It started with her special affection for Vietnamese history and culture. one day she came across a book about ca tru and she decided to take this for her Master and Ph.D. research.
In 2004, after a year studying Vietnamese and the basics of ca tru, Anisensel began working under the supervision of professor, doctor Tran Van Khue. Prof. Khue recalled, “When Anisensel approached me and told me she liked ca tru and wanted to do Master study on it, I asked if she could speak Vietnamese and if she could come to Vietnam often. She answered “No”, I told her to give up the idea. She came back 6 months later and greeted me in Vietnamese. She asked my permission and started striking phach (a kind of wooden instrument) and singing the piece Hong Hong – Tuyet Tuyet (Pink and White) to my tears”.
Ms. Alienor Anisensel revealed, “This is a very tough and interesting topic in both musical and technical aspects of music, lyrics and history within it. They sing differently in Hanoi from Ho Chi Minh City, it’s very difficult”.
Ca tru composers and researchers in Vietnam are proud that ca tru is attracting Westerners. To sing ca tru, it requires not only a good voice but also a passion to see through the beauty and hidden meanings. According to poet Song Thai, a ca tru song has many parts, each imprinted with the composer’s characteristics. Not all Vietnamese know about ca tru because it used to be for the privileged in the higher social strata. It is precious that a Westerner is interested in doing research on ca tru”.
To successfully defend her Ph.D. thesis, Anisensel plans to stay in Vietnam longer and study the distinctive attributes of ca tru in North and South Vietnam.
