Đặng Hoành Loan : DON CA TAI TU THE “LATE TRADITIONAL” MUSIC OF THE SOUTHERN RESIDENTS
nhạc sĩ Đặng Hoành Loan
1. ORIGIN
Since the 19th century, there are 2 professional forms of arts in the Southern-Vietnamese community, which are called Tuong and Nhac Le. Tuong is a kind of theatre in which drums and oboes are the main instruments; Nhac le is the kind of music serving the ritual customs and mainly uses string and percussion instruments. Starting from playing for relaxing between 2 crops or in free time, the musicians created “don cay” movement (playing musical instruments without percussion) based on the above forms. This movement quickly expanded its influence on all over the East and the West of the South.
In the late 19th and the early 20th century, many musical mandarins and musicians of Nguyen Dynasty moved to the South in Can Vuong revolutionary movement. They combined the music of the South and Hue to compose new Tai Tu songs and open classes in both the East and the West of the South. Some musical teachers were Mr. Nguyen Quang Dai (Ba Doi) (1880) in Long An province, Mr. Tran Quang Diem (1853 – 1927) in My Tho province, Mr. Le Binh An (1862 – 1924) in Bac Lieu province, Mr. Tran Quang Quon in the West, Teacher Tam, Teacher Dzung, and 2 musical mandarins Phan Hien Dao - Ton Tho Truong who studied music in Hue. They contributed in composing songs and transmitting in the South. Thanks to “don cay’ movement, musical teachers of Hue – the old capital – created physical changes to make “don cay” music the new kind of traditional music: “ Don ca Tai Tu”
2. ART
a) Don ca Tai Tu
It often takes people a long time, normally from 2 to 3 years, to play fluently the repertoires, using well the techniques while playing and then can play “dieu” and “hoi” (tune and air).
Now there are hundreds of pieces in Tai Tu musical list, in which 20 typical songs are called 20 ban to (the oriental repertoires). They are Luu Thuy truong, Phu Luc Chan, Binh Ban chan, Co ban truong, Xuan tinh chan, Tay Thi truong, Xang xe, Ngu doi thuong, Ngu doi ha, Long dang, Long ngam, Van gia, Tieu khuc, Nam Xuan, Nam Ai, Dao ngu cung, Tu dai oan, Phung hoang, Giang nam – cuu khuc, Phung cau,
While playing these 20 oriental repertoires as well as other ones, musicians are allowed to create new melodies based on long ban. “Long ban” is the basic tune (skeletal tune) of tonality and tempo of each musical sentence or layer. Each musical sentence has fixed number of measures. There are usually 2 types of sentence: sentence with 4 measures of 4/4, sentence with 8 measures of 4/4. The basic tunes was created on Bac tune (Bac air, Ha air), Nam tune (Xuan air, Ai air, Dao air) and Oan tune (Oan air).
All Tai Tu musicians have to learn by heart the basic tune of each repertoire from which they can improvise, yet still maintain the integrity.
A traditional “Tai Tu” orchestra includes the musical instruments: don kim (Vietnamese two-chord guitar), don tranh (Vietnamese 16-chord zither), don ty ba (Chinese four-chord lute), don co (Vietnamese two-chord fiddle), don bau (monochord) and ong tieu (flute). Since the late middle of 20th century, guitar and violin (two Western musical instruments) have been added in Tai Tu orchestra. In order to make these new musical instruments compatible with the others in the orchestra, people improve the guitars by making the frets deeper, turning them into deep fret guitars and changing the way to attune both of the musical instruments.
b) Singing Tai Tu
Based on “tai tu” music, lyrics are composed for signers. Lyrics soon became a very effective tool to promote the art values and educational functions of Don ca Tai Tu to the public – “the folk-song public” with the tradition of taking the musical contents through lyrics.
Soon after that, the singers who performs Nhac Tai Tu co loi changed the way of performance which does not only include singing but also acting called “Ca ra bo”. The first “Ca ra bo” band was of Mr. Nguyen Tong Trieu (Tu Trieu) and Ms. Ba Dac, who played three roles (Bui Kiem, Bui Ong and Kieu Nguyet Nga) in “Tu Dai Oan” in 1910 Paris Fair. “Ca ra bo” was the first step for forming “Cai Luong Nam Bo” stage. In 1917, the play “Luc Van Tien” by Truong Duy Toan was opened in Sa dec. It was considered the first Cai Luong of the third on-stage art of Vietnam (the first is Tuong and the second is Cheo). Thank to prospective list of “tai tu” music and the great artists, Cai Luong has been developing fast and became one of the most attractive on-stage performance in the South during 20th century. On the contrary, Cai Luong is an active element helping “tai tu” music expand widely.
Mentioning Cai Luong, it must be remembered Vong Co which was originally “Da co hoai lang” by Mr. Sau Lau in 1918. “Da co hoai lang” belonged to Cai Luong stage after one year. Since the moment, “Da co hoai lang” has eventually become a Vong co because of various artist’ creation. Vong co’s birth was a great musical event which changed the face of Cai Luong. Then, Vong co is loved by the players and turned to be an essential work in each performance.
c) Hoa don ca Tai Tu
Performing, “Tai Tu” players are free to create their own musical style. Supposing there are 4 different players in a concert, 4 different styles can be found while being mixed into “a perfect play”. The way of “Tai Tu” performing is called “hoa tau bien hoa long ban” meaning changing into each content of a song by Vietnamese musical professors. According to Mr. Hoang Dam, “Bien hoa long ban”is one of many ways of composing which has been known as hétérophonie (hétér - various change; phonie – rhythm”
Before playing the main part, the players give Cau Rao which is the intro with their inspiration. They don’t include stable tunes. Players lean on the main characteristics of songs to give the intro.
3. PEOPLE WHO PLAY ĐỜN CA TÀI TỬ
Years ago, “Tai Tu” performers are also composers, they don’t earn their life as singers. They act alone or sometimes together for relaxation in their free time. The people performing together with them are their close friends who understand each other in life. That is the reason why they perform with their whole hearts.
Then, when Don ca Tai Tu became popular, public increased their demand, which pushed the greatest artists built “tai tu band” for greater performance in larger places.
Together with bands’ establishment, the creation of Cai Luong introduced many famous composers, players. They are professors who work hard and always create for newer inspiration.
Creators, bands, brought this kind of music prosperity in performing, acting, composing and the audiences either.
4. THE CRITERIA TO CONSIDER ĐỜN CA TÀI TỬ AS TRADITIONAL MUSIC
Don ca Tai Tu is the youngest in comparison with other kinds of Vietnamese traditional music such as Hat Xoan, Ca Tru, Hat Van, Ca Hue, Hat Xam for its 100 year olds. However, it is put into the creature of Vietnamese traditional music by the Vietnamese for some criteria:
Firstly, it remains Vietnamese traditional structure with “long ban” structure.
Secondly, it remains the musical scales and the ranges of scale of Vietnamese traditional music.
Thirdly, performers use Vietnamese traditional musical instruments. The instruments are promoted with new techniques by their composers.
Fourthly, professors keep their traditional teaching by direct instruction with ancient songs.
Nowadays, although Vietnamese culture is greatly impacted by others such as cultural integration, information technology and globalization, the Southern people appreciate and maintain Don Ca Tai Tu in their daily life.
Don Ca Tai Tu, the latter tradition of the South is worthy being regarded as Vietnamese spirit creature.
Đặng Hoành Loan