Inspired by Then folk singing from the age of five, Vai Tue Nhi (born in 2020), a young member of the Tay ethnic group from Hung An Commune, Tuyen Quang Province, has been learning the traditional art from her grandfather and father. Step by step, she has gained the confidence to perform Then melodies with her clear, youthful voice.

A love for Then inspired by her grandfather and father

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Vai Tue Nhi, a young member of the Tay ethnic group, wears her community's traditional costume. Photo: Courtesy of the family.

Dressed in the traditional attire of the Tay people, Vai Tue Nhi lights up with an innocent smile every time she begins to sing.

Her love of Then did not begin in a classroom. Instead, it was nurtured at home, where her grandfather and father introduced her to the melodies of the tinh lute and the lyrical verses of Then singing.

According to her father, the journey began when he was preparing to perform a Then song and asked his daughter to hold a traditional percussion instrument and keep the rhythm.

To his surprise, she followed the beat perfectly.

Realizing that she had a natural interest in music and a strong sense of rhythm, he began teaching her her first Then songs.

"What surprised me most was that after hearing me sing just once, she could already follow the melody correctly. Seeing how much she loves Then makes our whole family happy and proud," her father said.
After beginning her lessons at the age of five, Tue Nhi has now memorized several Then songs.

Her favorite is Pi Nong Oi. "I like Pi Nong Oi the most. I even sing it while I'm playing at home," she said.

A young talent emerges

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Vai Tue Nhi performs alongside her father at a community event. Photo: Courtesy of the family.

Ước mơ giản dị của cô bé Tuệ Nhi sẽ được đi thăm Lăng Bác vào một ngày gần nhất. Ảnh: NVCC
Tue Nhi hopes to visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi in the near future. Photo: Courtesy of the family.
 

Beyond singing at home and at school, Tue Nhi has been invited to perform several times at cultural events and community programs organized by her village and commune.

Wearing her traditional Tay costume, the six-year-old confidently performs Then songs before large audiences without showing any signs of stage fright.

For her parents, the greatest source of pride is not the number of songs she can sing, but the natural way she understands and feels the music.

Every day, as soon as her father begins singing, she instinctively joins in with the correct melody.

For the family, it is a joyful reminder that traditional cultural values are being passed down from one generation to the next within their own home.

In addition to her passion for Then singing, Tue Nhi has the simple dreams of a young child.

She hopes her parents will one day take her to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi.

She also dreams of learning to play the tinh lute, just like her father.

Amid the pace of modern life, when many traditional cultural values require continued preservation and transmission, the clear voice of this six-year-old Tay girl offers hope for the future of the Then tradition.

Inspired by her grandfather's music, her father's songs and her own genuine passion, Vai Tue Nhi is helping preserve her community's cultural heritage in the most natural and heartfelt way.

Viet Ha