KHMER CULTURE: Trà Vinh Province will host the 2023 Southern Dù Kê Art Festival from April 1-7 to celebrate traditional Khmer musical theatre. VNA/VNS Photo Chanh Đa

TRÀ VINH — The 2023 Southern Dù Kê Theatre Festival will be held at the Cửu Long (Mekong) River Delta province of Trà Vinh next month.

Dù kê is a unique style of musical theatre created by the Khmer people in the South in the early 20th century. It originated from local farmers.

The festival, which is co-oraginsed by the Việt Nam Theatre Artists’ Association and the province, aims to preserve and promote the traditional art of the Khmer.

The festival will attract 13 leading troupes in the region such as Ánh Bình Minh and Raskmây Khmer art troupes of the province, the Sóc Trăng Province Khmer Art Troupe, and the Bạc Liêu Province Khmer Art Troupe.

The artists in traditional Khmer costumes will sing, dance and stage plays based on the religions, traditional customs and culture of the Khmer, poetry based on Indian epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and even today's social issues.

People’s Artist Giang Mạnh Hà, the association’s vice chairman, said, “in 2014, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognised dù kê as a national intangible cultural heritage. The 2023 Southern Dù Kê Art Festival is expected to boost activities to preserve and promote the art.”

He added that “through the festival, we hope the public, especially young people, can discover our country’s culture, learn to love and introduce traditional art to people from all around the world.”

The festival will take place at Trà Vinh University in Trà Vinh City from April 1-7. — VNS