Born and raised on the banks of the Cau River, in the cultural space of Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy (44 years old, residing in Tu Son, Bac Ninh) was early imbued with the smooth and deep melodies of her homeland.
At the age of 8, she followed the "lien anh" and "lien chi" in the village to sing love duets every spring festival, beginning her lifelong journey with the Quan Ho folk song.
Whether singing on a boat, on the shore or in any space, that is also a way to promote the image of Bac Ninh. On festivals like Lim festival, being able to go to festivals with brothers and sisters, singing for everyone to listen to, being invited to a piece of Quan Ho betel, bringing joy to festival-goers, that is a great happiness," Ms. Thuy shared.
For her, each singing session is not only a love affair with lyrics and singing, but also a return to the memories of the wharf, the communal house yard, with nights of singing all night long.
In 2009, when Quan Ho Bac Ninh was recognized by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity, her pride grew even greater. But along with pride is the concern about the responsibility of preserving and transmitting heritage.
According to Ms. Thuy, the core value of Quan Ho lies in the delicate back-and-forth singing style, in each verse, in the custom of inviting betel, the way of addressing "lien anh", "lien chi" full of affection. However, amidst the modern pace of life, many young people only know Quan Ho through stage performances but do not really understand deeply about the rules, rituals and cultural depth of this type.
There are very difficult ancient melodies. If not taught in time, they may be lost in a few decades. Quan Ho not only needs technique but also love and passion from an early age, if you start too late, it will be very difficult to sing in the right quality," Ms. Thuy expressed.
For nearly 40 years, she has diligently participated in the village's Quan Ho club, directly imparting free teaching to young people. From a few initial students, the class now has dozens of students regularly attending each week.
Not only teaching singing, she also guides children on how to behave, how to invite betel, how to wear traditional costumes - the elements that make up the soul of Quan Ho people.
She cherishes the desire to build a truly meaningful Quan Ho living space, where young people can practice singing in response in the context closest to tradition.
Preserving heritage is not just for performing on stage, but for young people to understand, love and be proud of their roots. When listened to and learned about, I believe that everyone will love Quan Ho," she said.
For Ms. Thuy, UNESCO's recognition of Quan Ho is a great honor, but also a motivation for those involved to make more efforts in promotion and dissemination.
Having been recognized by the world, we must introduce it to more people, both domestically and internationally, to know and touch the value of Quan Ho. I believe anyone who listens will fall in love," she affirmed.
Forty years have passed, her hair has turned gray, but every time she utters the phrase "Sitting leaning against the side of the boat", her eyes still shine with passion like in her youth. For Thuy, as long as she has strength, she will sing and teach, so that the Quan Ho melodies will forever resonate in the North of Kinh.
