Sweet and beautiful melodies about land and people

After traveling more than 40km, we arrived at Hieu Liem commune (Bac Tan Uyen district) under the hot sun but were full of joy. It is said that in this new rural commune, there is a “Đờn Ca Tài Tử” (Southern amateur music) Club with many farmers who sing amateur music as sweet as fruits here.

Delegates take photos with artists and actors of Hieu Liem Commune's Đờn Ca Tài Tử Club and Binh Duong Theater Association.

Sweet songs

Coming to Bac Tan Uyen district during the joyfully celebration of the district's 10th anniversary (2014-2024), we feel the full vitality of this new rural district that is changing every day. New, clean rural roads welcomed us, passing through rubber fields in Dat Cuoc and Tan Dinh communes, leading to lush green citrus gardens in Hieu Liem commune. Under the hot sun of March, we went to Hieu Liem commune to enjoy the cultural and political exchange program between Binh Duong Theater Association (Provincial Literature and Arts Association) and Hieu Liem commune's Đờn Ca Tài Tử Club.

Sipping cool sweet orange juice, a specialty of this country, the group of artists and actors from the Binh Duong Theater Association seemed to quench their thirst after a long, hot trip. Members of Hieu Liem commune's Đờn Ca Tài Tử Club welcomed the group with warm handshakes, exchanging greetings and stories about citrus orchards amid excited voices and laughter.

Opening the program was the performance “Chuyện đờn ca” (The story of folk music) in the ancient style presented by actor Ut Xuan (Hieu Liem commune's Đờn Ca Tài Tử Club). Ms. Ut Xuan is 75 years old, born in Di An City, and came to Hieu Liem commune to live, farm, and grow citrus trees in 1998. The performance of Ms. Ut was sweet and full of love for the art of Đờn Ca Tài Tử. Talking with Ms. Ut, we felt in her a strong passion for Đờn Ca Tài Tử. Ms. Ut said she loved playing this music since she was young, but because she had to make a living, it was only in her late years that she had the opportunity to live with her passion.

Joining the piano and singing together in the exchange program, we also had an opportunity to listen to sweet songs of Meritorious Artist Thuy Duong with the song “Từ Hải thọ tiễn” in the Tay Thi style, the song Lien Nam “Thăm mẹ quê hương” (Visiting motherland) performed by female trio Hong Tham - Huynh Nga - Phuong Trinh, singing the set “Về Bình Dương” (Returning to Binh Duong) performed by Ngoc Cua and Hoang Ut... For the artists and actors of Binh Duong Theater Association, although conditions in Hieu Liem commune are still difficult, the commune's Đờn Ca Tài Tử Club operates and maintains with an enthusiastic spirit full of vitality. This is respectable in the work of preserving and promoting the value of the province's Đờn Ca Tài Tử art.

Full of vitality

In addition to Ms. Ut Xuan, Hieu Liem commune's Đờn Ca Tài Tử Club also has music teacher Hai Cang (residing in Cay Dung hamlet), who can play many types of folk music instruments that makes us admire. These are the two core members of the club despite their age. During after-work activities, Ms. Ut Xuan and Mr. Hai Cang teach members to listen to the music and sing in the right rhythm.

According to Mr. Pham Van Nam, Chairman of Hieu Liem Commune's Đờn Ca Tài Tử Club, the club has been operating for a long time but has been more regular for the past three years with 12 members. Most of the members are farmers of citrus gardens, such as: tangerine, orange, grapefruit, durian... Everyone gets together twice a month, on Saturday afternoons of the 2nd and 4th weeks of the month at the members' homes. Although there is only one music teacher and Ms. Ut Xuan is the core, knowledgeable about music, the members are very active in practicing and performing many ancestral songs that praise the heroic history of the nation, praising the homeland, praising Binh Duong and the love of Đờn Ca Tài Tử art.

After hours of hard work to make a living, the lyrics and singing have eased the hardships in the members' lives. Since then, Hieu Liem commune's Đờn Ca Tài Tử Club was formed to preserve cultural and ethnic traditions, to exchange, learn and share experiences with each other. However, due to the different work and economic conditions of each member of the club, activities are not regular.

Telling about the process of forming the Hieu Liem Commune Political Club, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tuan, Vice Chairman of Hieu Liem Commune People's Committee, said that in 2020 to implement the direction of the province, district, Party Committee and Commune People's Committee on preserving and promoting the artistic value of Đờn Ca Tài Tử in the province, the Commune Đờn Ca Tài Tử Club continues to strengthen and maintain its activities to this day. This is the result of the love for art, the cohesion of the club's members, the close direction of all levels and branches, and the effective support of artisans and amateurs inside and outside the locality.

“Local leaders, as well as Hieu Liem Commune's Đờn Ca Tài Tử Club, are very honored to welcome the leaders of the Provincial Literature and Arts Association and Binh Duong Theater Association to the locality to instruct and exchange art. This is the driving force for the locality to continue developing cultural and artistic activities in general and Đờn Ca Tài Tử in particular. This is also an opportunity for members of Hieu Liem commune's Đờn Ca Tài Tử Club to learn, exchange experiences and arts for further development. Hopefully, after this event, there will be many larger-scale events with more members participating," Mr. Tuan added.

Reported by Thuc Van - Translated by Ngoc Huynh