National Ca Tru Festival to open

The National Ca Tru (Ceremonial song) Festival will run in Hanoi from June 19-22 with the attendance of artists from 16 provinces and cities, according to the Ministry of Culture and Information.

The festival will highlight the unique characteristics of Ca Tru, a traditional singing genre in northern Vietnam. Participants will also seek measures to preserve and promote traditional features of Ca Tru.

Ca Tru originally appeared in northern Vietnam in the 11th century. It first served royal rituals and was sung at royal places, but later was passed down to the people and used in religious ceremonies, banquets, weddings and friendly meetings.

Ca Tru songs have beautiful tunes and words and are performed in a unique manner. The stage for Ca Tru artists is just a flower-patterned mat. Ca Tru has many melodies sung differently but the main is singing-reciting: a singer singing while beating a bamboo instrument with two wooden sticks (phach), a musician playing dan day, a long-necked lute instrument, and a member of the audience who expresses his appreciation by beating a drum (trong chau). The harmony of the human voice and the sounds of phach, dan day and trong chau combine to make Ca Tru a special art performance.

Ca Tru not only revives old music performances but also attracts many foreigners. A good number of foreign tourists visit. Ca Tru clubs to appreciate this art performance and many have conducted major studies on this original Vietnamese music.

Ca Tru is expected to be recognised a world oral and intangible heritage of humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cutural Organization (UNESCO).