Xoan Singing

Xoan singing is a folk cultural product of Phú Thọ province. The last point of time that Xoan accompany still sang in communal houses of the villages in spring was in 1945. Fortunately, we still had an opportunity to meet singers and instrumentalist who used to sing in the Xoan accompany in the old days when we conducted to investigate, study on Xoan singing in the late August.

It can be said that Xoan singing is still engraved in the memory of folk artists who up to now can perform it in the communal house whenever having the festival. Previously, the Xoan singing belonged to four villages, An Thái, Thét, Phù Đức and Kim Đái of Hạc Trì district, Phú Thọ province. After the innovation, An Thái village belongs to Phượng Lâu, Việt Trì city, and Thét, Phú Đức and Kim Đái villages belong to Kim Đức, Phù Ninh district, Phú Thọ province. According to folk artists, of those four villages, the singing style of Xoan accompany of An Thái village is similar to that of Thét village and Phù Đức village similar to Kim Đái. However, it is the difference of order of repertoire, words and the number of dancer, etc, that also creates the own style of each village.

In 1998, together with the establishment of the club of Xoan singing in Kim Đức communes and An Thái village, Phượng Lâu commune brought about new vitality for Xoan singing. The generation of elderly folk artists in the old days always tried their best to hand down offspring compositions in the old style of singing in the activity of Club. On the last August 18th, People’s Committee of Kim Đức commune opened a festival of Xoan singing competition to rise up the passion and pride of villagers to the special art of the locality. When we coming, villagers of each Xoan village were actively practicing and perfecting compositions to be able to found Xoan accompany of each village according to the policy of the Department of Culture and Information of Phú Phọ province. The concern of authority and enthusiastic contribution of the villagers are good news of art of Xoan singing in today’s life.