‘Bai Choi’ (singing while acting as playing cards) is a unique, long-standing cultural product that is very familiar to the people of Viet Nam’s South Central Coast region. When time flies, artistes and musicians of ‘Bai Choi’ are getting older, but there is no successor generation, because young people are less interested in traditional musical instruments. Therefore, opening training classes and forming a generation of young musicians for this art form is very urgent, contributing to preserving and promoting the unique cultural characteristics of the region.

Musicians playing traditional instruments accompany the singing of ‘Bai Choi’. Photo: X.D

In the face of the above-mentioned situation, the Da Nang cultural sector has directed the the city’s Cultural - Cinema Centre to open a class to teach traditional musical instruments to accompany ‘Bai Choi’ singing.

The first class is taking place from the end of September to December 2024 with the participation of more than 50 people who are the core of the arts, coming from many agencies, units, and schools across the city. During this time, students are instructed by famous artists and artisans in Quang Nam - Da Nang to play three musical instruments: monochord, erhu and guitar.

According to the Da Nang Cultural - Cinema Centre, the purpose of the class is to help individuals with passion and talent approach in a systematic and specific way, clearly understand how to perform musical instruments when accompanying ‘Bai Choi’ performances.

Depending on the ability and level of understanding of music theory of each person, the class will run from basic to advanced, ensuring that trainees have a firm grasp of the rhythms, fingering, and handling when accompanying ‘Bai Choi’. After finishing the course, they will be able to apply and accompany folk songs and melodies familiar to the people of the central region.

Participating in the course, Nguyen Kim Hoang Dat, a student at Da Nang College of Arts, shared that he likes traditional musical instruments because of their unique, clear sounds that cannot be confused with modern ones. However, for a long time, he has not been able to access traditional musical instruments because there are few trainers and it is difficult to learn how to use them. Now, he is attending this meaningful; course with the hope of being able to play at least one traditional musical instrument, satisfying his musical passion.

Meanwhile, Ms. Le Thi Phuong Thao, a music teacher at Luong The Vinh Junior High School in Lien Chieu District registered to study with the aim of enriching her experience and skills in teaching.

According to Ms. Thao, traditional musical instruments are not as popular as modern ones, but it must be affirmed that the value of traditional musical instruments in the overall Vietnamese folk culture is extremely great. Today's young generation may not pursue a career in the musical industry in the future, but they should also know that their homeland has such musical instruments.

“I study the monochord to later instruct and teach my students. Hopefully, this will contribute to arousing the love, respect, and spirit of preserving the sound of traditional musical instruments in the current young generation,” Ms. Thao shared.

The fact that Da Nang has launched the first class to teach traditional musical instruments to accompany ‘Bai Choi’ singing received a lot of support from artisans and musicians in and outside the city.

Having been involved in the art of ‘Bai Choi’ for more than 30 years and being invited to teach monochord and erhu, musician Nguyen Tinh from the Quang Nam Art Troupe said that in the market economy, traditional musical instrument musicians are not favoured because of the long training time and limited performance opportunities.

Therefore, there is currently a shortage of traditional musical instrument musicians in general, and Bai Choi artistes in particular. On the other hand, the audience for traditional art is increasingly decreasing, causing the art of ‘Bai Choi’, although it has been honoured to be recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, to be gradually forgotten in life.

“Those of us who have been and are attached to traditional musical instruments always want ‘Bai Choi’ to spread and be passed on to future generations. Therefore, I am very moved when Da Nang opens this teaching class. Hopefully, through the course, the art of Bài Chòi will be further promoted in life, many young people will know and join hands to preserve this heritage”, musician Nguyen Tinh expressed.

According to Deputy Director of the Da Nang Culture - Cinema Centre Nguyen Cuong, ‘Bai Choi’ is an art created by the people, serving the people and has been loved and preserved by the people for hundreds of years. An indispensable element when performing ‘Bai Choi’ is the sounds of the song loan percussion, the music of the two-stringed fiddle, the monochord, the concave guitar and the accompanying drum. The smooth combination of the elements of singing and playing traditional musical instruments creates a simple space, close to the working people and becomes a characteristic of this art form.

“With the responsibility of those working in cultural affairs, we will implement this course well and continue to maintain it in the following years. From there, we will add more musicians to the team of artistes and artisans accompanying ‘Bai Choi’ singing in Da Nang; contributing to preserving and promoting the traditional values of ‘Bai Choi’ art in today's life", Mr. Cuong emphasised.

Reporting by X.DUNG - Translating by A.THU