 (Vietnam Visa On Arrival) Ha Noi should set up a specific
theatre for the country's cultural heritage where artists could perform
traditional music including ca tru (ceremonial singing), in order to help
preserve and promote the value of ca tru, said experts at a seminar held
yesterday in the city.
The seminar was part of the two-day
Ha Noi Ca Tru Singing Festival that took place at the Temple of Literature on
Thursday and Friday to preserve ca tru and promote its precious values in the
wake of its declining attractiveness in the audience. It has drawn the
participation of ca tru researchers and representative of five ca tru clubs in
the capital.
According to To Ngoc Thanh, chairman
of the Association of Vietnamese Folklorists, one of the most pressing things to
do now was to create a place for ca tru artists to perform this original art
form that was recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of
Urgent Safeguarding in October 2009.
Actually except from the Thang Long
Ca tru Club who performs on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 87 Ma May Street,
four other ca tru clubs in the capital cannot perform very often when they can
not find a fixed and free place in the centre of the capital.
"While foreign audiences often come
to ca tru performances, not many Vietnamese people are interested in this art,"
said Le Thi Bach Van, creator and president of the Ha Noi ca tru club.
Ca tru singing appeared in the north
as an entertainment activity around the 15th century and thrived until the early
20th century. Since then, has lost popularity to imports of modern music and
other cultural activities.
War and modern culture have also
caused ca tru to fade during the twentieth century. Although the artists have
made great efforts to transmit their old repertoires to younger generations, ca
tru is still under threat of being lost due to the diminishing number and age of
practitioners.
According to Vietnamese-Australian
Nguyen Le Tuyen, a fan of ca tru, in order to popularise the art, the ca tru
clubs in the capital should be invited to perform in different schools in the
city.
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| Source: VNS |
Theatre sought to promote heritage
