Mai Tuyet Hoa and her passion for Xam singing

09/06/2009
Seeing Mai Tuyet Hoa dressed in a T-shirt and jeans and riding a motorbike, nobody would think that she is a famous singer of Xam songs in the capital of Vietnam. Actually she is well known not only for her beautiful singing and good musical instrument playing, but also for her beauty for which she has attracted many fans. Many people even said that Hoa is a "special bud" of the Vietnamese Xam performance, because in modern times there are few artists, especially young ones, who devote themselves to this special performing art.

Not long ago, during a visit to a night street fair o­n Hang Dao Street in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, I saw a girl sitting o­n the pavement and singing Xam songs, who later I learnt was Mai Tuyet Hoa. This girl was amazing, not o­nly for her lovely renditions of Xam music but also because of her exquisite beauty. Her singing impressed not o­nly me but many passers-by.

Mai Tuyet Hoa was born in 1976 – the Year of the Dragon – which is said to fit people who like to travel and explore new things, and are very talented. At 8, Hoa took a course to learn to play the Dan nhi (the two-stringed zither) at the Hanoi Arts College, and later transferred to study at Hanoi National Conservatory. Hoa graduated from the university with a composition entitled "Dan nhi and the art of Xam singing".

For almost 20 years studying Dan nhi – the major musical instrument to accompany Xam singing, Hoa's knowledge and passion for the art grew. Her time working at the Vietnam National Institute of Music provided her more opportunities to gain a reputation as an excellent Xam performer.

Hoa is fortunate enough to learn Xam singing from many singers, including famous Xam artisan Ha Thi Cau from Ninh Binh Province. She was taught how to play the musical instrument and sing with it. With assistance from the artists of the Vietnam National Institute of Music, Hoa has entered into the world of Xam singing with a passionate devotion.

Doctor Dang Hoanh Loan, former Vice President of the Vietnam National Institute of Music, remarked: "There are a few singers who can sing Xam songs, but there may be o­nly Mai Tuyet Hoa who can sing Xam songs and play the Dan nhi so wonderfully. She is the most qualified singer capable of acquiring fully a Xam performance from famous artisan Ha Thi Cau."

I saw Hoa singing Xam songs many times, but at each performance I still feel deeply moved by her singing. The soft and haunting melody always reminds me of the past, of some places where there are people from different lives. Hoa always performs with all her heart and talent with which she attracts a huge audience. When performing, she wears the attire of a poor beggar: an old skirt, a brown shirt, a kerchief tired around her head and an old conical hat. Sitting in a corner of the street crowded with passers-by to play a Dan nhi and sing sorrowful songs, Hoa portrays a miserable person so well people think she really needs help.

Hoa said she is closely attached to Xam singing, which is known by few people. She hopes more artists will come along and learn this art form.

In the street, Hoa can be easily lost among a crowd of young, modern women. I know the o­nly thing that differentiates her from the others is that she has a great passion for Xam melodies of the old days.

Xam singing is a folk art form that came into being in the Tran Dynasty, about 700 years ago. There are roughly 400 Xam songs preserved, with most of them handed down orally.

In the old days, Xam songs used to be sung by blind minstrels who went in a group of 2-3 or 4-5 members, mostly from the same family, and performed at the open crowded places.

Through their singing, Xam singers told about their own fates, the misery of poor people and the injustice in daily life. Some songs are about humourous stories or satirical criticism against bad habits.

Xam songs attract the audience due to their diverse lyrics accompanied by merry sounds of castanets, o­ne-stringed or two-stringed zithers.

Nowadays Xam minstrels are rarely seen, but Xam singing has been preserved and developed.

 

Story by Nguyen Ha Anh - (Vietnam Pictorial)

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