Bắc Ninh
Flame of cheo still burns in the land of Kinh Bac
BAC NINH – More than just a gathering of artists, this year’s National Cheo Festival is a heartfelt reunion of kindred souls bound by a passionate love for cheo - Vietnam’s traditional operatic art form. Enthralled by cheo, enchanted by cheo, and deeply immersed in cheo - these are the emotions that have pervaded every corner of the festival, from behind the curtains to the stage and through to the audience rows.
Held for the second time in Kinh Bac - the cradle of folk songs and traditional arts, the National Cheo Festival has become a grand celebration for those who share a deep devotion to this time-honoured art form.
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Hai Phong’s Xu Dong Cheo Theatre performs “The Love Story by the River.” |
Twelve professional art troupes from across the country have brought to the festival 21 carefully produced performances covering a wide range of themes, from historical and revolutionary stories to contemporary life, featuring nearly 1,000 professional artists and actors.
Artists of traditional arts are constantly striving to innovate, to ensure that every performance resonates with today’s audiences through the power of authenticity and profound humanity.
As Dr. People’s Artist Le Tuan Cuong, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Traditional Theatre, affirmed: “True art comes from life and must return to serve life. Think of cheo as something simple yet great like a mother’s lullaby that no one teaches, yet everyone knows. Respecting the audience, reaching the audience, and touching their emotions are what we, as artists of traditional theatre, hold closest to our hearts.”
More than a professional reunion, the festival honours the spirit of dedication and the creative aspirations of those who preserve the soul of Vietnam’s traditional arts in an era of integration.
If the artists are the ones who burn with passion on stage, then the audience are those who keep that flame alive. For the people of Bac Ninh in particular, and cheo lovers everywhere, the festival is a chance to feel, to see, and to immerse themselves in the vibrant rhythms of drums, strings, and heartfelt singing.
On the opening night, the provincial Culture and Exhibition Centre was packed with spectators.
Nguyen Thi Minh Du, 70, from Phu My 2 residential area, Bac Giang ward, shared: “I don’t know how to sing cheo, but I’ve loved it since I was a child. It is deeply moved when watching professional artists perform here in my hometown. When the artists laugh, I laugh; when they cry, I cry with them.”
In the crisp autumn air of Kinh Bac, the sounds of cheo drums and tender melodies warm the hearts of all who listen. There are no longer boundaries between artist and audience but only moments of emotional harmony, of shared love and faith in the enduring vitality of traditional art.
The festival may soon come to a close, but the flame of passion will continue to burn in the hearts of artists, and the echoes of cheo will linger on this beloved Kinh Bac land where kindred souls meet in a gathering overflowing with humanity and love for the art.
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