Hanoi hosts ancient Ca Tru festival
The festival, organised by the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, aims to preserve ca tru and promote its precious values in response to its declining popularity.
Ca tru is a complex form of poetry found in the
north of Vietnam using lyrics written in traditional Vietnamese
poetic forms.
Ca tru groups comprise of three performers: a
female singer who uses breathing techniques and vibrations to create
unique sounds while playing the clappers or striking a wooden box, and
two instrumentalists who produce the deep tones of a three-stringed lute
and the strong sounds of a ceremonial drum.
The varied forms of ca tru fulfil different social purposes including worship, entertainment and competition.
The festival will look to encourage the development of ca tru singing
clubs in the city as a way of safeguarding this special singing genre,
which was recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in
Need of Urgent Safeguarding in October 2009.
During the two-day
event, foreign and domestic lovers of ca tru will have a chance to meet
and chat with singers. They can also take part in a workshop being held
tomorrow by experts on how to protect and promote this genre.
Ca tru singing appeared in the north around the 15th century and thrived
until the early 20th century. Since then, it has lost popularity to
imports of modern recreational forms and cultural activities./.VNA