Xoan singing | |
---|---|
Country | Vietnam |
Reference | 538 |
Region | Asia and the Pacific |
Inscription history | |
Inscription | 2011 (6th session) |
Xoan singing or hát xoan (Vietnamese for 'spring singing', Chữ Nôm: 咭春) is a genre of Vietnamese folk music performed in spring during the first two months of the Tết Nguyên Đán in Phú Thọ Province.[1] The genre includes acting, ceremony, chant, dancing, drumming, and singing; with themes involve romance, riddles, and work.[1] Traditionally occurring in temples, shrines, and communal homes, the songs are performed by a guild, led by a trùm, consisting of male instrumentalists, or kép, and female singers, or đào.[2] A guild consists of ten to fifteen performers,[1] but there are few remaining, increasingly aging, guilds and teachers of this primarily oral tradition.[2]
There are three types of xoan singing: honoring Hùng kings and Thành hoàng (village guardian gods); wishing for good crops, health, and luck; and festive courtship songs alternating male and female voices.[2] The texture is "spare"; perfect fourths are prominent; and instruments include drums and clappers.[2]
Hát is singing or acting and xoan derives from xuân ('spring').[1] Hát xoan has been inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding since 2011.[2]