Nguyen Quang Long (second from left) and artists of Xẩm Hà Thanh Group perform at the press conference on Sunday. Photo courtesy of the artist

In Trách Ông Nguyệt Lão (Asking the God of Marriage), he performs nine songs combining various rhythms of traditional singing.

In the humourous and optimistic lyrics, the songs reflect love and life, including Xẩm Phố Thu (Streets in Autumn) and Bốn Mùa Hoa Hà Nội (Four Seasons of Flowers in Hanoi).

The album includes songs created by Long since 2016 and two songs by Nguyen Binh (1918–1966) and Hong Thanh Quang.

The album also features People’s Artist Thuy Ngan, who is famous for chèo (traditional opera), xam singer Mai Tuyet Hoa, pop singer Thu Phuong and Xẩm Hà Thành – a Hanoi-based group of singers and instrumentalists of xam singing.

Long is a well-known musician and critic who has contributed a lot to reviving xam singing, the centuries-old art form which has long been regarded as an important piece of the nation’s cultural heritage.

The singing is mainly found in the countryside and is mostty performed by poor artists who sing for a living, expressing optimism, humour and philosophy about life. The performances stem mostly from northern regions.

During the war time and the early 20th century, crowded trams, markets and street corners were turned into stages for buskers.

During a xam performance, one artist plays a drum, one plays the castanets, one plays a đàn nhị (bowed instrument with two strings), one plays a đàn bầu (monochord instrument) and all sing together. Audiences would leave money in the artists’ conical hats for their performance.

Long was born in a family with tradition of art in the northern province of Bac Ninh. He graduated from the Vietnam National Academy of Music, majoring in vocal music and musical criticism.

For the last 20 years, he has worked as a researcher and performer in xam music. He has composed many xam songs honouring the beauty of Hanoi and reflecting issues in society such as traffic accidents, national sovereignty over the sea and environmental pollution.

“I want to introduce an album of traditional music which is suitable for modern life and people’s taste,” he said.

“That’s the way the old art survives in the modern time. Any traditional art should have the breath of current life.”

“I hope people will like this album because it’s close to modern society and is recorded in an acoustic style to bring the emotional and truthful experience for the audience like they are listening to a live performance,” he said. — VNS

Bringing traditional music to Vietnam's youth

Music researcher Nguyen Quang Long speaks with reporter Bui Quynh Hoa about his dream to make xam (blind busker’s singing) and other traditional Vietnamese music more accessible for young people.

Singer makes debut album of xam music

The very first album featuring xam (music of blind buskers) has been released in an effort of Mai Tuyet Hoa and her team to revive the traditional music.