Folk music of Ethnic groups in Cao Bằng province


Audio sample

CAO BẰNG, a mountainous region in Northeastern Vietnam, is the home of many ethnic groups such as Tày, Nùng, Dao, Lô lô, Sán chỉ, Mòng, etc. Tày people are in the majority (making up around 42% of the total population), Nùng people make up 35%, Dao people make up 9.8%, Hmông people make up 6.3%, and Kinh people make up 5.5%, etc. Cao Bằng with many ethnic groups presents a diverse folk culture, and converges many special arts such as the lyrical Sli Lượn singing of Tày Nùng guys and girls; the chầu dance of Tày people, the dance with kettledrum of Lô IÔ people, dance performed in the cấp sắc ceremony (to approve the adulthood-reaching of a person) of Dao people, etc.

The Vietnamese Institute for Musicology would like to introduce some special folk music numbers of ethnic groups in Cao Bằng province that we collected in 2006 in the framework of the project Supporting Vietnamese Culture for Sustainable Development sponsored by SIDA (Sweden).

1. Ráng có mà hang (Promise to go to the market) - Hà lều tune
Performers: Hoàng Thị sủi (1955), Nông Thị Ngán (1956)
Nùng lòi ethnic group
Hồng Đại commune, Phục Hòa district, and Độc Lập commune, Quang ilyên district, Cao Bằng province

 

6. Singing to make the acquaintance
Performers: Ka Thị Bán (1958), Chu Thị Yến (1974)
Lô lô ethnic group
Cốc Xã hamlet, Hồng Trị commune, Bảo Lạc district, Cao Bằng province

2. Pây tàng (Travelling) - Then singing
Performer: Nông ThỊ Diễn (1930)
Tày ethnic group
Phùng Ngọc commune, Hà Quảng district, Cao Bằng province.

 

7. Cho ché (Singing to invite the meal)
Performers: Chu Văn An (1970), Chu Tht Ngấn (1952)
Lô lô ethnic group
Cốc Xã hamlet, Hồng Tri commune, Bảo Lạc district, Cao Bằng province.

 

3. Cao Bằng, my homeland - Singing the Hà lều tune
Performer: Hoàng Thị Sủi (1955) and Nông Thi Ngắn (1956)
Nùng ethnic group
Hồng Đại commune, Phục Hòa district, and Độc Lập commune, Quảng Uyên district, Cao Bằng province

 

8. Celebrate the new house - Singing the Lượn Cọi tune
Performer: Đào Thf Rượng (1966)
Tày ethnic group
Hổng Tri commune, Bảo Lạc district, Cao Bằng province.

 

4. Love-show singing - Singing the Sli tune
Performer: Hoàng Thf Sủi (1955)
Nùng ethnic group
Hồng Đại commune, Phục Hòa district, Cao Bằng province

 

9. Praise the paddle - Singing the Lượn Cọi tune
Performer: Đào Thị Rưạng (1966
Tày ethnic group
Hổng Tri commune, Bảo Lạc district, Cao Băng province

 

5. Love-exchane singing - Sli Giang tune
Performers: Dương Thf Thùy (1963), Lý Thị Phương (1981), Lẽ Văn Doòn (1978), Nông Văn Sống (1977)
Nùng ethnic group
Trường Hà commune, Hà Quảng district, and Kéo Yên commune, Hà Quảng district, Cao Bằng province.

 

 

(CD)