"Passing on the torch" of amateur music, extending the heritage

“Keep the fire burning” through home-based classes

Meritorious Artist Dang Hoang Linh (commonly known as Sau Lon) and his wife, People's Artist Nguyen Thi Tuong (commonly known as Phuong Hong Tham), have devoted themselves to the Southern folk music. With a burning love for the profession and a desire to preserve and promote the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, in 2017, Mr. Sau Lon and his wife opened a free folk music class at their home in Long Xuyen ward. Initially, the class was only for children, but later many students of all ages and levels came. Regularly held every Sunday morning, the class teaches from basic knowledge such as origin, pentatonic scale, breath and melody to how to practice each piece. "There were students who came to study but did not know anything at all. Seeing that they had a passion for folk art, I tested their voices, saw if they could sense the music and rhythm, and then started teaching them!", Mr. Sau Lon shared.

A meeting of the amateur music club of Vinh Trach commune. Photo: PHUONG LAN

Meritorious Artist Dang Hoang Linh and People's Artisan Nguyen Thi Tuong are always proud and enthusiastic when personally tutoring and imparting knowledge to the younger generation. Not only focusing on expertise, they also educate students about professional ethics. For them, this is not only about preserving and promoting the national heritage but also a great happiness when seeing the love of ĐCTT continue in young souls.

In particular, Mr. Linh and Ms. Tuong also collected and stored a treasure trove of songs, ready to share with students when needed. With great enthusiasm, they recorded the songs and sent them via Zalo so that students could study at home. It is this dedication that has helped students achieve many high achievements in major competitions. Typical examples are: My Nhung won the runner-up title of the "Golden Rice" contest in 2023 and the silver bell prize in the "Golden Bell of Traditional Music" contest in 2024; Kim Sang won gold medals at many ĐCTT festivals; Vuong Quan Tri won the "Rural Talent" championship in 2024.

A meeting of the amateur music club of Vinh Trach commune. Photo: PHUONG LAN

Meritorious Artist Dang Hoang Linh confided: “After ĐCTT was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, this art form has received more attention. I think that the reason why young people were not interested in ĐCTT before was partly because we did not promote it properly. We need to have appropriate teaching methods, starting with small, familiar songs and verses so that young people can access them more easily.”

DCTT Club - a place to nurture and "spread the fire"

Not only home-based classes, in many rural areas of An Giang , ĐCTT is always preserved and developed through clubs. A typical example is the ĐCTT Vinh Trach club in Vinh Trach commune, established in 2010, with 26 members. Up to now, there are more than 10 enthusiastic members. The club's members are quite diverse, from retired cadres to working people such as teachers and doctors. They all share the same love for ĐCTT and maintain regular activities every Sunday afternoon.

Meritorious artist Dang Hoang Linh and his wife are always dedicated to teaching traditional music to the younger generation. Photo: PHUONG LAN

One of the special members of the Vinh Trach ĐCTT club is Meritorious Artist Tran Van Hung (also known as Tu Lem). For him, being recognized as a Meritorious Artist is not only a joy but also a responsibility. “I always think about how to promote, guide and teach ĐCTT art to the next generation!”, Mr. Hung confided.

The Vinh Trach ĐCTT Club is also a place to nurture new talents, completely free of charge. As a club member, Mr. Chau Thach, residing in Vinh Trach commune, said: “When teaching ĐCTT to beginners, Mr. Tu Lem starts by instructing music theory, how to keep the rhythm, and then solfege. Each word, such as the acute accent and the grave accent, is associated with the words in the pentatonic scale such as ho, xu, xang, xe, cong, helping students to absorb easily. Once they have mastered the basics, he teaches singing and shows them how to add vibrato to make the song more beautiful.”

A meeting and mutual learning experience of members of the Don Ca Tai Tu club of Vinh Trach commune. Photo: PHUONG LAN

Having suffered from an eye disease since childhood, although he could not see, Meritorious Artist Tran Van Hung found his passion and the meaning of life in every song and melody. He made his first musical instruments, and was later encouraged, instructed, and bought instruments by people and friends. Although he did not attend formal school, thanks to the efforts and help of many people, he mastered many musical instruments such as the zither, the zither, and the monochord. What people admire most about him is his ability to compose traditional songs based on the traditional pentatonic scale. "As long as I am healthy, I will continue to teach ĐCTT to you, my children!", Meritorious Artist Tran Van Hung affirmed.

ĐCTT is a precious heritage, a source of culture that flows forever in the hearts of music lovers. Thanks to those who persistently "keep the fire" and pass on the profession, the pentatonic melody still resonates in everyday life, continuing to nourish the souls of many generations, so that this heritage is not only preserved but also lives forever in the hearts of the people.

PHUONG LAN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/-truyen-lua-don-ca-tai-tu-noi-dai-di-san-a461838.html