NINH BINH LOVES XAM

Keep your promise

Still remembering the 2nd Festival in 2022, People's Artist Thanh Ngoan - Chairman of the Art Council, kept regretting that a Festival was organized on a very large scale, gathering many Xam singing clubs nationwide but did not have the opportunity to spread to a large audience when it was held in a hotel auditorium. Knowing that there were objective reasons, and still having the mentality that at a time when it was just affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the level of safety must be put first, but those who love Xam still could not help but regret. "This year, Xam was brought outdoors, organized in Hoa Lu ancient town, at the beautiful Thuy Dinh stage, and on the weekend, so it will attract many people to watch", Mr. Tran Viet Phuong - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ninh Binh shared with us.

The Organizing Committee and the Artistic Council awarded prizes to performances at the 2022 Ninh Binh Xam Singing Festival. Photo: Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Although Xam singing has been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2022, this special singing art still needs to receive a lot of encouragement and favor. Therefore, the fact that there are only 15 prizes divided equally among the A, B, and C prizes of the 2nd Festival has made it difficult for the judges to consider the performance. Listening to comments, this year, the awards have been expanded with 8 A prizes, 10 B prizes, 12 C prizes, and 20 consolation prizes. It should also be added that in order for the Festival to be organized on a large scale, to welcome the delegations thoughtfully, and to support the participating delegations, there is also the close companionship of the Thien Tam Fund under Vingroup with Ninh Binh province for three consecutive seasons.

Indeed, the Thuy Dinh stage of Hoa Lu ancient town is a beautiful space, imbued with the Northern Delta and is a very suitable place for Xam singing performances. The two main competition nights on Saturday and Sunday always have a large audience coming to watch and cheer. There are very young audiences who sit and watch the entire competition night which lasts up to 3 hours. It is rare to find a folk music competition with such a large number of leaders as in Ninh Binh. Comrade Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Doan Minh Huan, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Tong Quang Thin; Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Committee Do Viet Anh, leaders of agencies and localities of the province... were also present and closely followed the Festival to cheer on the spirit of the competition teams. This shows that Ninh Binh people, including leaders and people, love and respect Xam singing.

Provincial leaders and many people came to watch and cheer for the Festival. Photo: Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Long distance signal

This year, nearly 200 artists, artisans, and actors from 20 clubs participated. In addition to provinces and cities such as Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Ninh, Vinh Phuc, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, there are also Bac Ninh and Hai Duong. Ninh Binh alone has 9 clubs from many districts and cities. Many of them appeared for the first time. Thus, Xam singing has spread more widely in the province and across the country.

Notably, if last season the Festival only had Tam Viet Club (Hanoi) with members who were blind, now there is also the Xam Xu Dong Club (Hai Duong) and the Hat Xam Club of the Blind Association of Tu Son City (Bac Ninh). Notably, all three of these clubs have people who both play and sing. Xam is a folk singing form of the blind in the North, but has been lost in this special group for decades. Thus, after the efforts of Ninh Binh and dedicated artists and researchers, Xam has now gradually revived in the blind community.

Many clubs have confidently composed poems or chosen good poems to incorporate into Xam melodies, creating a new collection of songs praising the homeland with pride. For example, Xam songs "Spring trip to Ninh Binh land" (Xam Club Ha Thi Cau), "Ho Chi Minh City" (Dat Viet Folk Xam Club - Ho Chi Minh City), "Proud of Thang Long - Hanoi" (UNESCO Traditional Music Club Hanoi), "Hai Phong Streets" (Xam Club Hai Phong City)...

The clubs performed at the Thuy Dinh stage, Hoa Lu Ancient Town. Photo: Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism

This festival also witnessed the participation of many new faces, many seniors, middle-aged people and children. It is worth mentioning that many of them are artists who have been awarded titles from other arts, there are senior artists who have participated in professional art troupes, artists in their prime have participated or are working in art units, local cultural centers. Although the time to get acquainted with Xam is not long, the music and lyrics may still need to be improved, but this is the force that makes those who are passionate believe that the general quality of Xam singing will be raised in the near future.

The Organizing Committee presented flowers and certificates to 20 Xam singing clubs. Photo: Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Limited but fun

One limitation is that the quality level between participating clubs is still quite different, the Xam singing community still lacks many standard and solid players. The “elite” core currently has only two or three people and all are faces that have appeared in the previous two seasons.

However, Xam singing is still fun because this is something that can be expected with an art that is on the way to revive and spread. Xam singing currently has a large community, with the attention of Ninh Binh province and Thien Tam Fund. Xam singing is welcomed by the audience, especially the people of the ancient capital Hoa Lu, one of the cradles of this unique folk singing art.

Source: Music researcher Nguyen Quang Long,

Deputy Director of the Center for Preservation and Promotion of Vietnamese Folk Music

Source: https://vhtt.ninhbinh.gov.vn/vi/su-kien/ninh-binh-yeu-xam-1169.html