Keeping the Then melodies alive

As the afternoon sun casts its glow over the stilt houses of the Tay people in Residential Group 14 – Lup Village, Ha Giang 1 Ward, the sound of the Tinh lute once again fills the air. This is the cultural space closely associated with Meritorious Artisan Nguyen Van Chu, who has spent more than half a century quietly preserving traditional Then melodies and Tinh lute music, contributing to safeguarding the Tay people’s cultural heritage amid the fast pace of modern life.

Then singing is deeply rooted in the cultural and spiritual life of the Tay people, featuring prominently in traditional festivals and rituals such as the early-spring Long Tong Festival, the Lau Then Bjooc Ma ritual and other spiritual ceremonies. Accompanied by the Tinh lute, Then melodies can be lively and resonant or gentle and warm, expressing people’s wishes for a prosperous life, bumper harvests and harmony with nature and the heavens.

Then Grand Master Nguyen Van Chu at the Lau Then Bjooc Ma ritual of the Tay people in Ha Giang 1 Ward.

Nguyen Van Chu is the only person in the area with the expertise and prestige to serve as a Then Grand Master, performing the various stages of traditional rituals in accordance with ancient practices. To him, Then is more than an art form; it is a spiritual bond connecting people with the spiritual world and an inseparable part of Tay cultural life.

His love for Then began in childhood. Growing up in a region rich in Tay cultural traditions, he developed an early passion for the Tinh lute, learned Then songs and joined local cultural performances with older women in his community. After more than 50 years devoted to Then, he has become increasingly concerned about the fading of traditional melodies as older artisans pass away and younger generations are increasingly drawn to modern cultural trends.

The Tinh lute and Then melodies are an indispensable part of Then Grand Master Nguyen Van Chu’s life.

For nearly 20 years, Chu has devoted much of his time and energy to collecting and restoring traditional Then melodies. Working with other dedicated artisans in the area, he has successfully revived more than 20 traditional Then pieces and turned his own stilt house into a free community class.

Since 2021, his Then singing and Tinh lute classes have welcomed around 20 learners each, many of them children. The classes not only help younger generations develop a greater appreciation for their ethnic heritage but also bring Then back into everyday community life. As community-based tourism grows, the sounds of the Tinh lute and Then songs performed by his students now welcome visitors from near and far, becoming a distinctive cultural attraction of the locality.

Beyond his own village, Chu and other artisans have actively taken Then to cultural exchanges and performances in various localities and at festivals organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Each trip allows him to promote Tay cultural traditions, learn from fellow practitioners and gain renewed motivation to pass Then traditions on to younger generations.

Amid the rapid changes of modern life, the sustained efforts of Meritorious Artisan Nguyen Van Chu are helping keep the sound of the Tinh lute and the melodies of Then alive, ensuring that the cultural identity of the Tay people continues to be passed down from one generation to the next.

Bien Luan