Quan
ho Bac Ninh is folk songs of the Red River Delta, concentrates mainly
in Kinh Bac region (provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang). This is a kind
of art composed by the elements of music, lyric, costume, festival…
Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs show close-knit relation between male
singers (lien anh) and female singers (lien chi) and are typical culture
of Kinh Bac region’s people.
Quan
ho folk songs passed from generation to generation through oral have
the most melodies in Viet Nam’s folk-song genres. Quan ho folk songs are
always performed voluntarily in groups of male (bon nam) or female (bon
nu). Each group usually has four to six people who are named by order
such as “Second Sister”, “Third Sister”, “Fourth Sister”, or “Second
Brother”, “Third Brother”, “Fourth Brother” and so on. If the size of a
group reaches seven or eight people, then they are divided into “older
siblings” and “younger siblings” named as the “Third Older Sister”,
“Third Younger Sister” or “Third Older Brother”, “Third Younger
Brother”...
Quan
ho folk songs are alternating response songs between the groups of male
and female. A group of female from one village sings with a group of
male from another village with similar melodies, but different lyrics,
and always with alternating tunes. In each group, one person sings the
leading tune and another sings a secondary part, but the two should be
in perfect harmony at the same timbre. Quan ho folk songs have 213
different melody variations and more than 400 song lyrics. A song lyric
includes two parts: the principal text is the core of the song,
containing its base lyrics. The lyrics of Quan ho folk songs derived
from poems and folk verses of the Viet Nam, mostly 6 syllable and 8
syllable verses, modified 6 syllable and 8 syllable verses, 4 syllable
or mixed 4 syllable verses express people’s emotional states in
metaphorical language. The secondary text includes words that are added
to the melodies, such as i hi, u hu, a ha...
Quan
ho folk songs exist in a cultural environment with their own social
customs. The first is friendship custom among Quan ho villages. From the
friendship custom, a special social custom appears among Quan ho
groups. It’s friend-making custom. Each Quan ho group from one village
makes friends with another group from another village following the
principle that male groups make friends with female groups and vice
versa. With the friendship-partner villages, men and women in Quan ho
groups from these villages are not allowed to marry each other.
One particular characteristic of Quan ho singing is
the teaching and dissemination through “sleepover” custom. Boys and
girls from 9 to 16 or 17 years old, invite each other to sleep over in
their host’s house to learn Quan ho singing techniques. Male and female
singers combine and practice their voices in pairs in order to have a
unified timbre for performance.
Quan
ho gastronomy uses phoenix wing-shaped quid of betel and areca, Thai
Nguyen tea. In meal, it must use red tray (mam son) which is made of
timber and painted red to express host’s emotion to visitors. Dishes in
the meal depend on each village’s custom but must include a plate of
chicken, two plates of lean pork paste, lean pork; especially no fat
dishes to avoid damaging voice.
In
performance, the outfits of Quan ho are distinctive. The female costume
includes non thung quai thao (the large round Quan ho hat) and scarf
for wrapping the hair, camisole, tunic, skirt, scarves tied about the
waist and slippers. The male costume includes turban, umbrella, shirt or
robe including undershirts and long tunics with five pieces, trousers
and slippers.
At
16h55 on September 30, 2009 in Abu Dhabi Capital of United Arab
Emirates, UNESCO recognized Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs as intangible
cultural heritage of humanity for its cultural value, social custom
preservation, performing arts, style of contact, lyric and costume. The
recognized region includes 49 traditional Quan ho villages. 44 of these
villages now lie in Bac Ninh Province: Bai Uyen, Due Dong, Ha Giang,
Hoai Thi, Hoai Trung, Lung Giang, Lung Son, Ngang Noi, Van Kham, Tam
Son, Tieu, Dong Mai, Dong Yen, Bo Son, Cham Khe, Co Me, Duong O, Dau
Han, Dieu Thon, Dong Xa, Do Xa, Hoa Dinh, Huu Chap, Kha Le, Khuc Toai,
Nem Doai, Nem Son, Nem Tien, Niem Xa, Phuc Son, Thanh Son, Thi Chung,
Thi Cau, Tho Ninh, Thuong Dong, Tra Xuyen, Ve An, Viem Xa, Xuan Ai, Xuan
Dong, Xuân O, Xuan Vien, Y Na, Yen Man. The remaining 5 traditional
villages are located in Bac Giang Province: Gia Son, Huu Nghi, Noi Ninh,
Mai Vu, and Sen Ho.
