Let there be songs to fill the air

Through the peaks and valleys of national history and the continuing development of industry, hat xam (songs of strolling blind musicians) seems to have faded from the minds of Hanoians. But nowadays hat xam is making a come back with the youth.
In the lead up to the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, people can see the passion for this genre developing strongly.
Hat xam is a special kind of traditional singing with each song a story reflecting life and conveying the plight of the poor. It represents raw street culture with most of the audience made up of average residents. In Hanoi, people often call it train station singing as traditionally the music has been performed in crowded train stations. The genre was developed in Hanoi in the late nineteenth century and then expanded to other northern provinces such as Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh and Hung Yen. For a long time now Vietnamese have pursued modern technology and Westemart and so have forgotten hat xam, but the Vietnam Music Art Development Center has been restoring the music since 2000.
The lyrics are simple and plain but performing hat xam is not easy at all. The form requires a special aptitude and a high vocal range to expose the meaning and sensation of the songs.
In order to re-introduce hat xam into the lives of Hanoians, the Vietnam Music Art Development Center has organized weekly performances at the gate of Dong Xuan Market on Saturday nights to entertain the capital's citizens. Passionate audiences motivate the artists to devote themselves entirely to developing their performance skills.
In addition to the free shows, famous artists and singers like People's Artist Xuan Hoach, Meritorious Artists Thanh Ngoan, Van Ty and Thuy Ngan and musician Hanh Nhan have spent much of their time teaching the music to young people in free classes at Hao Nam Temple.
"Currently, the Music Art Development Center is teaching hat xam to as many as 200 people, 85 per cent of whom are young people and students. Therefore, we can not conclude that the young generations are ignoring traditional arts. They are devoting their passion for it," said musician Thao Giang, deputy director of the center. He added that among many young students, Thu Phuong from Quang Ninh had made a very good impression not only on audiences but also on other artists. The young girl is now a teacher at the center.
Mai Duc Thien, a 21-year-old boy in Hanoi, said, "The tradition will be lost if no one studies to preserve it. I am proud to be a student of hat xam".