Cần Thơ City launches exchange meetings among tài tử music clubs to promote the traditional music genre that originated over 100 years ago in southern Việt Nam. — VNA/VNS Photo Duy Khương

CẦN THƠ — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Cần Thơ has launched a series of exchange meetings among tài tử music clubs to promote the traditional music genre that originated over 100 years ago in southern Việt Nam and enhance artists’ performance skills.

The work focuses on maintaining regular meetings, bringing tài tử music closer to the community, particularly the younger generation, and fostering the next generation of artists.

According to the city’s Centre for Culture and Arts, the exchange activities have been held once a month in wards and communes, attracting tài tử clubs and theatre clubs under the centre and at the grassroots level.

Each programme lasts 60 minutes, creating a playground for artists to meet, share experiences, and improve their singing and performance skills.

The sessions introduce original tài tử music compositions and knowledge about the art, and provide training on singing, playing Vietnamese traditional musical instruments such as đàn bầu (monochord zither), đàn kìm (two-stringed guitar), đàn cò (vertical violin with two strings) and đàn tranh (zither), and performance skills to young artists.

The centre also hosts exchanges among clubs across the city, giving members a chance to showcase their talents.

In addition, the clubs have been sent to schools, multi-service centres, and organisations to promote the art through experiential activities and talks about traditional musical instruments and tài tử music compositions.

Artists perform at a tài tử music club exchange meeting. — VNA/VNS Photo Duy Khương

Nguyễn Thị Kiều Nga, the centre’s deputy director, said the regular meetings aimed to foster activities and performances of art clubs and motivate artists and musicians to actively practice their skills.

Nga said the centre will continue to organise playgrounds and exchanges for both its affiliated clubs and grassroots clubs, promoting the city’s cultural and artistic movement at the grassroots level.

She emphasised that the application of digital platforms in performing and storing recordings helped to spread tài tử music to a wider public.

Nguyễn Thị Hà, director of the Long Bình Ward’s General Services Centre, said the centre has supported establishing new clubs in the locality, while promoting activities of current clubs. It also launched exchanges and competitions with other clubs from neighbouring wards and communes to create a healthy playground for artists.

Cần Thơ now has more than 500 tài tử music clubs and groups at the grassroots level, attracting thousands of artisans, musicians and vocalists, who have made great contributions to preserving and spreading the value of the art and Southern cultural identity in community life.

Tài tử music is the prototype for vọng cổ (nostalgic tune) and cải lương (reformed opera), which is often performed during festivals and special occasions in the Mekong Delta.

The art was recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2013. — VNS