'Keeping the fire' of Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk song heritage in contemporary life

After 11 years of being recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs are facing many challenges in contemporary life. However, thanks to the enthusiasm of those who “pass on the torch”, this folk music genre is still preserved and strongly promoted in Nghe An – Ha Tinh.

Vi and Giam folk song class at Ngoc Son Commune Folk Song Club, a pioneering model not only in old Thanh Chuong but also a bright spot in the whole Nghe An province. Photo by Dien Bac.

Young artist with endless passion

“If you want to listen to Vi and Giam songs, come back to your hometown Nghe An and listen…”, the warm voice and melodious erhu of Meritorious Artist Nguyen Tien Khoi (born in 1972, Huong Khe commune, Ha Tinh ) rose from a small room, inviting us to immerse ourselves in his passion for Vi and Giam folk songs. For over 40 years, Artist Nguyen Tien Khoi has diligently spread his passion for Vi and Giam folk songs to generations with the hope that this folk song genre will flow like a never-ending source.

Artist Nguyen Tien Khoi was born into a poor family in a remote mountainous area of ​​Ha Tinh. From a young age, he was a “red seed” in the village and commune art troupes. From his mother’s lullabies and the art performances during the Mid-Autumn Festival, he was drawn in and fascinated by folk songs without realizing it.

“After graduating from high school, I continued to Ho Chi Minh City to study musical instruments, music theory and singing. In particular, when I joined the Nguyen Du Arts Club, I met musician Tran Manh Chien - former Director of the Ha Tinh Culture and Arts Training Center. If my hometown Huong Khe nurtured my soul, teachers like musician Manh Chien instilled a love for folk songs in my blood so that I could have today. Vi and Giam folk songs are as attached to me as flesh and blood,” Khoi shared.

Meritorious Artist Nguyen Tien Khoi not only sings well but also composes over 350 folk songs. Photo by Hanh Nguyen.

Not only singing, Artist Nguyen Tien Khoi also writes and directs hundreds of short plays, folk operas, poetic plays, and epics for festivals, competitions, and events from local to central levels. For him, Vi and Giam folk songs not only serve his passion but are also an extremely valuable means of communication to bring the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws, and convey necessary information and messages to the people.

He is also an “advisor” to all clubs, schools, organizations and units inside and outside the province on programs with folk songs. In the journey of preserving, conserving and promoting the value of the heritage of Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs, Meritorious Artist Nguyen Tien Khoi has composed more than 350 works, with many outstanding awards.

Thanks to his tireless contributions, in 2013, Mr. Nguyen Tien Khoi was honored to receive a certificate of recognition as a Folk Artist and a Medal for the cause of preserving folk arts from the Vietnam Folk Arts Association. In 2019, he was awarded a certificate of recognition as a Meritorious Artist by the President. He is also the first parishioner in Ha Tinh to be recognized as a Folk Artist and Meritorious Artist.

Artist Vo Thi Hong Van (yellow shirt, glasses) teaches folk songs to children and members of the club she heads.

“Village Teacher” of Free Classes

In the heart of Nghe An, where folk songs and melodies are like a cool source flowing through many generations, there is a woman who quietly but persistently contributes to lighting the fire of passion and preserving the heritage of folk songs and melodies - that is People's Artist Vo Thi Hong Van, the "village teacher" of free folk singing classes, who inspires many generations to follow the path of traditional music.

Born in 1965 in a farming family in Xuan Lam commune, Nghe An, which is considered the "cradle" of Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs, Vo Thi Hong Van showed her passion for folk music from a young age. Since her time studying at the village school, she has stood out as a unique "artist". In 2009, after many years of actively participating in the movement, with many contributions to Vi and Giam, she proposed the establishment and birth of the Ngoc Son Commune Folk Song Club - a pioneering model not only in the old Thanh Chuong district but also a bright spot in the whole Nghe An province. On the day of its launch, the club had only 24 members but quickly became a "common home" for folk song lovers, a place to sing songs imbued with the soul of the countryside.

