During the COVID-19 pandemic, the original Quan ho songs were rewritten by Artisan Nguyen Thi Kim Quynh – the chairman of Quan ho club in Duong Xa to show love and gratitude the country’s healthcare workers. This idea of bringing Quan ho closer to daily life was praised by the local authority and public.
Quan ho is traditional music in Vietnam. This kind of music has a strong and persistent vitality over 800 years. In 2009, Quan ho was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESSCO. The communal house of Duong Xa Village (Bac Ninh city, Vietnam) is widely known for preserving and developing the value of this art form. Established in 1992, for 28 years, the club has been luring 50 members at different age groups. They often gather in the communal house to practice singing on Sunday.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a little change in club meeting. Instead of taking rehearsals in club as usual, they created “virtual meeting” for our members by using Zalo app. Especially, basing on the melody of quan ho folk song, Nguyen Thi Kim Quynh, head of Quan ho club rewrote COVID-19 related song to praise the solidarity and bravery of the Vietnamse people when the pandemic hit the country.
“When the pandemic reached its peak in Vietnam, doctors and nurses at the hospital who are the frontline medical staff had to work tirelessly to protect community. Singing these songs, we show love and gratitude to the country’s healthcare workers. We want to thank them for working their butts off during this pandemic We also call on people to join community efforts in the fight against COVID-19.” Mrs Mai Tai vu, member of Duong Xa Village shared.
Thanks to this idea, Quan ho folk songs is widely known through mass media. Bringing the traditional music closer to the contemporary life, Quan ho club in Duong Xa not only promotes the value of this cultural heritage but also encourages people to be optimistic in the pandemic.
