Ca tru (ceremonial singing) singers from Hanoi have made great impression at the recent ca tru national festival, which brought together nearly 30 troupes from 12 provinces and cities throughout the country.

Ten ca tru clubs in the capital city sent 95 singers, musicians and dancers to the festival, who won 11 out of 29 collective prizes and 13 out of 23 individual prizes up for grabs at the event.

Four-year-old singer Nguyen Thi Huong Tra of Hanoi was the youngest artist at the festival.

Hanoi clubs also stood out with unique items such as the performance of three teenager artists, or one with the participation of three generations in a family.

At a ceremony to honour the artists on September 11, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture-Sports and Tourism Truong Minh Tien said the artists have helped keep the national folk music alive with their love, despite limited investment from the state.

“Ca tru” features a female singer accompanied by a small group of musicians. The art form appeared in the North around the 15th century and thrived until the early 20th century. Since then, it has decreased in popularity due to the spread of modern recreational and cultural activities. The art genre was recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding by UNESCO on October 1, 2009.

Today, this kind of singing is practised in 15 provinces and cities throughout Vietnam. The recent festival is part of the national programme to preserve and develop ca tru.-VNA