UNESCO experts back ca tru singing for world heritage status
A newspaper sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism quotes the Deputy Director of the Ministry’s Cultural Heritage Department that the foreign experts recommended that UNESCO add ca tru to its heritage list after a recent study trip to
It appears, therefore, that a campaign by afficianados of the ancient song style has succeeded.
Ca tru singing grew out of folk festivals in the countryside of northern
By the late 19th century, the style had become popular at high class cabarets and wine shops in
Now ca tru’s association with the demimonde is all but forgotten, and ca tru singing is remembered as a pure and classical art form.
The Culture Ministry official, Le Thi Minh Ly, said that her agency has received the UNESCO evaluation reports, which will be published on UNESCO’s website in late August.
“Reading their evaluation reports, I see that the experts deeply understood the history and vitality of ca tru,” Ly said. “They analysed it carefully with reference to each of the five standards set by UNESCO.. They had several comments and asked
Other traditions will also be nominated
Like another Vietnamese song style, the quan ho (love duet) tradition of Bac Ninh province, ca tru awaits the UNESCO Council’s formal recognition at a meeting on September 29 to October 2.
A file for another traditional northern singing style, hat xoan, which developed in Phu Tho province, will be submitted to UNESCO next March. According to Ly, Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) epics, water puppetry, Bau Truc pottery, and the Thanh Giong ‘mother goddess’ Festival are potential nominees.