At the recent international conference on don ca tai tu (music of the talented) in HCM City, discussions centred on the measures needed for the art form to be recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of the world. Viet Nam News spoke with ethnomusicologist Prof Tran Van Khe about the possibility of achieving this goal.
Could you share some ideas about the conference?
The conference was one of many important activities established to create documents to submit to UNESCO that would help us win recognition of the music as an intangible cultural heritage of the world. The conference was an opportunity for Vietnamese musicians to compare their thoughts about traditional music.
The conference showed that both Vietnamese and foreigners pay interest to don ca tai tu. Attending the conference, I felt very happy listening to many foreign experts talk about traditional Vietnamese music.
Many of the foreigners had spent a lot of time studying the music. Their knowledge was even more extensive than some Vietnamese people. Their opinions will help find the way to preserve the music, so I think the conference was successful.
What do you know about don ca tai tu?
Tai tu music is not music used during ceremonies. It is the kind of music for the poor performed by a small number of musicians and for small groups of listeners. Many people don't understand tai tu music. They think it is non-professional, or something amateur.
Tai means talent and tai tu means talented person, but the players and singers don't perform the music to earn a living. They perform for their own pleasure and for audiences without thinking of money.
The people who play tai tu music are people with noble characteristics. They use the music to replace their speech to talk with each other. People who attend the music performances are very close friends.
The audiences also contribute to the performance. In modern performances, audiences often clap their hands or present flowers to the performers, but they don't participate in the same way as they do in tai tu music. Audiences can help inspire tai tu music performers.
Are there similar kinds of music in other countries?
Yes, there are several kinds of impromptu music like don ca tai tu in the world, especially in India. Indian performers often have an improvisational style. Gagok in South Korea is another example. But not many of them have community values like don ca tai tu.
What do you think about the current situation of don ca tai tu in Viet Nam?
In the past, people performed don ca tai tu for amusement, not for money. But now everyone does it differently. It has been performed on the stage, so it no longer has the same feeling and sense that was followed in the past. It has become semi-professional or even professional.
The art of don ca tai tu in its original sense should be preserved and popularised.
Playing the music is difficult but playing it with deep feeling is even more difficult. That requires hard practice. The young generations now love to learn Western music.
What do you think about asking for recognition from UNESCO at a time when the musical performances have not retained the original sense or purpose?
It is OK if the music has the value of an intangible culture and is loved by the community. The documents that we have to submit do not require a fixed value. The culture can change over time. Of course, we should mention the unavoidable development of the music. In the past, Vietnamese did not perform don ca tai tu as a job. It was considered a higher art form than folk music. Folk music can be imitated but tai tu music should be taught well. We should not apply Western music to don ca tai tu.
Do you have any suggestions to help preserve the music for younger generations?
In order to preserve music, we should create favourable conditions for musicians to live, play music and teach it to young generations. We should give scholarships to poor children who love music and explain music to them so that they will love it and study it with all of their hearts. — VNS