“Living memory” preserves the national soul

When the elderly are not just "storytellers"

Thanh Hoa is home to seven ethnic groups, each of which carries with it a unique cultural treasure. However, the changing times and the urbanization process have put many traditional values at risk of being lost.

In that context, the elderly not only play the role of "storytellers", but also of doers, with all their passion and responsibility for their cultural roots.

“Living memories” preserve the national soul - photo 1 — Members of the Folk Arts Club of But Son town (Hoang Hoa) actively teach students Cheo singing, Van singing and use of traditional musical instruments. Photo: TTV

One of the typical examples is Meritorious Artist Nguyen Nhu Chi, Head of the Folk Art Club of But Son Town (Hoang Hoa). Starting in 2005 with only 10 members, the Cheo Club founded by Mr. Chi now has 25 members of many ages. The oldest is over 80, the youngest is under 25.

“At first, everything was spontaneous, no budget, no sponsorship, only the love of rowing as the driving force,” Mr. Chi shared. From just singing for each other, the club has now become a cultural highlight of the locality.

They compose, stage and perform cheo melodies praising their homeland and country, while also propagating the Party's policies and the State's laws.

Not only performing, Mr. Chi and his members also regularly open classes to teach Cheo to young people. Those classes have no lesson plans, no blackboards, just the rhythmic sound of Cheo drums and the emotional spread. “Singing Cheo is to preserve the soul of the village,” he said.

Every festival, the club puts on a new outfit, with elaborate stage performances and traditional Cheo singing and dancing, imbued with the cultural colors of the Northern countryside.

Not only do they perform locally, they are also invited to interact in many neighboring districts. Many young members have grown up from the Cheo classes organized by the elders, then returned to continue teaching the next generation.

In another countryside, Thuan Hoa village, Quang Trung commune, Ngoc Lac mountainous district, the sound of gongs still echoes through the hands and heart of Meritorious Artisan Pham Vu Vuong.

Despite his old age, his enthusiasm has never diminished. Mr. Vuong is the one who founded and leads the gong club of Thuan Hoa village.

"Since I was little, the sound of gongs and cymbals has been deeply imprinted in my memory from the times I followed my mother and grandmother to the village festival," Mr. Vuong said. From the age of 7, he began practicing playing gongs. As he grew up, traveled a lot, and learned a lot, he became more aware of the importance of gongs in the spiritual life and community activities of the Muong people.

Not only does he keep the gong sound alive in the village, he is also a bridge to bring that sound closer to the younger generation. His club not only practices and performs, but also organizes teaching sessions in schools and exchanges at cultural events.

Students in Ngoc Lac not only know about gong sounds as a "heritage in books", but also directly touch, listen and learn to respect their ethnic values.

“To preserve the sound of gongs, you must not only play them well but also with heart. Gongs are not musical instruments, they are the soul of the Muong people,” Mr. Vuong said firmly.

On every occasion of a festival, a national cultural festival or a special event of the district, the gong sound from the club resounds as if to awaken the memories of the village. Many students, after being exposed to gongs, have applied to study long-term, including those from other ethnic groups, not Muong.

When the elderly revive the nation's precious assets

In Thanh Hoa , there are many people like Mr. Chi and Mr. Vuong. They are the “living memories” of the nation, the bridge that brings traditional culture from the past into the present and the future. They do not stand aside, do not reminisce one-sidedly, but every day breathe life into the beauty that is gradually being forgotten.

The Thanh Hoa Province Elderly Association has been a source of support for such hearts for many years. This organization actively encourages its members to establish cultural clubs, restore traditional festivals, restore customs and practices, and teach them to their children and grandchildren. This is not only to preserve heritage but also to enrich the spiritual life of the community.

Many mountainous districts such as Quan Hoa, Quan Son, Ba Thuoc, Lang Chanh… are also witnessing the important role of the elderly in preserving the sounds of the panpipe, dances, mo songs, lullabies, intangible heritages that are at risk of being lost if not preserved.

From participating in compiling books on traditional ethniceducation in schools, organizing summer classes for children, to playing the role of "conductor" in village art troupes, the elderly are keeping the local culture alive with their own life experiences.

Without slogans, these elderly people are silently implementing the “Heritage Action Program” in their own way, from small alleys to communal houses, from hillside classrooms to village halls. They do not wait, do not leave themselves to time or the intervention of projects, but become projects that live persistently and sincerely.

Their presence in every dance, in every ancient song, in the sound of festival drums or the bustling sound of gongs is proof that: national culture does not only live in history books, but also lives in everyday life. It is a wordless call for future generations to know who they are, where they come from, and where they are going.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/ky-uc-song-gin-giu-hon-dan-toc-145171.html