Epic song on the river of history

Epic song on the historical river - photo 1 — In the midst of the smoke and fire, the resounding cheers above were words of encouragement, giving strength to the calloused hands that rowed, pulled cannons, and carried ammunition...

The Sound of Labor and Resistance

The Ma River has long been considered the traffic and transportation artery of Thanh Hoa . During the years of resistance against the French and the Americans, this river became an important waterway, transporting food, weapons, military uniforms, and military supplies to the battlefield. In the midst of the fire and smoke, the resounding cheers above were a spiritual encouragement, giving strength to the calloused hands rowing, pulling artillery, and loading ammunition...

Song Ma folk songs have a tight structure, divided into five stages: Ho rai wharf, Ho do do ngua, Ho do do duong, Ho phan dong and Ho do wharf. Each stage has its own rhythm, tempo and emotional range, accurately reflecting the state of working on the river.

The boat leaving the wharf is bustling, inviting guests, opening the journey: My boat is made of lim planks/ The two boats have a phoenix/ I would like to invite all my friends/ To wash my feet and come sit in our cabin. When having to row upstream, the boat rowing song becomes slow and heavy, reflecting the hardship but still imbued with lyricism and optimism: Pity the one standing in the bushes hiding on the bank/ In the morning watching the boat along the river, in the evening waiting for the boat downstream/ The boat upstream, I leave the pole to go downstream/ The river is deserted, leaving people with sorrow.

On the contrary, when the wind is favorable, the boat glides gently on the waves, the boatmen sing boat songs with many rich melodies: Double one and double two rhythm songs, long distance songs, lullaby songs, who's song, literature songs...

The lyrics become cheerful and soaring: We are like young bamboo chopsticks/ Praise whoever skillfully wrought the chopsticks into a pair/ We are like old bamboo chopsticks/ Praise whoever skillfully crafted the chopsticks into a pair. When the boat is stranded, when it has to be carried or pulled across a sandbar, the chants are urgent and urgent: Whose boat has run aground here/ Borrow a pair of yem straps to pull the boat. And when safely reaching the shore, the chants resound enthusiastically again: Going straight to the old apricot tree/ Asking if the girl is home or not?...

Ho Song Ma is sung in the style of chanting - pushing, and responding - responding. After the rhythmic phrase of the "leader", the boatmen will add short sounds like "do ta, do ta", "do khoan, ho khoan"..., combined with the sound of their feet stomping on the boat's planks to create a unique percussion background. Thanks to that, Ho Song Ma is both strong and flexible, both music and spiritual strength.

During the resistance war against the French, the Ho Song Ma echoed with the footsteps of the porters delivering food, loading ammunition, marching, and pulling artillery into the battlefield, contributing to the Dien Bien Phu Victory that “resounded throughout the five continents and shook the world”. During the years of fighting against the Americans, the Ho continued to be a song of encouragement and support on the Truong Son frontline, during the days of digging tunnels, opening roads, producing, and fighting.

Musician Van Hoe, who often took a boat trip on the Ma River in 1952-1953, recalled: “The call evokes many cultural and historical stories of our homeland Thanh Hoa. In the Truong Son Assault Art Troupe, those melodies were like a smoldering fire, urging us to compose and perform for the soldiers and laborers.”

Keep the call on the memory stream

Ho Song Ma not only exists in folk memory but also becomes a source of inspiration for many famous musicians to compose songs such as: Thanh Hoa hero (Hoang Dam); Hello Song Ma hero (Xuan Giao); Singing to welcome the militiamen (Do Nhuan); Loving Thanh Hoa people (Doan Bong); Coming home to be the daughter-in-law of Song Ma (Dong Tam)... These works help the sound of Ho Song Ma go beyond the space of the river ferry, resounding far and wide in contemporary music life.

However, since the water transport by ferry gradually faded into the past in the 60s of the last century, the Ho tunes have also disappeared. Meritorious artist Tran Thi Hue - the initiator of the establishment of the Ca Tru and Ho Song Ma Club in Ha Trung shared: "Ho Song Ma has 19 tunes, Ha Trung district alone still preserves 14 tunes. But if there is no next generation, if we do not preserve them, those Ho tunes will gradually disappear."

In 2007, the club was founded with 12 members, now it has increased to 20, but all are over 40 years old, the oldest is over 60. The restoration is facing many difficulties, because the next generation can no longer live in the river working environment as before.

However, Ms. Hue and her team members still diligently bring Ho Song Ma to ethnic cultural festivals, combined with river tours to arouse emotions in tourists. "Taking a boat on the Ma River, in addition to sightseeing, listening to the Ho will be an unforgettable experience," she said.

Over the years, cultural researchers, artisans and the local cultural sector have made efforts to preserve Ho Song Ma. However, the risk of its disappearance is still evident as the generation of artisans gradually ages, while young people show little interest.

The Ma River Ho is not only a musical heritage, but also a collective memory, an epic about labor, love for the homeland and the will to resist of the people of Thanh Hoa. Preserving that Ho is also preserving a part of the soul of the homeland, so that in the future, every time the boat drifts on the waves, the Ho will resound like a message from the past, like the heartbeat of the Ma River, the river of history.

The Ma River still flows, still meanders through the mountains, the fields, the countryside. But somewhere in the sound of the waves lapping the shore, people seem to hear the echoes of the folk songs that have accompanied the nation through many seasons of resistance. It is not only the music of labor, not only the song of love for the homeland, but also the steadfast oath of those who once shouldered the fate of the country.

Today, in the midst of modern life, the Ho Song Ma songs still need to be sung like an epic connecting the past with the present, like an indelible cultural mark in the soul of Thanh Hoa. The efforts to preserve, collect, and teach by artisans and researchers, along with the attention of all levels and sectors, are not only a responsibility to the heritage but also a way for today's generation to listen to the echoes of their ancestors, to be more proud and love their homeland.

And then, one day, on the wharves, under the dikes, in the festivals, visitors will hear again the long, resounding call of the song, like the call of history. At that time, the Ma River will not only flow through the geography but also through the consciousness of many generations of Vietnamese people like an endless epic of the desire for independence and freedom.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/khuc-trang-ca-tren-dong-song-lich-su-165287.html