Then singing – Folk art of Tay, Nung, Thai people

(TITC) – Then singing is known as a magical melody, originating from the ethnic life of the Tay and Nung people. This folk religious performance art contains and displays the long-standing historical and cultural values ​​of the Tay, Nung, and Thai people.

The gourd lute – an indispensable musical instrument in Then singing melodies, has become the soul in the material and spiritual life of the Tay, Nung, and Thai ethnic groups. Therefore, Then singing and gourd lute have a strong vitality, are passed down, preserved and promoted by ethnic people.

Then sessions are performed by the people around the fire in the stilt house, on the occasion of the Long Tong Festival. The melody and rhythm of Then lyrics are sometimes gentle and passionate; sometimes joyful, bustling, and urgent, like urging troops to battle; sometimes Then lyrics emphasize and whisper, telling stories about the heavens and the earth, about the birth of all things in the vast universe. Then lyrics and gourd lute sounds attract with their simple, gentle lyrics “evoked” with the wonderful sounds of the gourd lute.

Then is divided into ancient Then and modernized Then. Ancient Then is spiritual in nature, basically prayers for crops, peace, wealth, bad luck, moving into a new house, celebrating weddings, etc. Ancient Then requires the performer to play the instrument, shake the music, and sing. The reformed Then is based on the ancient Then, with new lyrics to convey the people’s love and respect for Uncle Ho; celebrate the homeland and country; praise the movement to build new rural areas, civilized urban areas; and happy families.

A unique feature of Then is that there are many paths, such as: Pang khao, Thong dam, cap sac, Cau hoa. Then is divided into many forms, each form has many different melodies, such as in the worship there are the melodies Khau tu (Entering the Heaven’s Gate), Pay ma (Riding a horse), Dong meng dong quang (Entering the cicada forest), Calling the soul, rowing on the sea…

Then is used to sing in curing sessions, including singing Hai Hoa, Noi So, Giai Han and Then Tieu Tieu Tan (for the dead)…Many tourists come to Thai Nguyen, drink tea, enjoy Then, listen to gourd lute music and are so fascinated that they don’t want to leave. Especially in Thai Nguyen, the Provincial Cultural and Artistic Center has relied on Then songs to successfully build the Then album: “Khun tang pay cau an” (Going to heaven to pray for peace for the family and village).

This Then album consists of 10 chapters excerpted from the ancient Then of the Tay people, including: “Pao phap pao slay” (Presenting to the Buddha, gods, and saints to perform the ceremony); “Thai ve” (Cleansing and purifying the altar for the ceremony); “Kham le” (Dance to check the offerings before departure); “Pay tang” (Then army on the way); “Kham hai” (Crossing the Milky Way); “Khau tu va” (Entering the king’s gate); “Nop le” (Paying gifts); “Ky slu long dang” (Praying for blessings); “Tan dan, tan le” (Dancing at the altar, paying respects) and “Hoi binh, khao ma” (Homecoming party)…

Then words are closely associated with the spiritual life of the Tay, Nung, and Thai people in Viet Bac. From the moment we are born, we hear Then’s words welcoming us, and when we die, Then’s words send us off. So even though society has many changes and countless new music genres, like a miracle existing in everyday life, Then’s words and gourd lute’s sounds naturally enter people’s hearts.

Tourism Information Technology Center