Vietnam - Ca trù

Viêt-Nam: La voix des maisons de chant

Phó Kim Dúc, et al.
Buda "Musique du Monde" 198 728

Contents:

1. Giai nhân nam tái dác "Il est difficile de revoir la belle"
2. Ba mu'o'i sáu giong "Le chant aux trente-six voix"
3. Ty bà hành
4. Hát lót
5. Bác phan "Air septentrional"
6. Gu'i thu' "Une lettre envoyée"
7. Uóng ru'o'u giai sâu "Boire l'alcool pour dissiper la tristesse"

Performers: Phó Kim Dúc (voice, percussion "cõ phách"), Nguyên Ván Khuê (lute "dàn dáy"), Ngô Linh Ngoc (drum "tróng chàu")

Playing time: 53'

Recording date: January 2001 (Hanoi)

The art of Ca Trù was deprecated as elitist by the communists, and so in danger of disappearing. It has enjoyed something of a revival in the past decade. Although that was not its origin, it was associated in the early 20th century with bars and prostitution.

Phó Kim Dúc is considered the last of the traditional Ca Trù Ca quán singers. The art is dying out in the new generation, although some trained singers are appearing, albeit out of a different context.

The aggressive percussive accents are also a distinctive element of this music.

Although of similar musical quality, the present release has a much stronger recorded presence than the Nimbus release from around the same time.

To purchasing information for this disc.

To Southeast Asian music intro.