Bài báo khoa học

Ca tru is a unique art form that holds special value in the treasure trove of Vietnamese traditional arts. It is associated with festivals, beliefs, customs, literature, music, and ideas of the nation. On October 1, 2009, at the meeting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Ca tru was recognized as an intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding. The Tran family returned to Yen Xuan village (now in Dien Phuc commune, Dien Chau district) in Nghe An province in the middle of the sixteenth century and established a business that formed a family of “Old Money” singers. The development of the family was associated with the history of the Dong Thanh medium-sized Ca Tru guild in Dien Chau and the rise and fall of Ca Tru art. During nearly five centuries of continuous development (sixteenth to twentieth centuries), the Dong Thanh medium-sized Ca Tru guild had reached the pinnacle of art and fame, produced and trained hundreds of famous singers. The existence of the Dong Thanh medium-sized Ca Tru guild with a history of hundreds of years, many degrees, and ordinations of dynasties is an affirmation of the position of Ca Tru of the Nghe region in Vietnam. This article systematically researches the history of the Tran family in Yen Xuan village associated with the formation and development of the Dong Thanh medium-sized Ca tru guild to give comprehensive and complete assessments of the role, position, and meaning of the music guild, unique historical and cultural values as well as solutions to preserve and promote the value of Ca tru art in the current era.