Not only organizing regular activities, the Club also takes on the responsibility of writing scripts and staging performances to promote social topics, and actively participates in competitions and festivals and wins many high prizes. From that first step, Ms. Hong Van gradually became the leader of many activities to preserve and promote Vi and Giam folk songs, not only in the province but also in other provinces and cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, etc.

What is special is that her small house located at Cau Ro intersection has been a “free folk song class” for more than 14 years, a class without blackboards, chalk, or tuition fees, but filled with laughter and songs from adults and children. Every summer, her class has 20-30 children, who are taught by her with all their heart from how to sing melodies such as Vi Do Dua, Giam Ve, Giam Ke… to even performance style and character transformation.

With over 40 years of dedication to folk music, Artist Vo Thi Hong Van has collected and composed dozens of new songs and suites; opened more than 25 folk music classes with over 350 students; and made practical contributions to local, regional and national artistic movements.

In 2015, she was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist and by 2022, she became the only People's Artist in the field of intangible culture in Nghe An province. Not only that, she has also won many high prizes in folk song competitions... "I just hope that Vi and Giam folk songs will forever remain in the hearts of the young generation. I will continue to sing and teach singing until I can no longer sing," she said.

For over 40 years, Artisan Nguyen Tien Khoi has become a "consultant" for many schools, units and organizations. Photo: Hanh Nguyen.

Solutions to spread

Although artists like Mr. Nguyen Tien Khoi and Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Van always try to spread Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs in the community, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the times, this folk art form still faces challenges.

Ms. Phan Thi Anh, Head of Heritage Management Department, Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Nghe An shared that Vi and Giam folk songs are currently preserved in many favorable conditions but also face many challenges. That is, most of the artists do not make a living from professional singing, they only participate in folk song clubs on a voluntary basis. The number of people who hold ancient melodies is decreasing due to old age and poor health, while the young generation is less interested in learning to sing. Practitioners are mainly middle-aged, lacking a successor team; the number of artists who are capable of teaching them properly is not much, they mainly teach orally in club activities. Therefore, teaching resources are increasingly shrinking, posing a great challenge for heritage preservation.

Ms. Le Thi Nhu Quynh - specialist of the Department of Cultural Management, Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ha Tinh said that before July 1, 2025, Ha Tinh province alone had 209 Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam Folk Song Clubs corresponding to the number of communes and wards at that time. However, after merging administrative units, Ha Tinh still has 69 communes and wards.

“The Department is developing a project to advise the Provincial People's Council on preserving and promoting Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs in the current period. In particular, the draft project proposes to increase the level of support and remuneration for clubs and artisans... However, the issue is whether to merge Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs clubs into commune-level administrative units or leave them as they are. Leaving them as they are will spread and promote this folk music genre better but is not suitable for the trend. Merging them is easy to manage but difficult for members in the process of traveling and operating, and will shrink instead of spreading. Therefore, this is a headache for the management unit,” Ms. Le Thi Nhu Quynh shared.

Discussing this issue, according to Artisan Nguyen Tien Khoi, the current Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam Folk Song Clubs should be maintained to better promote the heritage. In addition, it is necessary to organize playgrounds for Vi and Giam folk songs and on holidays, Tet, movements, and large and small events in localities and units, Vi and Giam folk songs must be included so that they do not fade away.

“To preserve and promote the value of the intangible heritage of Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs, over the years, the Department has coordinated with relevant departments to organize and implement many programs and activities to preserve, maintain and promote the heritage. In particular, in recent years, the Department has coordinated to bring Vi and Giam folk songs into extracurricular teaching programs in schools and teach singing on television. In the coming time, we will bring Vi and Giam folk songs into tourism development so that the heritage can spread, connecting memories, the present and the future,” said Tran Xuan Luong, Deputy Director of Ha Tinh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/giu-lua-di-san-dan-ca-vi-giam-nghe-tinh-trong-doi-song-duong-dai-10313600.html