ID :
29019
Sat, 11/08/2008 - 08:37
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/29019
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Gongs and court music make heritage list
Hanoi (VNA) - Nha nhac (Vietnamese court music) and gong culture are listed among the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, issued for the first time on Nov. 4 at the third session of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage in Istanbul, Turkey .
The integration ceremony took place in the presence of the UNESCO director
general Koichiro Matsuura and Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism
Ertugrul Gunay.
The list integrates 90 different cultural elements proclaimed as
Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in
2001, 2003 and 2005. The list, according to a 2003 convention, seeks to
recognise and preserve living components of cultural heritage, such as oral
traditions and expression, performing arts, social practices and rituals,
festivals, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, and
traditional craftsmanship. Nha nhac was proclaimed in 2003 and gong
culture was proclaimed in 2005.
The 90 cultural expressions and spaces on the list are located in 70
countries worldwide, with 14 from Africa, eight from Arab states, 30 from
the Asia-Pacific region, 21 in Europe and 17 in Latin America and the
Caribbean .
According to UNESCO's website, nha nhac , literally meaning "elegant
music", refers to a broad range of musical and dance styles performed at the
Vietnamese royal court from the 15 th to mid-20 th century.
Nha nhac was generally featured at opening and closing ceremonies
associated with anniversaries, religious holidays, coronations, funerals and
official receptions. Performances featured numerous singers, dancers and
musicians dressed in sumptuous costumes. Large orchestras included a
prominent drum section and many other types of percussion instruments, as
well as a variety of wind and string instruments. All performers had to
maintain a high level of concentration and were expected to follow each step
of the ritual meticulously.
Among numerous musical genres that have developed in Vietnam , only
nha nhac can claim a nationwide scope and strong links with traditions in
other East Asian countries. The genre developed during the Le dynasty
(1427-1788) and became highly institutionalised and codified under the
Nguyen monarchs (1802-1945) as a symbol of the dynasty's power and
longevity.
The role of nha nhac was not limited to musical accompaniment for court
rituals, however. It also provided a means of communicating with and paying
tribute to the gods and past kings, as well as transmitting knowledge about
nature and the universe.
But events that shook Vietnam in the 20 th century - especially the
fall of the monarchy and decades of war are threatened the survival of nha
nhac . Deprived of its court context, the musical tradition lost its
original function, surviving only through the efforts of some former court
musicians.
Certain forms of nha nhac have been maintained in popular rituals and
religious ceremonies and serve as a source of inspiration for contemporary
Vietnamese music.
The cultural space of the gongs in Tay Nguyen (the Central Highlands) of
Vietnam covers several provinces and seventeen Austro-Asian and
Austronesian ethno-linguistic communities.
Closely linked to daily life and the cycle of the seasons, their belief
systems form a mystical world in which the gongs produce a privileged
language between men, divinities and the supernatural world.
Behind every gong hides a god or goddess who is all the more powerful when
the gong is older. Every family possesses at least one gong, which indicates
the family's wealth, authority and prestige and also ensures its protection.
While a range of brass instruments is used in the various ceremonies, the
gong alone is present in all the rituals of community life and is the main
ceremonial instrument. Each instrumentalist carries a different gong
measuring between 25 and 80cm in diameter.
The manner in which the gongs are played varies according to the village.
From three to 12 gongs are played by village ensembles made up of men or
women. Different arrangements and rhythms are adapted to the context of the
ceremony, for example, the ritual bull sacrifices, the blessing of the rice
or mourning rites.
But economic and social transformations have drastically affected the
traditional way of life of these communities and no longer provide the
original context for the gong culture. Transmission of this way of life was
also severely disrupted during the war decades. Old craftsmen are
disappearing and the interest of young people has shifted towards Western
culture. Stripped of their sacred significance, the gongs are sometimes sold
for recycling or exchanged for other products.
