Luon Coi folk singing of the Tay ethnic minority is recognized as a national intangible heritage. The Tay in Bao Lam district in the northern mountain province of Cao Bang have preserved their traditional culture, including Luon Coi singing, and promoted it as a unique tourist attraction.
Members of Luon Coi Club of Tong Ngoang hamlet, Quang Lam commune, Bao Lam district.
Members of the Luon Coi Club of Tong Ngoang hamlet, Quang Lam commune, meet once a week to practice singing Luon Coi and share their collection of lyrics. The Club was established 2 years ago with 25 members of different ages.
Duong Van Khuyen said all the members are busy with farm work during the day, so they usually meet in the evening at the cultural house or at the home of one of the members.
“We sing Luon Coi at weddings and housewarming parties. We also perform to celebrate the Great National Unity Festival and the Party Congress,” said Khuyen.
Luon Coi folk singing of the Tay in Bao Lam district was inspired by their daily work. In the past their ancestors organized Luon Coi call-and-response singing for holidays and post-harvest ceremonies. A Luon Coi performance can be either a long solo or call-and-response singing with very imaginative lyrics that express feelings, hopes, dreams, and beliefs about life. Luon Coi songs can also be in praise of the nation, the hamlet, or the latest bumper crop.
In families, the Tay sing Luon Coi to express their love and to encourage children to become useful responsible people. At weddings, they sing to congratulate the newly-weds and congratulate the groom’s family on having acquired a good daughter-in-law. Luon Coi lyrics have been preserved by, and nurtured the souls of, generations of Tay people.
“When I was little, I listened to older people singing Luon Coi and imitated them. I could sing when I was 10. Now I’m over 40 years old. I still love singing and often sing at community art performances,” Ngo Thi Chuyen of Quang Lam commune said.
Tay women teach each other to sing Luon Coi.
Nowadays Luon Coi is rarely sung in daily life, but mostly at worship ceremonies and art festivals. Most of the singers are senior villagers.
Nong Van Luong, Vice Chairman of the Bao Lam district People’s Committee, said that, to promote Luon Coi, the district helped organize Clubs and encouraged senior singers to attend cultural events and festivals and teach Luon Coi to the young people.
“Bao Lam district will implement a number of measures to encourage villagers to get involved in cultural preservation. This will promote cultural values and combine them with tourism development to support sustainable cultural and economic development,” said Luong.
Last year, Luon Coi folk singing of the Tay in Yen Tho, Nam Quang, and Quang Lam commune, Bao Lam district, was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.
Cong Luan - Vinh Phong
