Growing up in the cradle of the quintessence of Then singing

Thuy Linh was born and raised in Van Lang district, Lang Son province - where Then singing and Tinh lute have become an indispensable part of the life of the Tay and Nung people.

Ever since she was a child, Linh has been fascinated by Then songs, the high and clear "tinh tinh tang" sound of the Tinh instrument resounding in the mountains and forests. The sound of the instrument and the singing seem to carry the soul of the Tay people offering to the earth, offering to the sky, blending with nature. Immersed in the quintessence of the folk performing art of Then singing of her people, the love for Then in Lang Thuy Linh gradually grew and became the passion of the young girl.

“When I was little, I knew Then melodies by heart even though I didn’t know how to play the instrument. When I was a little older, my mother bought me an instrument and signed me up for classes. At that time, I simply found the melodies beautiful, but the more I learned, the more I understood the cultural value of my ethnic heritage,” Thuy Linh shared.

At the age of 11, she studied Then singing at the Ethnic Boarding School and was fortunate to be directly taught by Meritorious Artist Hoang Thuy. During four years, thanks to the dedicated guidance of Ms. Hoang Thuy, Thuy Linh not only honed her Then singing techniques but also absorbed the cultural and spiritual values ​​that this art form brings.

Linh shared that she was reminded by her family and teachers: "Then singing and Tinh lute originated from the working life of the ancient Tay people. According to folk beliefs, Then means Heaven, Heaven means "sky", and is considered a song passed down from the gods. Therefore, in the life of the ancient Tay people, it is used in important events... The Tay people believe that Then melodies help send prayers to heaven."

Thuy Linh also confided that Then lyrics are words that have been carefully selected and refined by the people; they are both lyrical and melodious poems, as well as advice and encouragement; and experiences in dealing with people... so when listening to the Tinh lute and Then lyrics, people can see a part of their own life in them.

Bringing Then singing art closer to young people

Realizing that Then singing is gradually losing the interest of young Tay people and has not yet spread to many friends across the country, Thuy Linh is determined to bring this art form closer to the community.

Entering university, despite her busy schedule, Thuy Linh still maintains her passion by participating in cultural events and taking advantage of social networks to spread the art of Then singing.

In 2022, Thuy Linh began sharing performance videos on TikTok with the desire to bring Then singing closer to the public. Initially, the content mainly attracted the attention of older customers, but by 2024, she decided to build a TikTok channel called "Nang Then Thuy Linh" and create more attractive content such as combining traditional Then singing melodies with eye-catching visual effects.

Thanks to that, her TikTok channel quickly attracted tens of thousands of interactions from many ages, even young people as young as 13 years old expressed their love for this art.

Not only stopping at performing stages, Thuy Linh also wants to expand the community of Then singing lovers, aiming to teach to help more people access this art form.

Recently, the trend of young people looking for national cultural values, things considered the "soul" of Vietnam, makes Thuy Linh very excited. For Linh, this is a great motivation for her to bring Then singing and Tinh lute sounds of the Tay people to spread more and more strongly to young people.

Linh often wears traditional costumes when appearing on camera. Besides sharing about Then singing, she also reveals the unique culture of the Tay people.

Thuy Linh confided: “Traditional culture is the soul and identity of a nation. If we know how to preserve and promote it, that value will last forever.”

With her youth and creativity, Thuy Linh is gradually realizing her dream of bringing Then singing closer to the young generation, contributing to preserving the nation's precious cultural heritage.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/nu-sinh-hoc-vien-bao-chi-va-tuyen-truyen-dam-me-gin-giu-va-lan-toa-nghe-thuat-hat-then-post407538.html