Effort to preserve heritage
Ms. Vy Thi Huong - Head of the Then Singing and Dan Tinh Club in Binh Lieu commune, Quang Ninh province, was born and raised in a cultural space imbued with Dan Tinh and Then singing. Attached to this traditional art form since childhood, she sees Then singing not only as a passion but also as a responsibility in preserving national identity.
Currently, the Then Singing and Dan Tinh Club in the locality maintains regular activities, becoming a gathering place for people who love traditional culture, contributing to preserving and spreading heritage values in the community.
According to the club owner, in the locality, then singing is always present in important festivals of the Tay people, from the New Year festival, the new rice festival to cultural events or community festivals. The sound of the zither and then lyrics still echoes, contributing to creating a rich atmosphere of identity. This is also an environment for club members to perform, exchange and learn from experience.
The club also actively participates in cultural exchange programs inside and outside the province. Those trips are not only an opportunity to promote Then singing art but also help members access and learn more good practices in conservation work. "We go to exchange to learn, and then pass them on to younger generations, so that Then singing is not lost," Ms. Huong shared.
One of the biggest difficulties currently is the issue of funding. Previously, the club was supported with about 30 million VND each year to maintain operations. This money was used to buy costumes, organize training and prepare for performance programs. Each week, members participate in one session. When there is a major event, training time will be increased. After the communes were merged, the population size increased, and the number of club members also increased, leading to greater operating demand.
Awakening cultural passion among young people
One of the biggest goals of the club today is to attract young people to participate. Reality shows that many young people still love Then singing, but regular participation encounters time obstacles. Young people are busy with studying, making a living, or agency work, so it is difficult to arrange to participate in long-term activities. There are programs that organize going for one to two days, you cannot ask for leave from school or work. This is a major barrier in building a successor force for the club.
Ms. Huong has proactively met with each member, each young person to share about the value of Then singing. She often tells the children about the meaning of Then singing in the life of the Tay people, about the opportunities to interact, perform, and stand on stage.
In fact, many young people after being approached have expressed their interest and willingness to participate when conditions permit. Although it is not yet possible to be attached for a long time, it is still a positive sign showing that Then singing is still attractive in modern life.
To be able to teach to the younger generation, the "teen women" themselves also constantly learn. If previously the singing of then was mainly free and oral, now it has become more systematic. Ms. Huong also participates in training classes, learning singing and playing musical instruments according to standards, with specific music. "If you want to teach the next generation, you must learn, you must master it so that the younger generation can absorb quickly," Ms. Huong shared.
To make the preservation and promotion of Then singing more effective, the head of the Then singing club hopes for more attention from all levels of government, especially in adjusting the level of financial support to suit reality. When there are enough resources, clubs will have conditions to organize more activities, thereby attracting a large number of people, especially young people.
In addition, innovating teaching methods is also an important factor. Combining tradition and modernity, bringing Then singing into schools, experiential programs or digital platforms will help this art form get closer to young people.
Then singing will only truly live when there is a successor. People like Mrs. Vy Thi Huong are silently keeping the fire, teaching, connecting generations every day. Although the journey ahead is still difficult, with love and perseverance, they still believe that the sound of the zither and the word then will still resonate far away, becoming a source of pride not only for the Tay people but for the entire Vietnamese culture.
Then singing and dan tinh have long become unique cultural symbols of the Tay people, not only carrying artistic value but also the "soul" of community spiritual life. The then practice heritage of the Tay, Nung, and Thai people in Vietnam was officially listed by UNESCO in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 12, 2019.
