Preserving the Then sound from the memories of the great forest
Amidst the Ngoc Chien mountains and forests, ancient Then melodies still echo in rituals, festivals and important events of the White Thai people.
Through Then's words, his ancestors entrusted their views on life, behavior and wishes for peace and prosperity for future generations.
For Meritorious Artist Lo Thi Hy, in Muong Chien village, Ngoc Chien commune, Son La province, Then is not only art but also a part of cultural and spiritual life. For more than 30 years, she has devoted a lot of effort to preserving ancient Then melodies.
According to Ms. Hy, Then is a spiritual worship belief of the Thai people. People practice Then on many important occasions such as praying for peace, praying for cooling, celebrating new houses, weddings, soul calling ceremonies, celebrating new rice and Kin Pang Then festival.
Then is associated with the life of the Thai people from birth to adulthood. Each melody, each lyric expresses the desire for a peaceful life, happy family, and prosperous village," Ms. Hy shared.
From the 1990s, Ms. Hy followed Then teachers in the area to learn to sing and participate in rituals. She both studied and memorized each ancient Then verse. After that, she continued to self-study and practice to master many melodies.
Currently, she holds ancient Then melodies such as Cau Binh An, Xao Sien and hat Nom, with melodies sometimes trầm lắng, thiết tha, sometimes rộn ràng, dồn dập; the Then lyrics are rustic, rich in human values.
So that Then's words are not lost in time
With more than 30 years of attachment to the ancient Then, Meritorious Artist Lo Thi Hy always dedicates her heart to teaching people in the village and commune. She guides the younger generation on how to sing, express each melody and build singing and dancing teams.
I hope the children understand the value of ancient Then. When they understand, they will love and want to preserve it. If there is no successor, the ancient Then tunes will gradually fade away," Ms. Hy shared.
In the process of preserving Then, Ms. Hy won many awards, including the first prize in "Kham Khai Ancient Then Singing" in 2009 in Bac Kan and the A prize in "Kham Hai" in 2015 in Tuyen Quang.
In March 2019, Ms. Lo Thi Hy was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist in the field of folk performing arts by the President.
For her, the most meaningful reward is the ancient Then tunes that still echo in the village and are followed by young people.
According to Mr. Quang Van Pan, Head of the Culture and Social Department of Ngoc Chien commune, Then singing holds an important position in the spiritual life of the white Thai people. The locality encourages artisans to teach Then and create conditions for the younger generation to learn and practice.
If Then wants to exist for a long time, it must be practiced regularly. Young people must become a force to continue the heritage," Mr. Pan said.
Currently, Ngoc Chien commune has 2 Then singing - zither clubs with more than 30 members. This is a place where people learn and practice together, contributing to bringing Then closer to community life.
To let Then's words resonate forever
During Then practice sessions, singing sounds echo in the sacred space. The lyrics are sometimes leisurely, sometimes urgent. The sound of the zither harmonizing with the lyrics creates the characteristic sound of Then.
Mr. Lo Van Sinh, the creator and user of the Tinh lute for Then singing, said that the lute contributes to creating the unique sound of each melody.
The singer must understand each melody. The instrumentalist must also grasp each beat of singing so that the sound of the instrument blends with the Then lyrics," Mr. Sinh shared.
During cultural festivals, Meritorious Artist Lo Thi Hy still teaches Then to the younger generation. Many children start learning to sing from curiosity, then gradually memorize the lyrics and participate in the village's art troupes.
Leo Thi Thuy, one of the young people learning Then singing at Ngoc Chien, said: "I find Then singing very good and close to our national culture. I want to learn to understand more about the ancient melodies and contribute to preserving Then for future generations.
Then is passed down from generation to generation and still holds an important position in the life of the white Thai people Ngoc Chien.
For Mrs. Hy, preserving Then is preserving the soul of village culture; for young people, learning Then is preserving the roots and continuing the heritage of their ancestors.
