The second contest for young Ca tru talents was held in Hanoi in early November, featuring 30 performances by eight Hanoi-based clubs. The event saw many young kids registering as contestants.
The participation of young advocates of Ca tru could be attributed to the city efforts to preserve the traditional art form. Specifically, the city has organised a number of ca tru performances in public spaces.
Despite these efforts, Ca tru advocates are still worried about preserving the art as most singers capable of training the youngsters are growing old, and the art form is seen as outdated by many of the next generation.
Ca trù is a complex form of sung poetry found in the north of Viet Nam using lyrics written in traditional Vietnamese poetic forms. Many ca tru singing clubs have operated in Hanoi, laying a firm foundation for the city to preserve the art. However, more efforts are needed to help ca tru to thrive, especially by improving the livelihoods of ca tru artists, according to insiders./.
