Streets hum with the echoes of Hát Xẩm’s itinerant tales, while Chầu Văn invites spirits with the haunting melody of the đàn nguyệt. Villages and courts converge in ca nhạc, capturing the essence of Vietnam’s cultural confession. This musical journey winds through time, from ancient whispers to modern resonance, carrying the spirit of a nation in every chord.
Nhã Nhạc: The Harmony of Authority
Nhã Nhạc, the soundtrack to a dynasty, weaves through the corridors of Hue like a ghostly monarch. Moon lute and monochord engage in solemn conversation, determined to manifest imperial grandeur.
Resurrected from 13th-century whispers, this “”elegant music”” now converses with heritage lists curated by UNESCO.
Ca Trù: Echoes of the Elevated
Ca Trù commands a space where elegance and intricacy whisper poetic secrets. The “”ca nương”” channels the narrative with phách and a lute of three strings, while emotions pirouette on the sound of castanets.
Histories from the Ly Dynasty waltz with recent resurrections, matching the pulse of Hanoi’s streets with a refined breath.
Hát Xẩm: Textures of the Tarmac
The street is a stage, where itinerant tales find voices in the đàn nhị’s string vibrations. Blind musicians draw crowds with sung stories that linger on morality’s edge.
Northern markets once buzzed with these street echoes, acting as cultural vessels now sailing toward modern recognition.
Quan Họ: Melodies of Duality
Love is a game of call and response in the provinces of Bắc Ninh and Bắc Giang, where Quan Họ’s song pairs flirt with each verse. Each melodic dialogue surfaces lyrical dances of love unencumbered by time.
While recognized as intangible, its tangible allure took an official bow to UNESCO—a nod across dynasties.
Chầu Văn: Spirit’s Resonance
Intertwining voices and instruments like the đàn nguyệt invite spirits to ceremonies, invoking Đạo Mẫu with harmonic fervor. A medium’s trance translates the otherworld to earthly rhythms.
Born in the Red River’s fertile delta, its chorus now embraces regional snippets, a spiritual synthesis enshrining past and present.
From a bamboo shaft, melodies float—ca nhạc unfolds as cultural confession. Villages and courts, spirits and lovers, they all inscribe Vietnam’s musical chapters.
Bach Huong and Dan Moi’s haunting refrains, latching on to the past yet echoing into the modern concrete. Not mere nostalgia but a continuous resonance.
Tracklist :
Tru Singing
“Ca tru” (also called Tru singing or hát cô đầu) is a centuries‑old Vietnamese chamber‑music genre featuring a female vocalist who performs poetic lyrics while playing phách (castanets), backed by đàn đáy (a three‑stringed lute) and the trống chầu (praise drum) for rhythm and audience interaction. It originated in the royal courts of northern Vietnam and matured around the 15th century
Ca Tru- Vietnamese Traditional Music
Recognized by UNESCO in 2009 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of urgent safeguarding, ca trù nearly disappeared during the mid‑20th century but has experienced a revival thanks to dedicated clubs, master musicians, and national efforts to preserve its intricate vocal techniques, poetic forms, and ritual significance
Ca Nhac Dan Toc Ve Mien Quan Ho- Vietnamese Folk Song
“Quan họ” is a northern Vietnamese folk style of sung dialogue between male and female singers, often performed during spring festivals. Its poetic themes and melodic exchanges earned it UNESCO recognition in 2009.
Ca Tru – Hue Tinh – Bach Huong
“Ca Trù – Huế Tình – Bạch Hương” is a northern chamber genre featuring female vocals, lute, and percussion. Once performed for scholars and nobility, it mixes poetry with intricate musical phrasing.
Vietnamese Traditional Music 2
Dan Moi Sao Tre, Vietnamese Traditional Music – Khacchi.Com
Quan Họ – A Vietnamese Folk Music Style
“Quan họ” is a northern Vietnamese folk style of sung dialogue between male and female singers, often performed during spring festivals. Its poetic themes and melodic exchanges earned it UNESCO recognition in 2009.
Hat Xam
“Hát Xẩm” is a form of street performance once sung by blind musicians in Hanoi, combining folk narratives with minimal accompaniment like the đàn nhị or đàn bầu.
Hát Xẩm
Nhạc Cảnh Hát Chầu Văn – Nga Mi-Tlm-Vũ Đoàn Việt Cầm
“Nhạc Cảnh Hát Chầu Văn – Nga Mi” is a modern performance of Chầu Văn, combining vocals and dance to honor spirits during ceremonial offerings.
Van Singing
“Chầu Văn” is a trance-inducing ritual music used in spirit medium ceremonies, known for its rhythmic drive, alternating chants, and symbolic invocation of deities.
Vietnam Folk Music
Xam Singing
Ca Trù Huế
“Ca Huế” is a court-influenced chamber music tradition from central Vietnam. It blends northern and southern melodic modes, performed with subtle ornamentation and serene instrumentation.
Lên Đồng Giá Đông Hải Đại Vương Nhân Lễ Khánh Thành Phủ Phúc Sinh Trường
“Lên đồng giá Đông Hải Đại Vương…” is a ceremonial song from a lên đồng ritual, performed during a shrine inauguration, blending Chầu Văn and folk storytelling.