The old words of the sea still echo

Once resounding amidst the storms, echoing in prayers for favorable weather, singing Ba Trao is the voice of many generations living off the sea. However, in the whirlwind of modernity, this melody is gradually falling into oblivion, leaving a painful void in the flow of Vietnamese culture.

Keep the spirit of the sea in every chant

Every spring, amidst the bustling drumbeats of the Cau Ngu Festival, the Ba Trao singing melody once resounded, parting the waves and splashing the water like a prayer for favorable weather and a boat full of shrimp and fish. Not only a form of folk performance, Ba Trao singing is also a sacred ritual, expressing deep gratitude to Duc Ong (Ca Ong) - the guardian deity who saved fishermen in the stormy sea. Without the Ba Trao singing in the Cau Ngu Festival, it would mean losing the sacred soul of the ocean.

Simulating the image of a bamboo boat with a crew of 18-25 people, Ba Trao vividly recreates the working life and beliefs of fishermen. The sound of oars splashing water, the beat of drums, the rhythmic singing in the roles of the captain, the captain, the helmsman and the “rows” cutting through the waves not only express the spirit of the seafarers but also encapsulate the rustic and sincere qualities of life and the sea.

According to musician and researcher Tran Hong, “ba” means to hold firmly, “trao” means oar: “Holding the oar firmly in the storm” also means holding firmly on hope and faith in life.

Recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2016, Ba Trao singing is gradually disappearing due to the speed of urbanization and changing lifestyles. In Da Nang , the original Ba Trao teams are gradually disappearing, many localities have to invite teams from Hoi An to perform in the Cau Ngu ceremony. In Man Thai ward (Son Tra district), the Ba Trao singing team founded by Mr. Pham Van Du still exists but operates at a low level, lacks funding, is not supported, and only performs in the Cau Ngu ceremony or at funerals, where Ba Trao singing is a farewell to the deceased to the sacred sea.

Not willing to let the song sink into oblivion, fisherman Cao Van Minh (Nai Hien Dong ward) has worked hard to collect, compile and revive the old lyrics, while also composing new scripts to suit today's life.

For him, Ba Trao singing needs to be preserved not only by personal passion but also by the support of the government and the community. Only when there are people to keep the fire, people to spread the fire and people to receive it, can the song that stirs the water and splits the waves continue to live - like the breath of the ocean in the heart of Vietnam.

Longing to find the song on the sea

On the calm sandy shore of Man Thai fishing village, Mr. Phung Phu Phong (92 years old) often looks out to sea, where the Ba Trao songs used to echo in the bustling Cau Ngu Festival. To him, Ba Trao is not simply a folk performing art, but the flesh and blood, the memories and souls of the coastal people for generations.

At the age of fifteen, he learned both seafaring and singing, from rowing practice sessions with the elders until he became the Chief Driller - one of the three core positions in the traditional Ba Trao team. Now, the old singing team only has him, living and passionately singing those lyrics. "I'm looking for a successor, but it's difficult. Young people today are busy making a living, few have enough patience for Ba Trao," Mr. Phong mused.

Sharing the same concern, Mr. Huynh Van Muoi, a veteran fisherman who is attached to traditional arts, said: “A few decades ago, Man Thai village never lacked the singing of Ba Trao, Tuong or Ho Khoan. That was the soul of the sea festivals.”

According to Mr. Muoi, every 23rd of the 7th lunar month, the day of commemorating the death anniversary of Duc Ngu Ong, the whole village gathers together, singing together the familiar melodies of Ba Trao, full of love for people and the sea. With the existing documents fully preserved in both Han - Nom and Quoc Ngu, and a team of young artists singing Tuong with great potential, the opportunity to preserve Ba Trao is completely feasible if there is the right investment.

However, in reality, this type of performance is still facing the risk of extinction. Because Ba Trao singing is deeply ritualistic and not popular, it requires the practitioner to have a long-term commitment and a deep understanding of both art and beliefs.

The Cau Ngu Festival has also gradually shrunk in scale and no longer has the economic appeal it once had. The younger generation - busy with making a living and modern lifestyle - is increasingly distancing themselves from the hard training and responsibility of passing on the craft. Preserving Ba Trao requires not only funding, but also the dedication of the teachers, the interest of the learners and the synchronous participation of the government, the community and the cultural sector.

In that context, a ray of hope was lit from Nai Hien Dong Ward (Son Tra District), where the Ward People's Committee established the Hat Ba Trao Club with 17 members, led by artist Nguyen Van Thuc. The club was established not only to serve the Cau Ngu Festival, funerals or traditional worship ceremonies, but also aimed at building performances into unique tourism products with the spirit of the sea.

The ward is also actively mobilizing support for costumes and props, and calling on event organizers and travel agencies to join hands in promoting the art of Ba Trao singing - as a valuable and lasting spiritual food in the heart of the coastal city of Da Nang.

To preserve Ba Trao is to preserve the soul of the sea, of a cultural region that is deeply engraved in every wave. And when that song is sung again, echoing in the vast ocean, it is also the moment when we preserve a part of the soul of Vietnamese culture in the whirlpool of the times.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/loi-bien-xua-con-vong-145143.html