(VOVworld)- Vi-Giam folk singing of Nghe An and Ha Tinh province has been officially recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Local authorities and people of the two provinces have made an effort to preserve and promote the genre. Maintaining regular activities of Vi Giam clubs in villages has been a way to promote Vi Giam singing.

Phôt: Phuong Thuy

Tran Thi Huong has participated in the Folk Singing Club of Quynh Hau commune, Quynh Luu district for 10 years. Huong says maintaining regular activities of the club requires a great effort by its members because everyone is always busy with farm work around the year. In addition to practicing singing, the club members also collect various versions of Vi Giam to hand them down to the younger generations. Huong told us:“I have a great passion for folk singing, so I’m very excited to participate in the club. I’m very busy with my farm work but I manage to participate in the club’s activities. Other members of the club encourage me to pursue my passion for singing. I always try to practice to improve my singing”.

Pham Thi Anh Ngoc, a teacher of Vinh Tan secondary school in Vinh city, Nghe An province shares a passion for Vi Giam singing. Since 1998, Ngoc integrated Vi Giam folk tunes into her lectures to provide her students with basic knowledge about Vi Giam folk singing. Ngoc said:“Not only music teachers, but also teachers of literature and history can introduce students to the origin of folk music. Teachers of music can sing to inspire students helping them to learn more about the beauty of Vi-Giam folk singing”.

People old or young in Nghe An and Ha Tinh province love Vi-Giam folk singing. Singing folk songs has become a tradition of Ms Nguyen Thi Nga’s family in Ngoc Son commune, Thanh Chuong district: “Since I was small, I was interested in folk singing. Whenever I joined a village’s art performance, I always chose folk songs to sing. I don’t remember how old I was at that time. Now I’m studying at a teachers’ training school and want to become a teacher. But my passion for Vi-giam will be with me forever.”

Photo: Phuong Thuy

In Nghe An and Ha Tinh province, Vi Giam folk singing is promoted in local clubs and has become more and more popular. There are more than 80 Vi Giam singing clubs with nearly 2,000 artists, of whom 100 have been honored as Vietnamese Folk Artisans. Pham Tien Dung, Deputy Director of the Nghe An Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, says the wide network of Vi-Giam folk singing clubs has become the center of preserving and promoting this musical genre: “We are reviving the performance of Vi-giam folk songs and ancient melodies by improving the network of clubs in wards and communes. The singing and performances should be organized in appropriate conditions, environment, and stage. Ancient melodies are restored and revived on stage.”
Previously, Nghe An and Ha Tinh province took turns organizing the Vi-Giam singing festival to exchange and teach other new tunes of Vi Giam. Since the folk music genre became an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, the two provinces have a greater opportunity to promote the music to a wider public.