Six organisations and five individuals who have contributed topreserving and developing the artistic value of UNESCO recognisedheritage Don ca tai tu received merit certificates from the PrimeMinister at the opening ceremony of the first National Don Ca Tai TuFestival in Bac Lieu on April 25 night.
Deputy Prime Minister VuDuc Dam handed the certificates to the awardees on behalf of theGovernment and Prime Minister. The five individuals who received thecertificates were Professor Tran Van Khe, musical advisor at VietnamInstitute of Musicology, Associate Professor Le Van Toan, DirectorVietnam Institute of Musicology, Professor To Ngoc Thanh, Chairman ofthe Vietnam Folk Arts Association, composer Trong Nguyen and reseacherTran Quoc Thinh of Bac Lieu province.
"The festival is organisedby Bac Lieu, the birthplace of Don ca tai tu, along with otherlocalities in the region to show our gratitude to the ancestors,individuals and organisations who contributed to creating and preservingthe music," Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said at the openingceremony.
Dam also said it was a challenge for people to maintainthe unique art form's spirit and soul. "Things that seem very simplehave become a heritage of humankind," he noted.
The nationalfestival aimed to highlight the value of this Vietnamese art form, fourmonths after it was recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage ofHumanity by UNESCO.
The festival gathered 350 artists from 21provinces and cities in the southern region, where the music is popular.Bac Lieu city is the centre of the activities, which includeexhibitions of paintings, photos and traditional musical instruments andDon ca tai tu performances.
Vo Van Dung, secretary of Bac LieuProvince's Party Committee, said the festival was an opportunity forpeople in southern provinces to boost solidarity for better development.
"We are aware that culture is one of the essential factors for development," Dung said.
Afew hours before the official opening ceremony for the festival, localand central officials inaugurated the 2,772sq.m. memorial site to CaoVan Lau (1892-1976), known as the father of cai luong or southerntraditional opera. They recognised the site, which cost 6.3 billion VNDto renovate, as a national historical cultural site.
Placed where the musician was buried in 1976, the memorial was listed as a provincial historical cultural site in 1997.
BacLieu is where the musician wrote classic cai luong piece Da co hoailang in 1919. It tells the story of a wife waiting for her husband toreturn home from battle.
Considered one of the country's mainmusic genres, Don ca tai tu originated from Hue court music and folkmusic of the southern region. The genre has been developing since the19th century, adapting to local tastes. It thrived in the early 20thcentury and remains crucial to the country's traditional culture.
Themusic is typically performed at festivals, death anniversary ritualsand celebrations by farmer-artists. Instrumentalists and singers expresstheir feelings by improvising based on 20 principal songs and 72classical songs. The art has been handed down orally throughgenerations.
The festival will last until April 29.-VNA
Deputy Prime Minister VuDuc Dam handed the certificates to the awardees on behalf of theGovernment and Prime Minister. The five individuals who received thecertificates were Professor Tran Van Khe, musical advisor at VietnamInstitute of Musicology, Associate Professor Le Van Toan, DirectorVietnam Institute of Musicology, Professor To Ngoc Thanh, Chairman ofthe Vietnam Folk Arts Association, composer Trong Nguyen and reseacherTran Quoc Thinh of Bac Lieu province.
"The festival is organisedby Bac Lieu, the birthplace of Don ca tai tu, along with otherlocalities in the region to show our gratitude to the ancestors,individuals and organisations who contributed to creating and preservingthe music," Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said at the openingceremony.
Dam also said it was a challenge for people to maintainthe unique art form's spirit and soul. "Things that seem very simplehave become a heritage of humankind," he noted.
The nationalfestival aimed to highlight the value of this Vietnamese art form, fourmonths after it was recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage ofHumanity by UNESCO.
The festival gathered 350 artists from 21provinces and cities in the southern region, where the music is popular.Bac Lieu city is the centre of the activities, which includeexhibitions of paintings, photos and traditional musical instruments andDon ca tai tu performances.
Vo Van Dung, secretary of Bac LieuProvince's Party Committee, said the festival was an opportunity forpeople in southern provinces to boost solidarity for better development.
"We are aware that culture is one of the essential factors for development," Dung said.
Afew hours before the official opening ceremony for the festival, localand central officials inaugurated the 2,772sq.m. memorial site to CaoVan Lau (1892-1976), known as the father of cai luong or southerntraditional opera. They recognised the site, which cost 6.3 billion VNDto renovate, as a national historical cultural site.
Placed where the musician was buried in 1976, the memorial was listed as a provincial historical cultural site in 1997.
BacLieu is where the musician wrote classic cai luong piece Da co hoailang in 1919. It tells the story of a wife waiting for her husband toreturn home from battle.
Considered one of the country's mainmusic genres, Don ca tai tu originated from Hue court music and folkmusic of the southern region. The genre has been developing since the19th century, adapting to local tastes. It thrived in the early 20thcentury and remains crucial to the country's traditional culture.
Themusic is typically performed at festivals, death anniversary ritualsand celebrations by farmer-artists. Instrumentalists and singers expresstheir feelings by improvising based on 20 principal songs and 72classical songs. The art has been handed down orally throughgenerations.
The festival will last until April 29.-VNA