At this week's meeting, therefore, the committee also considered ways to
increase public awareness, especially among youth, of the importance of
safeguarding intangible heritage. Vietnam also submitted to UNESCO an
application for quan ho (Bac Ninh folk love duets) to be recognised as an
intangible cultural heritage of humanity.-Enditem
The integration ceremony took place in the presence of the UNESCO director
general Koichiro Matsuura and Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism
Ertugrul Gunay.
The list integrates 90 different cultural elements proclaimed as
Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in
2001, 2003 and 2005. The list, according to a 2003 convention, seeks to
recognise and preserve living components of cultural heritage, such as oral
traditions and expression, performing arts, social practices and rituals,
festivals, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, and
traditional craftsmanship. Nha nhac was proclaimed in 2003 and gong
culture was proclaimed in 2005.
The 90 cultural expressions and spaces on the list are located in 70
countries worldwide, with 14 from Africa, eight from Arab states, 30 from
the Asia-Pacific region, 21 in Europe and 17 in Latin America and the
Caribbean .
According to UNESCO's website, nha nhac , literally meaning "elegant
music", refers to a broad range of musical and dance styles performed at the
Vietnamese royal court from the 15 th to mid-20 th century.
Nha nhac was generally featured at opening and closing ceremonies
associated with anniversaries, religious holidays, coronations, funerals and
official receptions. Performances featured numerous singers, dancers and
musicians dressed in sumptuous costumes. Large orchestras included a
prominent drum section and many other types of percussion instruments, as
well as a variety of wind and string instruments. All performers had to
maintain a high level of concentration and were expected to follow each step
of the ritual meticulously.
Among numerous musical genres that have developed in Vietnam , only
nha nhac can claim a nationwide scope and strong links with traditions in
other East Asian countries. The genre developed during the Le dynasty
(1427-1788) and became highly institutionalised and codified under the
Nguyen monarchs (1802-1945) as a symbol of the dynasty's power and
longevity.
The role of nha nhac was not limited to musical accompaniment for court
rituals, however. It also provided a means of communicating with and paying
tribute to the gods and past kings, as well as transmitting knowledge about
nature and the universe.
But events that shook Vietnam in the 20 th century - especially the
fall of the monarchy and decades of war are threatened the survival of nha
nhac . Deprived of its court context, the musical tradition lost its
original function, surviving only through the efforts of some former court
musicians.
Certain forms of nha nhac have been maintained in popular rituals and
religious ceremonies and serve as a source of inspiration for contemporary
Vietnamese music.
The cultural space of the gongs in Tay Nguyen (the Central Highlands) of
Vietnam covers several provinces and seventeen Austro-Asian and
Austronesian ethno-linguistic communities.
Closely linked to daily life and the cycle of the seasons, their belief
systems form a mystical world in which the gongs produce a privileged
language between men, divinities and the supernatural world.
Behind every gong hides a god or goddess who is all the more powerful when
the gong is older. Every family possesses at least one gong, which indicates
the family's wealth, authority and prestige and also ensures its protection.
While a range of brass instruments is used in the various ceremonies, the
gong alone is present in all the rituals of community life and is the main
ceremonial instrument. Each instrumentalist carries a different gong
measuring between 25 and 80cm in diameter.
The manner in which the gongs are played varies according to the village.
From three to 12 gongs are played by village ensembles made up of men or
women. Different arrangements and rhythms are adapted to the context of the
ceremony, for example, the ritual bull sacrifices, the blessing of the rice
or mourning rites.
But economic and social transformations have drastically affected the
traditional way of life of these communities and no longer provide the
original context for the gong culture. Transmission of this way of life was
also severely disrupted during the war decades. Old craftsmen are
disappearing and the interest of young people has shifted towards Western
culture. Stripped of their sacred significance, the gongs are sometimes sold
for recycling or exchanged for other products.
At this week's meeting, therefore, the committee also considered ways to
increase public awareness, especially among youth, of the importance of
safeguarding intangible heritage. Vietnam also submitted to UNESCO an
application for quan ho (Bac Ninh folk love duets) to be recognised as an
intangible cultural heritage of humanity.-Enditem
