Amidst the bustling atmosphere of preparations for the 80th anniversary of National Day, September 2, Meritorious Artist Nguyen Tien Khoi is diligently writing each sentence and each word of the Vi and Giam songs, blending folk art and patriotism. As the only layman from Ha Tinh to be awarded this title by the President, he considers it a source of nourishment for both his lifestyle and his soul...

Meritorious Artist Nguyen Tien Khoi is passionate about the folk songs of his homeland.

His passion for composing songs about the Party, Uncle Ho, and the simple, close-to-the-people life is like an endless source in him. To him, Vi and Giam folk songs are not only intangible heritages of humanity but also effective means of communication, a soft “weapon” in building a new life.

Seeds sown from the ferry and communal house yard

Meritorious Artist Nguyen Tien Khoi (born in 1972, Phu Gia commune, Ha Tinh province) was born into a farming family. His childhood was filled with the sounds of roosters crowing, buffalo gongs, and folk songs from village festivals. At the age of 14, the young man stepped onto the stage of the district art performance for the first time and won first prize with the song Than tho nga. “That day, standing on the stage looking down, seeing the people clapping to the rhythm of the song, I knew I had found something that I would pursue for the rest of my life,” he said.

His passion prompted him to research through books and newspapers, attend short courses, and then study music theory, playing instruments, and singing in Ho Chi Minh City. At the Nguyen Du Arts Club, he had the opportunity to meet the late Professor Tran Van Khe and many great musicians and researchers - people who furthered his love for folk songs.

Returning to his hometown, he began to collect, compose, and edit hundreds of operas, poetic dramas, Vi and Giam suites, epic works of art, new folk songs, etc. Up to now, he has composed more than 350 works, including many impressive works such as: Thien Dinh Ky Su, Loi Tan Hoi Loi Ban Dang, Nghia Tinh Dong Doi, Noi Long Nguoi Me and folk song suites: Quoc Hoi Khuc Hoan Ca, Loi Nguoi Echo Mai Ngan Nam, Sai Gon Thanh Pho Toi Yeu . Many of his works have won high prizes at regional and national levels, and have even been translated into English for promotion at home and abroad.

Most of his compositions incorporate propaganda about the law, policies of the Party and State, and moral education , contributing to bringing folk songs closer to students, farmers, workers, and soldiers. Not only composing, he is also a director, actor, and trainer for many grassroots art troupes, helping them win high prizes at national festivals.

He also wrote the script to restore the "Tet Lap Lo" festival for the Chut ethnic group in Rao Tre village (Huong Khe); staged many elaborate epic art programs, leaving a deep impression on the public.

In 2013, he was awarded the Certificate of "Folk Artist" and the Medal "For the cause of preserving folk arts" by the Vietnam Folk Arts Association.

In 2019, he was awarded the title of Meritorious Artisan by the President. In addition to art, he is also the Director of Huong Binh Development Center - a place that preserves thousands of traditional agricultural tools and is a bridge connecting philanthropists to help the poor.

Fear of fading away among the young generation

For more than four decades of his involvement with Vi and Giam folk songs, Meritorious Artist Nguyen Tien Khoi still maintains the same passion as in the beginning. He said: “As long as there is a young person willing to listen and sing Vi and Giam, our hometown folk songs will be preserved and developed.” In the midst of modern life, this artist still persistently “breathes life” into the songs of his homeland.

During the meetings, he was always worried: Many clubs were weak in their activities due to lack of leaders; bringing Vi and Giam folk songs into schools was not effective; young artists had few opportunities to perform; there was a lack of places to promote their works...

He proposed organizing training courses for music teachers, inviting artists to teach at schools; establishing magazines or specialized websites to preserve and share works; creating regular playgrounds for clubs to maintain their passion for the profession and most importantly, respecting the original, not abusing adaptations that would destroy the soul of folk songs.

“Vi and Giam are treasures, but if they are not sown in the hearts of the younger generation, they will gradually fade away. Many clubs have been established but their activities are weak and lack leaders. Bringing folk songs into schools is possible, but the effectiveness is not high. There are very few music teachers who have a deep understanding of folk songs, especially at the junior high and high school levels. If Vi and Giam are widely introduced into schools, I am willing to serve and teach for free to spread it to students,” Mr. Khoi expressed.

Although he is busy with work, every time the clapper sounds, he returns to being the young man from Phu Gia in the past, passionate about the songs of his hometown. The artist of the parish in that mountainous region is still as quiet and persistent as a silkworm spinning silk, keeping the golden thread of his hometown's culture. His compositions blend life and religion, so that the folk songs and folk songs not only resonate on stage but also linger in the hearts of future generations.

Mr. Tran Xuan Luong, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ha Tinh province, said that the province currently has 209 Vi and Giam folk singing clubs with nearly 3,000 members of various ages and professions. Of these, 68 folk artists were awarded titles by the Vietnam Folk Arts Association; 3 People's Artists and 22 Meritorious Artists were awarded by the President.

Meritorious Artisan Nguyen Tien Khoi is the only parishioner in Ha Tinh to receive this title; at the same time, he is one of the few artisans who have persistently devoted themselves to and made many outstanding contributions to the work of preserving, conserving and developing Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs.

According to Mr. Luong, Meritorious Artist Nguyen Tien Khoi has composed hundreds of works about the Party, Uncle Ho and legal propaganda topics such as drowning prevention, traffic safety, school violence prevention, dissemination of State policies... contributing to making folk songs a close and effective communication channel.

“In order to preserve and promote the value of the intangible heritage of Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs, in recent years, the Department has coordinated with relevant departments and branches to organize and implement many programs and activities. In particular, in recent years, the Department has coordinated to include Vi and Giam folk songs in extracurricular teaching programs in schools; taught singing on television, to arouse and continue the passion for Vi and Giam folk songs in the young generation. In the coming time, we will include Vi and Giam folk songs in tourism development so that the heritage is preserved, spread, and connected between memories, the present and the future”, informed the Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ha Tinh.

  Vi and Giam folk songs were born during the labor, production and daily life of the people of Nghe An; they existed and developed in the Vietnamese community in the two provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh. Through each period, Vi and Giam folk songs were passed down, inherited and innovated to better adapt to new environments, social circumstances and historical conditions.

In 2014, Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs were recognized and honored by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Up to now, the work of preserving and promoting Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs in Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces has achieved many positive results.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/nguoi-giao-dan-giu-lua-vi-giam-noi-mien-son-cuoc-160659.html