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Hao lulls her grandchild |
No more people know old lullabies in Binh Dinh now. 68-year-old Nguyen Thi Hao living in Van Trung hamlet of An Hao Tay Commune, Hoai An District is one of them.
* Fate with traditional tuong (Vietnamese classical drama)
Most villagers in Van Trung hamlet know Hao, a tuong artist, because her fame has been widely known. Born in a farmer family, Hao was enthusiastic about singing and has a natural aptitude for singing.
When she was 17, she was invited to join a tuong troupe. At that time, she worked in the fields in the daytime and practiced singing at night.
In the wartime, she went to Phan Rang town of Ninh Thuan province to perform in some tuong troupes. After 1975, she came home and continued performing in her old troupe.
Hao, sometimes, was invited to perform in some troupes in Districts of Phu Cat, Phu Mu, Tay Son, and Hoai Nhon. With 30-year experience of singing, her voice has become more emotive. Her tragic roles often make the audience burst into tears.
She has stopped singing for over 10 years. What she still keeps until now is a set of clothes made by herself for performing. All, such as ao dai, or four-panel traditional dress are carefully kept as treasure.
However, when invited, Mrs Hao willingly performs at art performances held in the hamlet or anywhere.
* Preserve Binh Dinh lullaby
In her seventies, it seemed that Hao could only recall her golden age, but now she is finding happiness in preserving Binh Dinh lullabies.
When being asked about lullabies, she answered by singing: “My child, if you want to grow up, listen to your parents’ teachings.”
It was the voice of an experienced artist that makes the lullaby become more emotive. Difficulties she had met in her life also made her voice sad. When she was twelve, her mother passed away, she had to look after three younger sisters and brother. She learned by heart lullabies since then. And now she is using them to lull her grandchild.
“I don’t know much about the origin of lullabies. I only sing as my mother and my grandmother did. When I entered a contest, I just imagined that I was lulling my grandchild and I sang at once, “Hao said.
It’s her love for her descendants which make each lullaby more value and natural. At the first lullaby and folksong festival held in 2005, Hao won the prize A and the prize for the oldest contestant.
She knows many lullabies. It could be said that her memory includes a treasure of Binh Dinh old lullabies. “Mrs Hao is one of some people who can sing Binh Dinh lullabies. Provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has recorded these lullabies,” said vice director of provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Nguyen An Pha.
Our descendants didn’t know how to lull. I might be the only grandmother who knows many lullabies in the hamlet. I felt pity that those lullabies would fall into oblivion when I passed away, she said.
Leaving her house, we still heard her voice lulling her grandchild. We were in a moment of emotion when thinking about her worries.
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