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Pho
Thi Kim Duc, famous for singing “Ca tru” (ceremonial songs) and the only
remaining “Ca tru” singer from the well-known Kham Thien Ca tru group in the
past, will perform at the French Cultural Centre on June 13 in Hanoi.
Kim Duc will share the stage with her students who are all well-known in “Ca tru”
and “Cheo” (traditional operetta) circles in Vietnam, such as Dang Cong Hung
from the Cheo Theatre of Vietnam, Doan Thanh Binh from the Vietnam Academy of
Theatre and Cinema and People’s Artist Nguyen Xuan Hoach from the Vietnam
National Music Song and Dance.
The show will feature many special songs in different styles of “Ca tru” singing
such as ‘Ho Tay’ (West Lake) composed by poet Nguyen Khuyen and ‘Trang An hoai
co’ (Nostalgic Trang An) by Nguyen Cong Tru.
Pho Thi Kim Duc was born and grew up in a family with a tradition of singing “Ca
tru” and her father was choir master at the Kham Thien “Ca tru” group in Hanoi .
She started learning to sing Ca tru at the age of 7 and by the age of 13 she had
began to perform “Ca tru”. Kim Duc is also a famous Cheo singer for Radio the
Voice of Vietnam.
‘Ca Tru’, also known as “hat a dao” or “hat noi” which dates back to the 15th
century, has been listed among 12 intangible global cultural heritage traditions
in danger of disappearing.
Ca Tru, like many old and highly developed arts, has many forms. However, the
most widely known and widely performed type of “Ca tru” involves only three
performers: the female vocalist, a lute player and a spectator (who also takes
part in the performance).
The female singer provides the vocals whilst playing her “phach” (small wooden
sticks beaten on a small bamboo box) as percussion. She is accompanied by a “dan
day” player, a long-necked, three-stringed lute used almost exclusively for “Ca
tru”. Last is the spectator (often a scholar or connoisseur of the art) who
strikes a “trong chau” (drum) in praise or disapproval of the singer’s
performance, usually after every verse. The way in which the drum is struck
provides a commentary on the performance, but it is always done according to the
beat provided by the vocalist’s “phach” percussion.
Ca Tru, precious part of Vietnam’s cultural treasure, was recognised by the
UNESCO as a world intangible cultural heritage in 2010..
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