Xoan singing seeks UNESCO intangible cultural heritage of humanity
VGP – The PM has agreed to assign the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, on behalf of the Government, to submit Xoan singing to the UNESCO to seek its recognition as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
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Xoan singing is a kind of performing art relating to worshipping gods. In the past, Van Lang people held Xoan singing performance in the spring to welcome the new year. There are three forms of Xoan singing as the worship singing to commemorate Hung Kings and village guardian gods; the ritual singing to pray for good crops, good health; and the festive singing, a form of love duet.
Xoan singing has existed for more than 2,000 years since Hung Kings dynasty. So all old Xoan songs originated from ancient villages in the center of Van Lang nation (now Phu Tho Province), after spread out the villages in the two banks of Lo and Hong rivers. Four old Xoan guilds are An Thai, Phu Duc, Kim Doi and Thet in two communes of Kim Duc and Phuong Lau.
Most Xoan songs were composed by common people following poetry styles such as seven-seven-six-eight-word-meter verse, seven-beat-meter verse, six-eight-word-meter verse, the variants of six-eight-word-meter verse, four-word verse, and six-word verse. Xoan music has a simple structure with few ornamental notes. It often uses three-note scale and four-note scale with simple rhythm.
By Thuy Dung
