Ca Trù the non object cutural heritage of Vietnam

Ca Trù is one of original art performances of Vietnam . Appeared in the early of XVI century, passes by many up and down, rise and fall of history, a few times was thought that couldn’t exist, but with the features of original art, the excellent mix of words , singing voice and musical intrusment like: Phách, đàn đáy, Trống Trầu… Until now, Ca Trù has been affirmed the important position not only of Vietnam in particular, but also of people in general. This folk art is suggested to UNESCO to become a non object cultural heritage of people.


Ca Trù has got many names. Depend on each region, each period of times, Ca Trù was called : “Hát ả đào, hát cô đầu or Hát tơ… Albeit exist in any type of name, Ca Trù is inseparable with “Đào Nương”, female singers.

It’s not easy to be a singer of this music kind, who called “Đào Nương”( partly like Geisha in Japan),it requires many difficult and strict criterions like beautiful voice, musicianship, knowledge about music, the passion and the patience …

Ca Trù was sprung from folk-songs, folk-dancing and some kind of art. Ca Trù at the beginning and in the long time was a collective art which included music, poem, dancing … So the originality of Ca Trù is the varied, delicate, harmonious between poem and music.

Firstly, it served royal and relious rituals and was called Hát Khuôn. Later, it was used in banquets, weddings friendly meetings… and called Hát Hàng Hoa. Under the French domination, Ca Trù declined. Before 1945 revolution, there were many places performed Ca Trù: Khâm Thiên, Bồ Đề, Lộ Khê… And many talented poet like Chu Mạnh Trinh, Nhuyễn Công Trứ, Tú Xương, Tản Đà… composed many excellent tunes for Ca Trù. But then, Ca Trù turned into Cô Đầu, performed by a girl, who is kind of Gheisha. The art of it was forgotten because it was thought by the ruiling class, the singers and the audiences were no more than the hedonists. But nowadays, it is revived and become a original popular art.

So far, Ca Trù is known worldwide. It has been respected and published in terms of records by many international organizations.

The artist who deserved most praise for the world wide spread of Ca Trù is doctor, professor Trần Văn Khê. He has recorded Ca Trù, Quan Họ, Chèo .. songs and sent them to France for the UNESCO to study. As a result, many records of Ca Trù and Quan Họ song has been made.

Now, a Ca Trù club has been established in Hanoi, a place for all Vietnam Ca Trù artists and it also attracts many foreign musicologists from American, English, German and France…

But, I don’t know why, there is the fact that, some people don’t like Ca Trù. Of course they aware very clearly of the importance and the preciousness of it but they still don’t like it and even never listen to it. And I also have no idea that some people ( maybe it’s a huge number) don’t like a kind of music which attracts many foreign people . And me, personally, very hardly hear that kind of art ...

Midway City,CA92655
Written by Thu Nhat Anh Nguyen